The Reason Behind Pete Hegseth's Decision to Call Together Hundreds of Generals Is a Mystery

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered a large number of general officers and admirals to meet on Sept. 30 at Quantico in Virginia, according to ABC News. The news that Hegseth had called the meeting left some confused and others alarmed, especially since it initially seems unclear what the meeting's purpose might be.

As speculation about the meeting and its goals ramps up, many are wondering whether there's any sort of authoritative explanation for Hegseth's decision. Here's what we know.

Public reporting has not confirmed the purpose of the meeting, and several of the officials who have confirmed that it is being called say that they don't know the reason either. It's rare for so many senior military officials, including some who are based in the United States and others who are overseas, to gather in this way, and rarer still for a meeting of that kind to include the Secretary of Defense.

"The Secretary of War will be addressing his senior military leaders early next week," chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement.

The meeting comes months after Hegseth ordered a 20% reduction in the number of four-star officers serving in the Armed Forces, and weeks after Trump and Hegseth informally renamed the department he leads the Department of War after decades of referring to it as the Department of Defense.

Hegseth's invitation went out to anyone serving at the one-star level and higher, as well as their command sergeant majors, which means that the meeting will include several hundred officers. ABC reports that there are 838 total general officers and admirals on active duty, with 446 being at the two-star level or above. The Pentagon has declined to say how many of them will attend the meeting, or what its ultimate purpose is.

Although we don't know the meeting's purpose, Politico has reported that there is already speculation that it might be little more than a chance to take an impressive photo. Trump himself praised Hegseth's decision to call the meeting during a signing ceremony in the Oval Office, saying, “It’s great when generals and top people want to come to the United States to be with a now-called Secretary of War."

Naturally, some military officials have also raised concerns about the disruption this meeting will cause in their regular schedules, and the security concerns that will come with having so many of America's top military brass in one place at the same time. Ultimately, though, it seems like the meeting is on track to happen.

Until Sept. 30, though, we won't know for sure what its purpose might be. Hegseth has certainly made plenty of changes to the Armed Services since becoming Secretary of Defense, and this seems like yet another move that has very little precedent in America's past.