On Wednesday, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that the Pentagon is removing 1 in 5 military generals and admirals through terminations or position cuts as part of his effort to fundamentally change Pentagon operations and focus on “warrior ethos.” Hegseth, 46, said during his speech:“The number crunchers say we fired 10% of the generals and admirals across the force, and that number sounds about right. And I know because I directed it that we've also reduced the overall number of general officer slots by an additional 10%. So yes, 20% reduction across the board. Now the media calls that a purge. I call it accountability, and long overdue. And frankly, the bare minimum.”NCIS actress and vocal Trump administration critic Lauren Holly reacted to the news via Threads. She wrote:“So... they’re getting rid of 20% of the generals a month before midterms? Add that to the alarm list.”Lauren Holly claps back at Pete Hegseth. (Image via Threads)Several others criticized Pete Hegseth’s firing of one-fifth of the military generals and admirals, including journalist Aaron Rupar and political commentator Brian Krassenstein. Arizona Senator Mark Kelly also called out Pete while speaking to reporters earlier this week:“Hegseth is in the process of purging the upper echelon of the military of its best leaders. We need strong leaders. These folks have decades of experience, some of the best leadership our military has ever had. He's getting rid of them.”More about Pete Hegseth’s recent announcementPete Hegseth delivered a rare military address called the “State of the Force Address” to officers and enlisted service members at the Marine Corps Base in Quantico, Virginia.He mentioned that his goal for the Defense Department was for it to become “unrelenting, unapologetic, and uncompromising.” Hegseth claimed that officials who “clung to the woke department” or considered that “civilian control of the military is simply a suggestion” no longer had places in the department.In a now-viral video circulating across social media platforms from the event, Pete was heard saying:“We are no longer the woke department, or the weak department. Simple translation of that? No fatties, no t*******, no beardos, no weirdos, no w*mps, no radicals. Just warriors… I want central casting. The ideological clowns are out. The patriotic cowboys are in, with testosterone testing on top. Diversity is not our strength. Unity is our strength.”On Wednesday, Pete Hegseth also launched the Office of Religious Affairs.“Today, at my direction, I am establishing the Office of Religious Affairs. Starting today, and for Secretaries of War after me, the Office of Religious Affairs will report straight to the top… It will protect budgets, demand infrastructure, and strengthen religious support.”He further mentioned that the Trump administration was looking to build a “next great American” military airbase and urged the states to “bring us your best sales pitch.” According to the Pentagon’s statement to CBS, it will be a “foundational hub” for “integrated defense operations,” “distributed command-and-control,” and “resilient cyber and technological capabilities.”Additionally, the Defense Secretary announced a new four-star combatant command called Autonomous Warfare Command, which would have “service-like authorities, built to scale autonomous and robotic capabilities across the joint force in the fastest peacetime shift in modern military history.”As part of his restructuring of the department, Pete Hegseth also announced a 120-day initiative dubbed the “Project Meridian” to study the future of warfare. It would be led by tech billionaire Elon Musk, Anduril founder Palmer Luckey, and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich.Hegseth also announced that the Pentagon would be partnering with five “premier higher ed institutions,” including Liberty University, Louisiana State University, Tuskegee University, Hillsdale College, and Mississippi State University to form a new corps of cadets.According to CBS, at least 20 admirals, generals, and civilian military leaders have been terminated or have quit their positions since Pete Hegseth became the Defense Secretary, including the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.In May 2025, Hegseth announced that a minimum of 10% of all general and flag officers and 20% of general officers in the National Guard would be fired. Back then, he claimed that the cuts were important to “drive innovation and operational excellence.”“The military must be unencumbered by unnecessary bureaucratic layers that hinder their growth and effectiveness. This can be achieved by removing redundant force structure to optimize and streamline leadership by reducing excess general and flag officer positions,” Pete added at the time.Last September, Hegseth called hundreds of admirals and generals to Quantico and condemned the Defense Department’s “woke” measures and “toxic leaders.” Back then, he also called for stricter directives and rallied against bearded service members and “fat” military leaders.According to the Defense Department's recent tally, there are 800+ active-duty generals and admirals across the Navy, Army, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Space Force.