Pentagon chief orders US military officials from around the world to Virginia next week

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has summoned senior US military officers from around the world to a meeting in Quantico, Virginia, next week, five officials tell Reuters, a rare gathering of US military leadership in one location.

It is not clear why Hegseth has ordered the generals and admirals to meet in one place on such short notice, and two of the officials say this has created uncertainty among the expected attendees.

Senior military officials, in some cases, command thousands of troops. Most have detailed schedules weeks in advance, which have now been upended.

“People are scrambling to change their plans and see if they have to attend,” one US official says, speaking on the condition of anonymity.

It is unclear how many officials will actually attend the event, but it is rare to have so many senior officials in the same room at the same time.

Asked for comment, Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell says only: “The Secretary of War will be addressing his senior military leaders early next week.” Parnell’s office does not respond to questions about the number of officers, the purpose of the meeting or why Hegseth called so abruptly.

Trump has ordered the department to rename itself the Department of War, a change that will require action by Congress.

The US has troops around the world, including in distant locations like South Korea, Japan and across the Middle East– which are commanded by two, three and four-star generals and admirals.

The reason for the meeting is “probably more mundane than people think… (but) the lack of clarity isn’t helping,” the official says.