WASHINGTON (TNND) — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has announced a plan to reduce the number of high-ranking officers in the U.S. military, aiming to cut 20% of four-star generals and 10% of all generals and admirals.

Hegseth described the initiative as the "Less Generals, More GIs" policy, emphasizing a need for a leaner military structure.

It used to be a ratio of one general to 6,000 troops. Today, it’s one general to 1,400. More generals and admirals does not equal success," Hegseth said in a video posted to his X account.

A 2024 Congressional Research Service study highlighted the presence of over 800 general and flag officers (GFOs) in the military and acknowledged the ongoing debates about their necessity.

Steve Ellis, president of Taxpayers for Common Sense, supported the idea of defense spending cuts and talked with Full Measure Correspondent Scott Thuman about it.

“You have the F-35, the fighter jet that is only fully operational only 30% of the time for all its missions. That’s $12 billion a year you could save by not buying any more of those. You have the Sentinel, which is the replacement for the ICBM. In 2024, it was 31% over budget, you can get rid of that for $310 billion," Ellis said.

However, the proposal has met skepticism from some lawmakers. Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., a member of the Armed Services Committee, expressed concerns, releasing a statement reading in part: "Eliminating the positions of many of our most skilled and experienced officers without sound justification would not create ‘efficiency’ in the military – it could cripple it."

Hegseth compared the current military structure to that of World War II, noting that 17 four and five-star generals commanded 12 million troops then, whereas today, 44 four-star generals and admirals oversee a force of 2.1 million.