Mark F. Cancian
On September 30, hundreds of generals and admirals will descend on Quantico, Virginia, for a meeting with the secretary of defense, with the president as a late addition. The meeting’s large size, short notice, and lack of an agenda are unprecedented. Indeed, the lack of an agenda has sparked a wide range of rumors, from a purge of senior officers to preparations for war. This Critical Questions lays out what is known publicly about the meeting, what can be inferred, and what this might mean for the military and national security.
Q1: What is the event?
A1: On September 25, the Washington Post reported that Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth had called an in-person meeting of up to 800 flag and general officers (FO/GOs, or officers of one to four stars). This event will take place on Tuesday, September 30, at Marine Corps Base Quantico, located just south of Washington, D.C. The Department of Defense (DOD) has confirmed such a meeting.
President Trump has announced that he will also attend. That makes sense since the commander-in-chief should take advantage of the opportunity to meet with his senior military commanders. On the other hand, it’s unclear why this decision was made two days before the event and not far in advance.
Q2: Is this meeting unprecedented?
A2: Yes, despite Vice President Vance’s downplaying of it: “It’s actually not unusual at all and I think it’s odd that you’ve made it into such a big story.” It is true that meetings of general officers for specific purposes are not unusual. For example, the 11 four-star combatant commanders come to Washington twice a year to meet with the secretary, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the president. Each service has an annual meeting of its flag and general officers and often its senior civilians as well. However, the reported scale, short timeline, and lack of a clear agenda are unprecedented.
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