Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered the military to cut the number of their highest-ranking officers -- four-star generals and admirals -- by at least 20%. In a memo released Monday , Hegseth argued that senior leaders should be "unencumbered by unnecessary bureaucratic layers that hinder their growth and effectiveness" and "a critical step in this process is removing redundant force structure." In addition to ordering the firing of a minimum of 20% of four-star positions on active duty,