Hegseth Unveils 6 Pentagon Expansions as He Pushes 20% Cut to Top Officers
Updated
Updated · POLITICO · Sep 30
Hegseth Unveils 6 Pentagon Expansions as He Pushes 20% Cut to Top Officers
3 articles · Updated · POLITICO · Sep 30
Summary
Pete Hegseth used a Quantico “State of the Force” speech to pair promised bureaucracy cuts with six new Pentagon initiatives likely to expand spending and structure.
Those additions included a new combatant command for drones, a commission led by Elon Musk and Newt Gingrich, and a new military base that governors would compete to host.
Hegseth also promoted efforts to monitor testosterone levels and reduce the military’s top officers by 20%, especially leaders he cast as too “woke” for their posts.
The package underscored a sharp tension in his agenda: vows to slash red tape, trim a top-heavy force and boost “lethality” while adding new commands, panels and infrastructure.
One of the expansion plans has already become concrete — a contest for the first new U.S. military base in 40 years, designed for up to 25,000 service members.
Can the Pentagon’s first new base in 40 years become a model for troop housing, energy independence, and resilience—or an expensive showcase?
What will decide the winner of the Next Great American Base competition: strategic value, local support, faster permits, or capacity for military families?
If one self-sustaining base houses 25,000 troops, does that strengthen readiness—or create new risks by concentrating people and infrastructure?