Retired Air Force Brig. Gen. Blaine Holt told Newsmax on Thursday that the urgent, high-level meeting of hundreds of U.S. generals and admirals reportedly convened next week by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth is raising alarms across the military community and could signal a major internal shake-up.
Appearing on “The Chris Salcedo Show,” Holt said he’s fielding a flood of calls from fellow officers trying to discern the purpose of the unprecedented gathering.
“I don’t want to get out in front of my skis. I don’t want to recklessly report things because it could be one of a number of things,” Holt cautioned. “I will say that this type of meeting is unprecedented. We don’t do this. We never do this.”
The Washington Post reported Thursday that Hegseth this week issued a highly unusual order directing hundreds of the U.S. military’s top generals and admirals to assemble next week at Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia — on short notice and without explanation — a move that shocked military leaders.
Holt drew a striking historical parallel, noting that before World War II, Army Chief of Staff George Marshall fired 150 generals in one sweep to prepare for looming conflict.
“I think that we see around the airport system of America the indicators and warnings that security is being tightened up,” he added. “We’re worried about a national emergency ahead and in front of us with terror acts that we see across the nation.”
While stressing that nothing is confirmed, Holt said the extraordinary meeting could point to significant changes in the Pentagon’s structure and mission.
“What I see happening is a reshuffling of the deck, possibly a reorganization and a refocusing of where the department is going to be. That’s as far as I’ll go. But I am hearing a lot of other very, very wild things,” he said.
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