The directive, sent to nearly all senior commanders worldwide, comes amid ongoing Pentagon shake-ups and ahead of a possible government shutdown.

According to the Washington Post, around 800 generals and admirals are spread across the United States and dozens of other countries and time zones.

Sources familiar with the order said it applies to officers ranked brigadier general and above, along with their top enlisted advisers, covering both domestic and overseas deployments. Several officials expressed frustration at the lack of explanation, especially as many commanders will be pulled from critical posts abroad. “Not how this is done,” one source told the Washington Post.

Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell confirmed to the paper that Hegseth “will be addressing his senior military leaders early next week” but offered no additional details.

The move follows Hegseth’s broader efforts to cut the number of generals by 20 percent, fire senior leaders without cause, and rebrand the Defence Department as the Department of War, stoking unease within the military.

The gathering is also expected to coincide with discussions on a new national defence strategy, which may shift focus to homeland defence after years of prioritising China as the chief security threat. Several sources suggested this could be a key topic during the unprecedented assembly.

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