By Col. Rob Maness, USAF (Ret.) The Pentagon has too many generals and admirals for the size of the force we actually need.
AI:Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is moving to overhaul the Pentagon by aggressively cutting through the bloated bureaucracy and reducing the excessive number of high-ranking generals and admirals that currently comprise the military leadership structure. This effort aims to eliminate the wastefulness and political indoctrination embedded within the department, prioritizing combat readiness and operational efficiency over a top-heavy administrative hierarchy that no longer serves the needs of the actual fighting force.Open
Representative Jason Crow asked Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to explain statements about his special adviser’s influence following a New York Times report.
AI:Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is facing intense scrutiny and demands for clarification from Representative Jason Crow regarding the extent of influence wielded by a private legal adviser in military promotion decisions. This latest development follows recent reports questioning the transparency of the Pentagon's internal processes under Hegseth's leadership, as Democrats continue their concerted effort to target the Secretary amidst ongoing controversies involving conditions aboard naval vessels and broader departmental reforms.Open
Division and strife are undermining Ukraine’s already troubled war effort. The post The Meaning of Fedorov’s Firing appeared first on The American Conservative .
Foreign policy The Meaning of Fedorov’s Firing Division and strife are undermining Ukraine’s already troubled war effort. Photo by Tetiana Dzhafarova / AFP via Getty Images On January 14, 2026, Mykhailo Fedorov was appointed Ukraine’s minister of defense. Just six months later, he was dismissed. One of Fedorov’s principal tasks, bigger even than addressing the shortage of Patriot interceptors, had been reforming his country’s recruitment and mobilization system. But manpower shortages remain a chronic issue, forcing the government to resort to unpopular solutions like “busification” (the Ukrainian term…Open
There are six ways the U.S. could improve its sorry record. The post The American Way of Losing Wars appeared first on The American Conservative .
Politics The American Way of Losing Wars There are six ways the U.S. could improve its sorry record. (Photo by CENTCOM/Anadolu via Getty Images) Nothing pleases American military men more than being fed their own bullsh*t. “We’re the greatest,” “Greatest military in all of history,” “No one can beat us, no one can even fight us,” etc. This is what they tell each other, it is what they expect to hear from civilians, and, in Washington, it is what most office-holders, including presidents and secretaries of defense, believe. The effects are currently on display in the Persian Gulf. The scoreboard tells a…Open