President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the U.S. will soon begin construction of a "Golden Dome" missile defense system they say will be a next-generation "game changer" protecting the American homeland from outside adversaries.
A similar system, the Iron Dome, has already been developed in Israel with U.S. assistance and has proven effective in repelling missile attacks. Now. Trump says a bigger, more technologically advanced, multi-layered dome system will soon be installed in America.
The president announced the "one big beautiful" budget bill being discussed in Congress will include $25 billion in initial funding for the project, which he expects will cost $175 billion overall. He said he expects a major phase of the dome will be complete in under three years and that it will be "fully operational before the end of my term."
He noted there is significant support for the project in Congress, quipping, "It's amazing how easy this one is to fund."
"In the campaign, I promised the American people that I would build a cutting-edge missile defense shield to protect our homeland from the threat of foreign missile attack. And that's what we're doing today," he said, adding that the Golden Dome "will be capable of intercepting missiles even if they are launched from the other side of the world and even if they are launched from space."
Trump also announced he is placing Space Force Gen. Michael Guetlein in charge of the project, saying, "No one is more qualified for this job."
Hegseth called the Golden Dome a "bold initiative" and another addition to Trump’s "long and growing list of promises made and promises kept."
He said investing in the new system is essential to respond to growing threats from countries like Russia and China.
"Ultimately, this right here, the Golden Dome for America, is a game changer," said Hegseth. "It's a generational investment in the security of America and Americans."
Addressing Trump, Hegseth said, "Mr. President, you said we’re going to secure our southern border and get 100% operational control after the previous administration allowed an invasion of people into our country. President Reagan 40 years ago cast the vision for it. The technology wasn't there. Now it is, and you're following through to say we will protect the homeland from cruise missiles, ballistic missiles, hypersonic missiles, drones, whether they're conventional or nuclear."
Guetlein indicated the Golden Dome is necessary to preserve the safety, security and the quality of life Americans are used to.
"We owe it to our children and our children's children to protect them and afford them a quality of life that we have all grown up enjoying. Golden dome will afford that," said Guetlein.
The general said "our adversaries have become very capable and very intent on holding the homeland at risk."
"While we have been focused on keeping the peace overseas, our adversaries have been quickly modernizing their nuclear forces, building up ballistic missiles capable of hosting multiple warheads, building out hypersonic missiles capable of attacking the United States within an hour and traveling at 6,000 miles an hour, building cruise missiles that can navigate around our radar and our defenses, building submarines that can sneak up on our shores and, worse yet, building space weapons," Guetlein said.
"It is time that we change that equation and start doubling down on the protection of the homeland."
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth is instructing the Pentagon to launch a comprehensive review into the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.
In 2021, then-President Joe Biden removed U.S. troops from Afghanistan, following up on existing plans from the first Trump administration in 2020 with Taliban leaders to end the war in the region. Biden faced scrutiny after the withdrawal as the Taliban quickly took over Afghanistan again and more than a dozen U.S. service members died supporting evacuation efforts.
Thirteen U.S. service members were killed during the withdrawal process due to a suicide bombing at Abbey Gate, outside the then-Hamid Karzai International Airport, as the Taliban quickly seized control of Kabul.
"The Department of Defense has an obligation, both to the American people and to the warfighters who sacrificed their youth in Afghanistan, to get to the facts," Hegseth said in a Tuesday memo. "This remains an important step toward regaining faith and trust with the American people and all those who wear the uniform and is prudent based on the number of casualties and equipment lost during the execution of this withdrawal operation."
Hegseth said the Pentagon has already completed a review into the "catastrophic" withdrawal and concluded that a full investigation is necessary to provide a complete picture of the event and to hold those responsible accountable.
As a result, Hegseth is directing Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell to spearhead a special review panel to evaluate previous investigations and to "analyze the decision-making that led to one of America’s darkest and deadliest international moments."
"This team will ensure ACCOUNTABILITY to the American people and the warfighters of our great Nation," Hegseth wrote in the memo.
On Aug. 26, 2021, an ISIS-K suicide bomber who the Taliban released earlier that month detonated his body-worn improvised explosive device at Abbey Gate outside Kabul's airport, according to a U.S. Army Central Command investigation released in 2024. In addition to the 13 U.S. service members who were killed, approximately 170 Afghan civilians also died.
The Biden administration's White House released a report in 2023 evaluating the Afghanistan withdrawal, which stated that top intelligence officials did not accurately assess how quickly the Taliban would retake control of Kabul.
Republicans on the House Foreign Affairs Committee conducted their own investigation into the withdrawal, and the U.S. military produced at least two reports on the matter.
The Biden administration "prioritized the optics of the withdrawal over the security of U.S. personnel on the ground," according to the House Foreign Affairs Committee report.
"For that reason, they failed to plan for all contingencies, including a noncombatant evacuation operation (NEO) and refused to order a NEO until after the Taliban had already entered Kabul," the report said.
Additionally, the report said the "failure" to adequately establish evacuation plans led to an unsafe environment at the airport and put the lives of service members and State Department officials at risk.
In February, Trump told reporters that he wouldn’t instruct Hegseth on what actions the Pentagon should take when asked if he was considering firing military leaders who oversaw the withdrawal. But Trump said he would "fire every single one of them."
The commander of U.S. Central Command in 2021, retired Marine Gen. Kenneth F. McKenzie Jr., in 2024 took full ownership of the loss of U.S. troops that day.
"I was the overall commander, and I and I alone bear full military responsibility for what happened at Abbey Gate," McKenzie told the House Foreign Affairs Committee in March 2024.
Now-retired Army Gen. Mark Milley, the former chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told lawmakers at the same hearing that he believed the evacuation should have occurred sooner and that multiple factors contributed to failures in the withdrawal. Both McKenzie and Milley told lawmakers they advised Biden to keep some U.S. troops in Afghanistan after pulling out most U.S. forces.
"The outcome in Afghanistan was the result of many decisions from many years of war," Milley told lawmakers. "Like any complex phenomena, there was no single causal factor that determined the outcome."
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth is instructing the Pentagon to launch a comprehensive review into the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.
President Joe Biden removed U.S. troops from Afghanistan in 2021, following up on existing plans from the first Trump administration in 2020 with Taliban leaders to end the war in the region.
Thirteen U.S. service members were killed during the withdrawal process due to a suicide bombing at Abbey Gate, outside of Hamid Karzai International Airport, and the Taliban quickly seized control of Kabul.
"The Department of Defense has an obligation, both to the American people and to the warfighters who sacrificed their youth in Afghanistan, to get to the facts," Hegseth said in a Tuesday memo. "This remains an important step toward regaining faith and trust with the American people and all those who wear the uniform and is prudent based on the number of casualties and equipment lost during the execution of this withdrawal operation."
As a result, Hegseth is directing Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell to spearhead a special review panel to evaluate previous investigations and to "analyze the decision making that led to one of America’s darkest and deadliest international moments."
"This team will ensure ACCOUNTABILITY to the American people and the warfighters of our great Nation," Hegseth said in the memo.
This is a breaking news story and will be updated.
President Donald Trump will make an announcement on the Golden Dome missile defense system at 3 p.m. ET this afternoon alongside Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Space Force Vice Chief of Operations, General Michael Guetlein, a U.S. official confirmed to Fox News.
The Pentagon's recommendations for the multibillion-dollar project will be announced, including the drafted architecture and implementation plan for the complex satellite system, the official added.
A total of $25 billion has been carved out of next year's defense budget for this system, but the Congressional Budget office estimates it could cost as much as $500 billion over the next 20 years.
Officials told Reutersthat Guetlein will likely be named as the lead program manager for the Golden Dome project.
Last month, Reuters reported that Elon Musk’s SpaceX and two of its partners have emerged as frontrunners to build part of the missile defense system.
SpaceX is teaming up with software maker Palantir and defense technology company Anduril for a joint bid, with all three of the companies having met with top officials in the Trump administration and the Pentagon to pitch their proposal, sources told Reuters at the time.
Their plan is to build and launch 400 to up to more than 1,000 satellites to track the movement of missiles around the globe, the sources said. A fleet of 200 attack satellites armed with missiles or lasers would then eliminate enemy projectiles, but the SpaceX group is not anticipated to play a role in the weaponization of those satellites, the sources added.
Trump has ordered the construction of an advanced, next-generation missile defense shield to protect the U.S. from an aerial attack.
In January, he signed an executive order that tasks Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth with drawing up plans to build an "Iron Dome for America" that will protect Americans from the threat of missiles launched by a foreign enemy.
The Pentagon has received interest from more than 180 companies to help build the project, a U.S. official told Reuters.
Fox News’ Sarah Rumpf-Whitten contributed to this report.
Decorated warfighter Ret. Gen. Stanley McChrystal lambasted recent moves at the Pentagon, arguing on Sunday that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's focus on rooting out diversity, equity and inclusion is a "distraction."
"I think that the DEI thing is, frankly, a distraction. It's not helpful," he told CBS’ "Face the Nation."
"I am completely aligned with Secretary Hegseth on the idea that we need to defend the nation, that the defense department needs to be as effective as it can be, and that a certain warrior ethos matters," McChrystal explained. "We just define it differently."
The four-star retired Army general challenged the conception that "everybody's got to look a certain way, got to have biceps of a certain size, there's got to be a male, straight."
"In the counter-terrorist fight, where much of my experience was, it became a meritocracy. You didn't care what somebody looked like or how old they were, what their gender was or sexual orientation because it was too important to get the job done.
"America needs to harness talent from every corner of our society, everyone."
McChrystal resigned as commander of the U.S. forces in Afghanistan, only a year into the job, during the Obama administration after a Rolling Stone article attributed scathing comments about President Barack Obama to McChrystal and his aides.
During his short tenure, McChrystal advocated for a buildup of U.S. forces in Afghanistan.
He had wanted 60,000 additional U.S. troops to reverse insurgent "momentum." Obama offered him 33,000.
McChrystal appeared on CBS to promote his new book, "On Character: Choices That Define a Life."
"As a nation, our character is our fate. So, what I am trying to do is convince people to start a national conversation on character, with the idea that it starts at the bottom," said McChrystal. "Not at the top."
"Our national leaders are not the cause of the problem. They are the symptom of the problem. The cause is us," he argued.
"We’ve always had a problem with certain evil in society and corruption, but I think the fact that we see everything so much now that we normalize it," McChrystal said. "We start to accept things in celebrities or leaders that frankly, things we wouldn’t have accepted even a generation ago. And that’s our problem."
The Pentagon is ending gender transition treatment for transgender troops, according to a new memo, as officials move to enforce President Donald Trump's plan to boot transgender troops out of the U.S. military.
Under the instructions, the Defense Department is prohibiting any new hormone treatments or surgical procedures for transgender troops, according to the memo, Reuters reported.
"I am directing you to take the necessary steps to immediately implement this guidance," Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs Stephen Ferrara wrote in the memo.
One transgender service member described the move as "the latest slap in the face" to honorably serving troops.
"If there was any doubt left, there is not anymore: transgender service members are no longer entitled to the same standard of medical care as their peers," the service member told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity out of fear of being targeted.
Last month, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth expressed his opposition to gender transition treatment for transgender troops when he re-posted an article on X that said the Pentagon would resume treatments for transgender troops and their dependents.
"If this is true - we will find any way possible to stop it," Hegseth wrote. "Taxpayers should NEVER pay for this lunacy."
Since being confirmed as Pentagon chief, Hegseth has embraced efforts to eliminate diversity initiatives, particularly those applying to transgender troops.
Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court gave the green light for the Trump administration to implement its ban on transgender troops in the military, allowing the Defense Department to discharge thousands of current transgender troops and deny new recruits as legal challenges against the move continue to play out in court.
A memo released last week revealed that Hegseth issued instructions to begin kicking out transgender troops who do not voluntarily leave by June 6.
Trump had signed an executive order in January shortly after returning to the White House that reversed a Biden administration policy that had allowed transgender troops to serve.
Officials have said there are 4,240 U.S. active-duty and National Guard transgender troops, although some transgender rights advocates say the number may be even higher.
The Pentagon is immediately halting all gender transition treatments for transgender troops as it moves to remove them from the military, according to a new memo.
"I am directing you to take the necessary steps to immediately implement this guidance," Stephen Ferrara, the acting assistant secretary of defense for health affairs, wrote in a memo dated May 9.
Now the Pentagon will only cover mental health and counseling for gender dysphoria. All other gender dysphoria-related treatments will be referred to the private sector.
All scheduled and planned transgender surgeries will be canceled, but cross-sex hormone therapy for service members that began prior to the memo may be continued until they separate to prevent health complications.
Last week transgender troops were given between 30 and 60 days to leave or risk being removed "involuntarily."
Active duty service members have until June 6, one month after the court’s ruling, to leave the military. Reservists have until July 7.
The development followed a Supreme Court order that allowed a previously blocked ban on transgender military service to move forward.
The Supreme Court’s decision effectively paused a lower court's injunction, clearing the way for the Defense Department to implement the policy. Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said the ruling allows the department to resume policies centered on "Prioritizing Military Excellence and Readiness."
Secretary Pete Hegseth added in that memo that those diagnosed with, or showing symptoms consistent with, gender dysphoria may choose to leave voluntarily. If they do not, they may face mandatory separation.
The Supreme Court did not rule on the underlying legal arguments but allowed President Trump’s Jan. 27 executive order barring transgender individuals from military service to take effect.
A lower court had temporarily blocked the policy, but Trump administration officials argued that delaying its implementation could harm operational readiness.
Officials defending the policy have said it supports the military’s need for unit cohesion, readiness, discipline, and cost efficiency.
Trump’s executive order also directed the Pentagon to revise its medical standards to emphasize combat preparedness and eliminate the use of gender identity-based pronouns within the department.
The blanket ban on transgender individuals serving in the military had previously been lifted under President Barack Obama in 2014.
The latest policy shift comes as Pentagon leadership under Hegseth moves to dismantle most diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. Just last month, he stated that 99.9% of DEI-related policies had been removed. He also announced changes to fitness standards to ensure male and female troops are held to the same requirements for combat readiness.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Friday sent a memo to West Point, the U.S. Naval Academy and the U.S. Air Force Academy, saying that all future admissions will be based solely on merit.
"The Department owes it to our nation, our Service Members, and our young Americans applying to the MSAs to ensure admissions to these prestigious institutions are based exclusively on merit," Hegseth wrote in a memo to the academies.
He added that this would ensure that only the "most qualified candidates" would be admitted.
"Selecting anyone but the best erodes lethality, our warfighting readiness, and undercuts the culture of excellence in our Armed Forces," he wrote.
He said the secretaries of the military departments would have 30 days to certify that there will be no consideration of race, ethnicity or sex in applications and that they will be based on merit only.
"The Department must remain steadfast in its pursuit of excellence and never compromise the high standards at our MSAs," he concluded. "A strong officer corps is essential to ensuring the United States military remains the most lethal the world has ever known."
Transgender troops have between 30 and 60 days to self-separate from the military after a court order allowed the ban on their service to move forward, according to a Thursday memo from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
"After a SCOTUS victory for @POTUS, TRANS is out at the DOD," Hegseth wrote on X, along with a video announcing the new deadline.
Approximately 1,000 service members have self–identified as having gender dysphoria and will begin the voluntary separation process, according to the Pentagon.
Active duty service members have until June 6, one month after the court’s ruling, to leave the military. Reservists have until July 7.
"The Secretary is encouraged by the Supreme Court's order staying the lower court's injunction, allowing the Department of Defense to carry out its policies associated with ‘Prioritizing Military Excellence and Readiness,’" Pentagon chief spokesperson Sean Parnell said in a statement celebrating the ruling and announcing the new timeline.
"In accordance with policy now reinstated, service members who have a current diagnosis or history of or exhibit symptoms consistent with gender dysphoria may elect to separate voluntarily," Hegseth said, adding that if they chose not to do so by the deadline, they would be removed "involuntarily, if necessary."
The high court ruling was a victory for the White House, even as the justices did not address the underlying merits of the case or President Donald Trump's Jan. 27 executive order banning transgender service members from the U.S. military.
A lower court had issued an injunction on the policy. The Trump administration argued that delaying the policy could pose a threat to U.S. military readiness.
Trump officials have argued that the transgender military policy "furthers the government’s important interests in military readiness, unit cohesion, good order and discipline, and avoiding disproportionate costs."
An executive order signed by Trump in January ordered Hegseth to update medical standards to ensure they "prioritize readiness and lethality" and take action to "end the use of invented and identification-based pronouns" within the DOD.
It says that expressing a "gender identity" different from an individual’s sex at birth does not meet military standards.
A categorical ban on transgender service members was lifted in 2014 under then-President Barack Obama.
Between Jan. 1, 2016, and May 14, 2021, the DOD reportedly spent approximately $15 million on providing transgender treatments (surgical and nonsurgical) to 1,892 active-duty service members, according to the Congressional Research Service.
The transgender ban is part of a broader push by the new Pentagon leadership to root out any policies related to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI).
Last month, Hegseth announced that "99.9%" of DEI-related policies had been eliminated at the Defense Department, as he raised standards for fitness tests and moved to ensure the combat fitness test held men and women to the same standards.
Fox News' Breanne Deppisch and Haley Chi-Sing contributed to this report.
Retired Brig. Gen. Anthony Tata, President Trump’s pick for a top Pentagon post, came under fire at his Senate confirmation hearing Tuesday for past inflammatory remarks, including calling former President Barack Obama a "terrorist leader" and suggesting ex-CIA Director John Brennan deserved execution.
Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., the top Democrat on the Armed Services Committee, called Tata’s record of political statements "disqualifying" and said his rhetoric was "not appropriate for a position of this significance."
"I respect and appreciate your military service," Reed said, "but your record of public statements and behavior toward individuals with whom you disagree politically is disqualifying."
Tata, under questioning from Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., said he regretted the comments, calling them "out of character."
"I regret making those comments," said Tata. "I have 45 years of solution-oriented leadership, that was out of character. I regret it. I can guarantee that I will be an apolitical leader."
The retired Army general and former Trump administration official was nominated for a senior Pentagon role in 2020, but the Senate canceled his confirmation hearing at the last minute over similar concerns. Trump later appointed him to a civilian advisory role without Senate confirmation.
Tata’s post-military career includes stints as a school district official, North Carolina’s secretary of transportation, and a military thriller author.
After calling Obama a terrorist in 2018, Tata later wrote on X that he was "joking" and meant to criticize Obama for the Iran deal.
"I was joking! Of course it’s not a conspiracy theory. He did more to harm US vital interests and help Islamic countries than any president in history. The Iran deal alone is more than enough evidence of his drive to subvert US national interests to Islam and a globalist agenda."
"Might be a time to pick your poison," Tata had also replied on X to Brennan in a since-deleted post, accusing him of treason.
Last month, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth fired Darin Selnick, his deputy chief of staff who had also been performing the duties of undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness. Selnick was one of three top aides Hegseth fired after a leak investigation and fights between the aides and his former chief of staff.
Senators also pressed Tata on more recent social media posts, including a tweet suggesting military officers were engaged in "mutinous discussions" and another calling for senior defense officials appointed by President Joe Biden to be fired. Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., asked whether Tata valued loyalty to the Constitution or the administration’s political agenda more.
"We all raise our right hand to uphold the Constitution," Tata responded, though he defended Trump’s vision of avoiding "unnecessary wars" and rebuilding the military. He pledged to uphold his oath even "if it means getting fired."
If confirmed as undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, Tata would oversee military recruitment, education, healthcare and overall force readiness. He would also play a key role in implementing efforts backed by Trump allies to reduce the number of general officers and eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in the department.
Tata said he would push to improve military recruiting by expanding access to high school programs to build a "warrior ethos," and streamline medical waivers for disqualified candidates. He also pledged to advise the chain of command on "apolitical and objective hirings," and denied supporting any kind of "blatant purge."
Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., expressed concern about political pressure on military leadership, citing the recent ouster of Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. C.Q. Brown. Tata insisted his approach would be objective.
In contrast, the nomination of Katherine Sutton for a top Pentagon technology role drew little opposition. Sutton, currently chief technology advisor at U.S. Cyber Command, warned that China’s cyber threats demand urgent investment in emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence.
Sutton was pressed by Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., on whether she believed Signal and Telemessage were permissible for work purposes at the DoD, after a slew of reports about the secretary's use of the encrypted messaging applications.
"Depends on the level of classification," said Sutton, adding there are a "wide variety" of apps in use at the DoD.
"OK, glad you got your talking point answer out," said Slotkin. "It’s concerning to me that going into this job you can’t give a straight balls and strike answer."
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Monday that he wanted to reduce the number of four-star positions in the active-duty military by at least 20%.
Alex Brandon via AP
Pete Hegseth said he wants to cut the number of general and flag officers in the US military.
"More generals and admirals does not equal more success," Hegseth said.
Hegseth said the cuts are "not a slash and burn exercise meant to punish high-ranking officers."
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said he wants to "streamline leadership by reducing excess general and flag officer positions" in the US military.
In a memo published Monday, Hegseth said he wanted to reduce the number of four-star positions in the active-duty military and the number of general officers in the National Guard by at least 20%. He also called for a further reduction in general and flag officers by at least 10%.
"More generals and admirals does not equal more success. Now, this is not a slash-and-burn exercise meant to punish high-ranking officers. Nothing could be further from the truth," Hegseth said in a video he posted on X on Monday.
Hegseth said the proposed cuts were part of a "deliberative process" between his department and the Joint Chiefs of Staff to maximize "strategic readiness and operational effectiveness by making prudent reductions in the general and flag officer ranks."
Hegseth said in his video that the US has "44 four-star and flag officers," as compared to in World War Two, when the US had "17 four and five-star generals."
The US military had 37 four-star officers as of September 2023, per a report the Congressional Research Service published in March 2024.
— Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth (@SecDef) May 5, 2025
This isn't the first time Hegseth has sought to cut defense spending.
In March, Hegseth said the Defense Department was terminating over $580 million in programs, contracts, and grants that Elon Musk's cost-cutting outfit, DOGE, identified as wasteful spending.
Musk had previously taken aim at the Defense Department's $841 billion budget in an op-ed he co-wrote with Vivek Ramaswamy for The Wall Street Journal in November. Ramaswamy was co-leader of DOGE at the time but left DOGE in January.
"The Pentagon recently failed its seventh consecutive audit, suggesting that the agency's leadership has little idea how its annual budget of more than $800 billion is spent," Musk and Ramaswamy wrote.
Last month, Hegseth said the Pentagon would be cutting its IT and consulting contracts with companies like Accenture and Deloitte. He said the contracts "represent $5.1 billion in wasteful spending" and cutting them would result in nearly $4 billion in savings.
"So we want to thank our friends at DOGE. We want to thank all the folks here that have helped us unpack this, reveal it, and we're excited to make these cuts on behalf of you, the taxpayer, and the warfighters at the Department," Hegseth said in a video on X where he announced the contract terminations.
The Defense Department did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced on Monday that the U.S. military will soon be seeing a dramatic reduction in the number of general officers across all branches.
He called the reduction a "historic" move to fulfill President Donald Trump’s commitment to "achieving peace through strength."
"We’re going to shift resources from bloated headquarters elements to our warfighters," said Hegseth.
According to Hegseth, there are currently 44 four-star and flag officers across the military, making for a ratio of one general to 1,400 troops, compared to the ratio during World War II of one general to 6,000 troops.
Hegseth, who has pledged to transform the military into a "leaner, more lethal force," issued a memo to senior Pentagon personnel on Monday in which he ordered the reductions to be carried out in two phases.
In the first phase, Hegseth ordered a "minimum" 20% reduction of four-star generals and flag officers in the active-duty component as well as a 20% reduction in the National Guard.
In phase two, the secretary is ordering an additional 10% reduction in general and flag officers across the military.
The secretary called the reductions part of his "less generals, more GIs policy."
In a video announcing the change, he said the reductions will be done "carefully, but it's going to be done expeditiously."
He said "this is not a slash-and-burn exercise meant to punish high-ranking officers" but rather a "deliberative process, working with the joint chiefs with one goal: maximizing strategic readiness and operational effectiveness by making prudent reductions."
"We got to be lean and mean. And in this case, it means general officer reductions," said Hegseth.
Congress sets the number of general officers allowed in the military. The total number of active-duty general or flag officers is capped at 219 for the Army, 150 for the Navy, 171 for the Air Force, 64 for the Marine Corps and 21 for the Space Force.
White House officials celebrated on social media after a horse named Sovereignty beat out its rival Journalism at the Kentucky Derby on Saturday.
Sovereignty trailed most of the race and didn't make a big move until near the final turn to edge out Journalism, the favorite horse going into the race, and secure the victory.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was one Trump administration official who took note of the outcome on social media.
"Sovereignty > Journalism," Hegseth wrote. "On the track. And in 2025 America."
Hegseth has been the subject of recent scrutiny after The New York Times reported that he shared details of a March military airstrike against the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen in a chat on the Signal app that included his wife, brother and personal lawyer.
Hegseth accused "disgruntled former employees" of "trying to save their a--" by peddling stories, arguing that the mainstream media's focus should instead be on "the decimation of the Houthis, how [the U.S. is] pushing back the Chinese, how we have a new defense area at the southern border."
Miller also went head-to-head with reporters at a White House briefing last week, admonishing them over their coverage of MS-13 and Tren de Aragua violence in the U.S.
Miller accused some members of the media of trying to "shill" for Kilmar Abrego Garcia, an accused MS-13 member the Trump administration deported to El Salvador.
He also accused the press of only covering the sexual assault and murder of 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray by two alleged Tren de Aragua members in June 2024 because Trump "shamed" them.
"Most of your papers never covered her story when it happened, to the extent that you covered it at all, it was because President Trump forced you to cover it by highlighting it repeatedly over and over again," Miller said. "He had to shame you into covering it."
Fox News Digital’s Taylor Penley, Diana Stancy and Ryan Morik contributed to this report.
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth signed a memo directing the services to review their equal opportunity complaint procedures, prompting concern from female troops and veterans.
Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered a review of equal opportunity policies.
Some service members fear the review may undermine progress on harassment and discrimination issues.
But many agree that reforms to the programs are needed.
A rash of changes at the Pentagon has been sparking concern among some female service members. Now, a new memo set to potentially bring more change is causing additional alarm.
Since Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth took over the Pentagon, top female officers have been fired, some women's service histories have been erased, women's leadership programs have been squashed, and an advisory board focused on women in the military has been dismissed.
Last Friday, Hegseth signed a memo directing a review of equal opportunity programs and the processes for reporting and investigating harassment allegations. Hegseth said the moves, which he's dubbed the "no more walking on eggshells" policy, would ensure faster and more impartial investigations.
"Too often at the Defense Department, there are complaints made for certain reasons that can't be verified that have ended people's careers," he said in an accompanying video, calling some complaints "nonsense."
But current and former female service members told Business Insider that they worry potential changes could reverse recent progress in addressing problems like hazing, sexual harassment, racism, and social media misconduct.
Retired Marine Corps Lt. Col. Kate Germano, author of the book "Fight Like a Girl," told BI that "it seems that those who are at the bottom of the pecking order will be the most adversely impacted by the [latest] change — especially women and people of color."
A Marine officer who has led investigations told BI the new memo seems "part and parcel with their effort to weaken participation of underrepresented groups."
"It doesn't seem like a bad thing to prevent spurious complaints," she said, speaking anonymously to avoid retaliation. She previously investigated questionable claims but said that she hates "the idea that you could be punished if your command doesn't agree with you."
'Gutting the program'
The new memo, titled "Restoring Good Order and Discipline Through Balanced Accountability," orders the dismissal of complaints not substantiated by "actionable, credible evidence." Such a change could discredit anonymous complaints or harassment that occurs in private, said Rachel VanLandingham, a law professor at Southwestern Law School and former Air Force JAG.
The Pentagon.
Jen Golbeck/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
Changes to Department of Defense policies could also have an outsized impact on the lowest enlisted ranks, which make up a large share of historical reports of bias and sex-based discrimination complaints.
Military EO programs are responsible for ensuring personnel are allowed "full and fair opportunity for employment, career advancement and access to programs without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, disability, gender, age, sexual orientation, genetic information or parental status."
"The programs allow personnel to report discrimination and harassment, and that's a good thing," Hegseth said in a DoD news release. "But what's not good is when these programs are weaponized. Some individuals use these programs in bad faith to retaliate against superiors or peers."
Hegseth did not provide data on the scope of false allegations made through the military's EO process, only saying in a video on X that he hears it "all the time."
The secretary has personally faced what he has said were false allegations of sexual assault. In 2020, Hegseth settled a dispute with a woman who said the former TV host sexually assaulted her. No charges were ever filed. During his confirmation hearing, he said that the situation was "fully investigated" and that he was "completely cleared."
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has been at the center of numerous shake-ups at the Pentagon in recent months.
Omar Marques via Getty Images
EO programs have been scrutinized before. Some critics have said the policies make "character assassination" easy for disgruntled personnel.
"There's things that could be worked on," VanLandingham said. But with this memo, she said, it seems like "they're just gutting the program."
A 2020 investigation by Reuters found that troops file complaints at much lower rates than DoD civilians, suggesting a fear of retaliation among active duty personnel.
VanLandingham said that making a false allegation is an offense that's already covered by the Uniformed Code of Military Justice, which criminalizes false official statements.
Changes to the EO program could create a chilling effect on victims who might fear reporting harassment, she added, highlighting that some troops may avoid submitting complaints for fear of retaliation or being ostracized.
"I would never tell anyone to make an EO complaint, especially now," said a female veteran who previously submitted a complaint alleging sexual harassment and said she later faced retaliation. She spoke on condition of anonymity because she is seeking federal employment. BI reviewed related documentation between her and her command.
"If they don't like you, it's now definitely a way to get rid of you and adversely affect your career," she said.
Another woman, who is on active duty, told BI she fears the changes will discourage troops from filing complaints.
"This feels like a slap in the face," she said.
Unanswered questions
"I guess the biggest question is who decides what is or is not credible information or what is fair," Germano said. She said the military's process for internal investigations is already thorny — such investigations are often done by troops with little to no meaningful investigative experience, often bestowed upon them as a secondary duty.
Casting greater doubt on the legitimacy of claims could make things even trickier, Germano said, explaining decisions may be influenced by the perspectives of the command's senior members, based on their own experiences.
Such biases have likely contributed to patterns of sexual assault investigations that ended favorably for alleged perpetrators who were viewed positively by their leaders, Germano said.
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has made his image about being a man among the troops.
Kenneth D. Aston Jr., US Navy
BI asked the Office of the Secretary of Defense whether eyewitness testimony would be considered credible evidence, and what might happen if harassment occurs privately. The office referred to a Friday statement from acting Undersecretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness Jules W. Hurst III.
"Protecting MEO and EEO programs and processes is critical to advancing meritocracy and balancing accountability," the statement read. "The comprehensive review will make certain that these programs and processes are timely, efficient, and effective, and that the tools designed to support them are applied in a manner consistent with our mission and values."
The advocacy group Protect Our Defenders said that the new memo "sends a stark and chilling message: report misconduct at your own risk."
"By creating new barriers to justice and threatening retaliation against those who speak up, the Department of Defense is attempting to undo congressionally mandated legal protections — and tip the scales against survivors — with a memo," the group said.
The same day that National Security Advisor Mike Waltz exited his job at the White House, President Donald Trump announced a new job offer for the former Florida congressman: United Nations ambassador.
But there are some hurdles Waltz must clear first before the New York job is his — including undergoing a Senate confirmation process amid scrutiny after the Atlantic magazine exposed a Signal group chat that his team had set up to discuss strikes against the Houthis in March.
And receiving full support from the slim Republican majority in the Senate isn’t guaranteed, and not all Republicans got on board backing Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. Vice President JD Vance ultimately cast the tie-breaking vote securing Hegseth’s nomination.
Democrats appear hungry to use Waltz’s nomination as a forum to air grievances against other foreign policy leaders in the Trump administration — particularly Hegseth.
Still, Waltz'snomination to represent the U.S. at the U.N. will likely attract support from establishment Republicans in the Senate who weren’t on board with Hegseth in the Pentagon, given that the ideological divide between these Republicans and Waltz is much smaller than it was in Hegseth’s case, according to one Florida GOP source.
"He's been able to thread the needle really, really well between traditional conservative foreign policy voices and the more populist America First policy voices," the Florida GOP source said of Waltz.
Waltz, who previously represented Florida’s 6th congressional district, is a retired Army National Guard colonel and former Green Beret who served four deployments to Afghanistan and earned four Bronze Stars — the fourth-highest military combat award, issued for heroic service against an armed enemy.
While Waltz and Hegseth both were embroiled in the Signal chat discussing strike plans against the Houthis, Hegseth has attracted more of the heat, at least publicly, stemming from the incident. Democrats have called for Hegseth’s resignation as a result of the chat, but staffers at the White House — including Waltz — have openly backed Hegseth and shut down reports that the administration is seeking his replacement.
But Waltz could get his turn attracting the ire of lawmakers as Democrats find an opportunity to openly grill him in front of the Senate, amid displeasure with Trump’s foreign policy and national security agenda.
"The second hundred days of national security under President Trump will apparently be just as chaotic as the first hundred," Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., said in a statement to Fox News Digital about Waltz’s departure from the White House.
"President Trump’s consistent hirings, firings and upheaval sap morale from our warfighters and intelligence officers, degrade our military readiness, and leave us less prepared to respond to threats from our adversaries," Coons said. "American citizens at home and around the world are less safe because of President Trump’s non-existent national security strategy."
Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., also took aim at Waltz — although she labeled Hegseth the worst offender affiliated with "Signalgate."
"Took them long enough. Mike Waltz knowingly made an unclassified chain to discuss classified matters," Duckworth said in a Thursday X post ahead of Waltz’s U.N. ambassador nomination. "But of all the idiots in that chat, Hegseth is the biggest security risk of all—he leaked the info that put our troops in greater danger. Fire and investigate them all."
In addition to the Signal chat, Waltz’s exit from the White House was tied to several other issues. For example, Axios reports that Waltz treated White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles like "staff," and his disrespect rubbed her the wrong way.
"He treated her like staff and didn't realize he's the staff, she's the embodiment of the president," a White House official told Axios. "Susie is a deeply loyal person and the disrespect was made all the worse because it was disloyal."
Waltz reportedly discussed different roles he could take on following his stint at the White House with Wiles, according to CBS News. Waltz was reportedly offered jobs, including the ambassador to Saudi Arabia, but ultimately settled on U.N. ambassador.
A spokesperson for the National Security Council did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.
With Waltz out as national security advisor, Secretary of State Marco Rubio will temporarily step into that role.
While Trump originally nominated Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., to represent the U.S. at the U.N., he rescinded her nomination in March, citing that the House could not afford to lose another Republican seat.
Stefanik’s nomination lagged in the Senate in comparison to other U.N. ambassador nominees, including Trump’s first U.N. ambassador and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley. The Senate confirmed Haley in January, just after Trump’s first inauguration.
While the exact timeline for a potential confirmation vote in the Senate is unclear, the first hurdle that Waltz must clear is a confirmation vote out of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Although it is uncertain when the Senate Foreign Relations Committee will schedule the nomination hearing for Waltz and the subsequent vote, the committee said his nomination is a "priority."
"The committee has been working at a historically fast pace and this nomination will be a priority moving forward," a GOP staffer on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee told Fox News Digital.
The 80th session of the U.N. General Assembly is scheduled for September 9, so there are a few months for Waltz’s confirmation to play out, the Florida GOP source said. That means that Waltz could take a few months off, start the confirmation process in June or July and wrap up his confirmation by September at the latest, the source said.
"He's got plenty of time. So, this isn't a looming fight that's going to happen next week," the Florida GOP source said. "This is going to play out probably in June or July, which by then, people are going to forget about the Signalgate stuff, or at the very, very least, they're going to forget about Mike Waltz's role in it."
But there are a few Republican wildcards in the Senate who have voted against several of Trump’s nominees, most prominently Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., who voted against Hegseth, Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer.
A spokesperson for McConnell did not respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.
Other Republicans who have opposed Trump nominees include Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Susan Collins of Maine, both of whomvoted against Hegseth, as well as Sens. Ted Budd of North Carolina and Rand Paul of Kentucky, both of whom voted against Chavez-DeRemer.
Aside from former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., whom Trump initially nominated to serve as attorney general, Trump’s entire cabinet has been approved. Gaetz withdrew his nomination amid a House Ethics Committee investigation into sexual misconduct and drug-use allegations.
Despite opposition from Democrats, and possibly a few Republicans, it appears unlikely that any fire that Waltz will face will sink his nomination.
"The reality of it is, the president can lose three votes in the Senate, and the vice president can still vote to break a tie," the Florida GOP source said. "There's no way he's probably going to lose three votes."
Meanwhile, other Republicans have openly stated they endorse Waltz’s nomination, including Senate Foreign Relations Chairman John Risch, R-Idaho, who lauded Trump’s decision to nominate Waltz for the role.
"Great choices. America is safer and stronger under President Trump and his national security team," Risch said in a Thursday X post. "I thank Mike Waltz for his service as NSA, and look forward to taking up his nomination in our committee."
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., also posted on X on Friday that Waltz would be confirmed "for sure."
Vance also voiced support for Waltz and billed the nomination as a "promotion," pushing back on any suggestions that Waltz’s removal amounted to a firing.
"Donald Trump has fired a lot of people," Vance said in an interview with Fox News’ Bret Baier Thursday. "He doesn’t give them Senate-confirmed appointments afterward. What he thinks is that Mike Waltz is going to better serve the administration, most importantly, the American people in that role."
Fox News' Charles Creitz contributed to this report.
EXCLUSIVE: President Donald Trump will host a military parade in June to honor military veterans and active-duty service members and commemorate the U.S. Army’s 250th birthday, Fox News Digital has learned.
The parade is scheduled for June 14, the 250th birthday of the United States Army and Trump’s birthday.
The parade will have reenactors, equipment and more from the Revolutionary War, Civil War, Spanish-American War, World War I, World War II, Korean War, Vietnam War, Gulf War/Desert Storm and the Global War on Terror (Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria). It will also feature active-duty service members and students at U.S. military academies.
"The president is planning an historic celebration of the Army’s 250th birthday that will honor generations of selfless Americans who have risked everything for our freedom," White House Domestic Policy Council Director Vince Haley told Fox News Digital.
"Exactly 250 years ago, the first American patriots died for the cause of Independence. We owe our freedom to them and to every solider who has given their life for our nation in the 2½ centuries since."
The parade comes after Trump, in January, signed an executive order creating "Task Force 250," which is focused on coordinating the plans and activities celebrating the 250th anniversary of American independence. The 250th anniversary of America's founding is July 4, 2026.
"As one of the first events of the year-long celebration of our 250th anniversary, this commemorative parade will be a fitting tribute to the service, sacrifice and selflessness of the brave men and women who have worn the uniform and devoted their lives to defending the greatest experiment in liberty known to man," Vance told Fox News Digital.
The White House is coordinating closely with the Pentagon, the Department of Homeland Security, the National Park Service and a number of other agencies to plan "this spectacular event honoring our veterans, active-duty service members and military history," an official told Fox News Digital.
"We love our military and take great pride in honoring our warfighters," Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told Fox News Digital. "In celebration of 250 years of the U.S. Army, we will throw the biggest and most beautiful military parade in our nation's history."
Meanwhile, the task force is coordinating "the plans and activities of federal agencies for an extraordinary celebration of the 250th Anniversary of American Independence."
Task Force 250 builds upon the U.S. Bicentennial Celebration half a century ago. The celebration "emphasized national renewal of our founding ideals after a period of national unrest and division," the White House told Fox News Digital.
In the lead-up to the major 2026 celebration, the White House has celebrated the anniversaries of major events in America’s founding, including the 250th anniversary of Patrick Henry’s "Give Me Liberty or Give me Death" speech in March, the 250th anniversary of Paul Revere’s famous ride in April and the 250th anniversary of the Battles of Lexington and Concord.
The executive order that established the task force also reinstated executive orders from Trump's first administration, establishing the National Garden of American Heroes, a statuary park memorializing 250 historically significant Americans, and commissioning artists for the first 100 statues.
The National Garden of American Heroes honors "American heroism" after dozens of monuments to Americans, including presidents and Founding Fathers, were toppled or destroyed and never restored.
The order also reinstated an order to protect American monuments, memorials and statues from destruction or vandalism.
The White House said America’s 250th anniversary will "afford an opportunity to unite the American people around their shared history and common future as a nation."
During Trump's first term, he held a unique "Salute To America" event on the Fourth of July in 2019, which was different from typical Independence Day celebrations put on by past presidents.
The event included a prominent display of military hardware with tanks parked near the National Mall and military flyovers by an array of aircraft. It also included an address on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial from the president and the typical fireworks display.
The M-10 Booker is too heavy for its intended missions and is being axed by the Trump administration.
US Army
The US is canceling its M-10 Booker program, citing design flaws and redundancies.
The light assault vehicle was deemed too heavy for its intended use.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth plans to shift US focus to advanced drone capabilities.
The US Army is canceling its M-10 Booker light assault vehicle program as part of efforts to focus on advanced weaponry like drones.
Army Secretary Dan Driscoll confirmed the move, calling the assault vehicle approved under the previous administration "a mistake," and citing issues with its 42-ton weight and design.
"What came out of our procurement system wasn't good," he told reporters on Thursday, adding that the Army would learn from what had happened.
Driscoll said it was too heavy for many of its intended missions, including operations like airdrops from US Air Force transport aircraft.
The M-10 Booker, designed by General Dynamics Land Systems, is technically classified as an infantry support vehicle or "assault gun," rather than a traditional light tank.
Development on it began in 2022, after General Dynamics was awarded a $1.14 billion contract. The Army originally planned to acquire over 500 M-10s, and initial deliveries took place in February 2024.
An M10 Booker during a 2024 demonstration at Aberdeen Proving Grounds in Maryland.
Christopher Kaufmann/US Army
It was the US Army's first new major armored vehicle in two decades, with the Army saying that it would allow "light maneuver forces to overmatch adversaries."
Although initially conceptualized as relatively lightweight and air-droppable, its design evolution resulted in a vehicle too heavy to operate as intended. An issue realized only after it was too late, Defense One reported in late April.
"This is not a story of acquisition gone awry," Alex Miller, the Army's chief technology officer, told the outlet. "This is a story of the requirements process creating so much inertia that the Army couldn't get out of its own way, and it just kept rolling and rolling and rolling."
The cancellation of the M-10 Booker program is part of a wider restructure ordered by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
In an official memo released on Thursday, Hegseth called for a strategic move away from many longstanding assets like Humvees and helicopters toward areas like advanced drone capabilities.
He called for crewed attack helicopter formations to be restructured and augmented with "inexpensive drone swarms capable of overwhelming adversaries."
The memo instructed Army leadership to aggressively reassess inventory, terminate funding for "obsolete systems," and cancel or reduce programs deemed "ineffective or redundant."
Beyond the M-10, areas targeted for cuts include some crewed aircraft, ground vehicles, and older generations of unmanned aerial vehicles.
The Pentagon's procurement system has kept American forces stocked with some of the most iconic military hardware in history – from the battle-hardened Humvee to the cutting-edge Apache helicopter. But according to the Army's top technology officer, it's also trapped in a cycle of outdated thinking and bloated paperwork that could hinder the U.S. in the next great-power conflict.
"We still have just over 100,000 Humvees," Alex Miller, the Army’s Chief Technology Officer, told Fox News Digital, speaking about the legacy vehicle first introduced in the 1980s. "Even though during the global War on Terror, we saw the threat change."
Miller pointed to roadside bombs, or IEDs, which devastated troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, as a turning point. "There were lots of reports that if a Humvee rolled over an IED, it just was not a good situation for soldiers," he said.
Still, the Army continued buying Humvees, even as it rushed to field more survivable vehicles like MRAPs and Strykers. That, Miller said, highlights the larger issue: not a single acquisition failure, but a systemwide problem in how the military does business.
"We’re playing by the same post-Cold War rules that told us if you have a requirement, you’re going to keep on buying it," Miller said. "Because the requirements process and the acquisition process and the fielding process sort of never changed, we find ourselves in this conundrum where we still have just over 100,000 Humvees."
Despite introducing newer vehicles like the JLTV – designed to replace the Humvee with better armor and mobility – Miller says the rapid pace of technological change and emerging threats have left even those newer systems at risk of becoming obsolete.
"Even though we continue to buy them and have them in the budget," he said, "that might not be the right answer either."
Miller laid out the Army's plans to solve a decades-long issue at the Pentagon, bringing new weapons systems from the proposal stage to the battlefront before technology renders them outdated – just as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued a new memo directing an overhaul of the Army's acquisitions process.
"To build a leaner, more lethal force, the Army must transform at an accelerated pace by divesting outdated, redundant, and inefficient programs, as well as restructuring headquarters and acquisition systems," Hegseth wrote.
Miller warned that some of the Army’s marquee weapons platforms may not be suited for the battlefields of the future.
"Ukraine has not asked for a single Apache," he noted. "Our Apaches are a great platform. It's amazing. But ... looking at more unmanned systems is probably the way to go."
He also raised questions about the utility of legacy artillery platforms like the Paladin howitzer. Although artillery is dominating the war in Ukraine, the Army is stockpiling more Paladins largely to meet a "minimum sustainment rate" — not because commanders are asking for them.
That kind of bureaucratic inertia, Miller suggested, is exactly what needs to be upended.
In an effort to modernize more rapidly, the Army is now slashing red tape and rewriting regulations. Under a new initiative called "Transforming in Contact," Army leaders have sent requirement writers into the field to live and train alongside soldiers, gathering real-time feedback instead of drafting 300-page documents back in Washington.
"Rather than trying to define what types of things they need, how about we just listen to them for a change?" Miller said. "We started that last year … and that has been wildly successful."
Units heading to the Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Johnson, Louisiana next week will be equipped with some of the most advanced gear in the Army, including autonomous infantry vehicles built with Silicon Valley partners, advanced battery tech and hundreds of drones.
"All because our leadership just said, go do the right thing, rather than trying to check boxes," Miller said.
Now, according to Miller, the requirements documentation for things like next-generation unmanned aerial vehicles has been whittled down from between 200 and 300 pages to 10.
In other cases, modernization isn't always necessary, according to Abigail Blanco, defense expert and professor at the University of Tampa.
Up until a few years ago when it was finally retired, one of the primary reconnaissance systems in the War on Terror was the RQ-4 Global Hawk.
The RQ-4 had an impressive payload capacity of 3,000 pounds and advanced reconnaissance capabilities - at an enormous cost. Each one was originally slated to cost $20 million but wound up costing $220 million per unit.
"If you look at reports from the Air Force, they repeatedly stated that instead of the [RQ-4], they preferred the U-2 spy plane, which, to be clear, is a relic in military terms. It's from the Cold War period. And so it's not always clear that the modernization piece is desirable."
Some lawmakers and defense officials initially resisted the Army’s push to streamline systems.
"The OSD comptroller pushed back really hard. Some parts of the Hill pushed back really hard," Miller said. "But we ran a really aggressive ground game.… We’re not asking for more money. We’re asking to spend taxpayer dollars better."
The problem, according to Blanco, is Congress has long continued to budget for equipment way beyond its point of usefulness.
"If you are an elected representative and your district manufactures Humvees or tanks, you have a really strong vested interest in ensuring that that technology continues to be produced, regardless whether or not it's operationally necessary."
In the end, Miller said, acquisition reform isn’t about cutting corners – it’s about keeping pace with an adversary who doesn’t care about red tape.
"The environment, the threat, and the reality change so fast," he said. "We have permission to just be ruthless about working with commercial entities ... and figuring out what can we get in the hands of soldiers faster."
The memo for the Army was issued this week and includes a number of directives.
US Army photo by Spc. Noah Martin
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued a memo on sweeping changes for the Army.
The focus on future warfare includes AI, drones, ammunition stockpiles, and force restructures.
The Army and larger military under President Trump have been about the ideas of lethality and readiness.
Less crewed helicopters, more cheap drone swarms. That's just one of the directives listed in a memo from Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on sweepingchanges to the US Army.
Hegseth envisions a future Army in which drone swarms capable of overwhelming enemies replace crewed helicopters and augment the remainder of that fighting force. There's much more to the plan though.
The defense secretary's memo addressed to Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll was shared on Thursday and included strategic transformations, force restructuring, and cuts to certain programs and systems.The plan represents one of the largest Army overhauls since the Cold War, and the initiative is expected to cost billions.
Some planned changes, like plans to give every division 1,000 drones within the next two years, have clear timelines and immediate impacts. Others, such as "modernizing language training programs to improve mission effectiveness," are vague.
Drones, ammunition, and the Indo-Pacific
Soldiers operating drones at a Project Convergence technology demonstration.
Army Futures Command
Hegseth has directed Driscoll to "transform the Army now for future warfare."
Within the next two years, every Army division will have uncrewed aerial systems. Counter-UAS systems, too, should be integrated into maneuver platoons by then and maneuver companies by the following year, 2027.
The service should also achieve dominance over the electromagnetic spectrum and air-littoral spaces, both of which have been deemed critical subdomains for future wars, and artificial intelligence-driven command and control at the Army's theater, corps, and division headquarters.
US Army soldiers fire an M777 towed howitzer during live-fire drills in Hawaii.
US Army photo by Spc. Jessica Scott
Among the directives is a call to"modernize the organic industrial base to generate the ammunition stockpiles necessary to sustain national defense during wartime," with a goal of full operations by 2028. Driscoll recently told BI that strengthening the defense industrial base and deepening the Army's magazine was a priority for him, especially when thinking about a possible war with China, an Indo-Pacific power and top rival.
In line with that thinking,the memo directs the Army to strengthen its forward presence in the Indo-Pacific by expanding the Army's caches of warfighting equipment, conducting military exercises with allies and partners, and rotating deployments in the region. US President Donald Trump, Hegseth, Driscoll, and other officials have all identified countering China as a top priority.
"The President gave us a clear mission: achieve peace through strength," Hegseth wrote in the memo. "To achieve this, the US Army must prioritize defending our homeland and deterring China in the Indo-Pacific region."
The emphasis on heavily transforming the Army ahead of 2027 raises questions about the motivations. Chinese leader Xi Jinping has directed the Chinese People's Liberation Army to be ready to execute an invasion of Taiwan by 2027. Though that goal does not mean action is guaranteed, US military officials have used China's deadline as a readiness guide.
'A leaner, more lethal force'
Soldiers at Fort Hood prepare to enter an underground facility in full protective gear during dense urban environment training.
Capt. Scott Kuhn/US Army
Hegseth and others in the Trump administration have highlighted their intentions to cut what they deem as wasteful spending in the Pentagon. The Army memo goes into that but still leaves some questions unanswered.
The defense secretary is instructing the Army to substantially rework its force structure, which includes merging headquarters to synchronize kinetic and non-kinetic fires, implementing space-based capabilities, and adopting uncrewed systems.
As already noted, Hegseth's memo also includes a plan to "reduce and restructure crewed attack helicopter formations and augment with inexpensive drone swarms capable of overwhelming adversaries."It also includes plans to "divest outdated formations, including select armor and aviation units" across the Army.
Major reforms are intended for some Army headquarters, including the merging of Army Futures Command and Doctrine Command into one and Forces Command and US Army North and South into a single entity focused on homeland defense and Western allies.
Additionally, some weapons systems and capabilities deemed obsolete are being axed, including certain crewed aircraft programs, ground vehicles like the High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle, or Humvee, and outdated UAVs. Driscoll's staff recently told BI that some legacy systems could be on the chopping block in pursuit of lethality.
The US Army's Joint Pacific Multinational Readiness Center training in Hawaii tested soldiers' capabilities in tropical war-fighting conditions.
U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Ryele Bertoch
Workforce reduction is also a priority and falls in line with larger priorities from Hegseth and Trump. Information in the memo on this is sparse. It calls on the Army to "optimize force structure to achieve maximum readiness" and "prioritize merit and skill needed for today's battlefield across the uniform and civilian workforce."
Revisions to civilian hiring and firing policies and cuts to general officer positions are planned.
When asked about Hegseth's priority for a "learner, more lethal force" and what that means for the workforce, Col. David Butler, communications adviser to Chief of Staff of the Army, told BI that the likely intention is to make cuts to "staff and bureaucracies," not maneuver or warfighting formations.
Butler said Army leadership believes cutting those areas will lighten the organizational structure and "better serve the warfighter."
Conversations around a "leaner" Army have been a major topic in recent weeks. Earlier this month, sources told Military.com the Army was quietly considering a reduction of up to 90,000 active-duty troops. The Army labeled the story "wrong," writing on X that it was "building more combat power while reducing staff and overhead."
Hard decisions for the Army
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on a visit to Fort Bliss, Texas.
U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Andrew R. Sveen
Many of these changes indicate sweeping plans and reforms for the Army. Talking to Fox News on Friday, Driscoll said that while "these are hard decisions," especially ones around legacy systems and weapons reform. That said, "the old way of doing war with no longer suffice," he explained.
The Army secretary said he and the service have been "empowered to go make the hard decisions and the hard changes to reallocate our dollars to best position our soldiers to be the most lethal that they can be."
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Wednesday ordered a top-down transformation of the Army in a sweeping directive aimed at reorienting the service toward great power competition.
With a sharp focus on countering China, developing space and counter-space capabilities, and accelerating the Pentagon’s new Golden Dome strategy, the aggressive modernization effort directs the Army to cut aging legacy systems, restructure headquarters commands and more rapidly field new technologies.
The memo ordered a merging of Army Futures Command, based in Austin, Texas, with Training and Doctrine Command, headquartered in Fort Eustis, Virginia, and merging Forces Command, U.S. Army North and U.S. Army South.
"To build a leaner, more lethal force, the Army must transform at an accelerated pace by divesting outdated, redundant, and inefficient programs, as well as restructuring headquarters and acquisition systems," Hegseth wrote.
"Simultaneously, the Army must prioritize investments in accordance with the Administration’s strategy, ensuring existing resources are prioritized to improve long-range precision fires, air and missile defense including through the Golden Dome for America, cyber, electronic warfare, and counter-space capabilities."
Hegseth wants the Army to be able to field long-range missiles capable of striking moving land and sea targets and achieve electromagnetic and air-littoral dominance by 2027 as the potential for conflict looms in the Indo-Pacific theater.
The memo calls for reducing manned attack helicopter formations in favor of inexpensive drone swarms and the reduction of general officer positions to focus command structures on the warfighter.
Hegseth ordered the Army to enable AI-driven command and control at theater, corps and division headquarters by 2027 and expand 3D printing for weapons.
The memo also calls for bulking up the Army’s presence in the Indo-Pacific and more joint exercises with allies in the region.
The procurement of obsolete systems will be ended, per the memo, and "redundant or ineffective" programs will be canceled or scaled back, including manned aircraft and excess ground vehicles like the Humvee.
The Army will review and cancel inefficient contracts and work to shift from program-centric funding to capability-based funding, and add right to repair provisions in all contracts, as well as implement performance-based contracting to reduce waste.
The defense secretary also calls for reforms to hiring and firing systems, and reduced spending on climate initiatives, legacy sustainment initiatives and excess travel.
