Senior Pentagon officials are preparing a far-reaching plan that could significantly alter the structure of the U.S. military’s top leadership, according to reporting by The Washington Post. The proposal, which has not yet been approved, would downgrade several of the military’s most powerful regional headquarters and consolidate command authority under new umbrella organizations, marking one of the most sweeping reorganizations of U.S. forces in decades.
The plan, developed by the Pentagon’s Joint Staff under the supervision of Joint Chiefs Chairman Dan Caine, is expected to be presented to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in the coming days. If adopted by Hegseth and President Donald Trump, it would reduce the number of combatant commands from 11 to eight and significantly cut the number of four-star generals who report directly to the defense secretary. The proposal aligns with the Trump administration’s broader effort to challenge long-standing military structures and reduce what it views as excessive bureaucracy at the Pentagon.
According to people familiar with the discussions cited by The Washington Post, the plan would place U.S. Central Command, U.S. European Command, and U.S. Africa Command under a newly created U.S. International Command. This shift would sharply reduce the independence of commands that have been central to U.S. military operations since the post–9/11 wars, while signaling a strategic move away from long-term commitments in the Middle East and Europe.
At the same time, U.S. Northern Command and U.S. Southern Command would be reorganized under a new headquarters known as U.S. Americas Command, consolidating responsibility for military operations across the Western Hemisphere. The administration has argued that such changes are necessary to better align military resources with emerging priorities closer to home, while maintaining pressure on transnational threats such as drug trafficking and organized crime.
The restructuring reflects the administration’s national security strategy released this month, which states that the United States can no longer act as the primary enforcer of global order. Officials involved in drafting the proposal told The Washington Post that the goal is to accelerate decision-making and improve command efficiency, arguing that the current system has become too slow to respond to rapidly evolving threats.
However, the proposal has drawn concern on Capitol Hill, where lawmakers say they have received little information from the Pentagon. Members of the House and Senate Armed Services committees have moved to require the Department of Defense to submit a detailed assessment of the plan’s costs and its potential impact on U.S. alliances before any funding can be released. That requirement was included in the annual defense policy bill, which has passed the House and is expected to clear the Senate this week.
Critics warn that consolidating commands could weaken regional expertise and undermine relationships with allies. Former Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel told The Washington Post that global security challenges remain complex and region-specific, cautioning that excessive consolidation could limit the military’s ability to prevent crises before they escalate.
The proposed overhaul comes as Hegseth has pursued an aggressive campaign to reduce the number of senior officers across the armed forces, removing or pressuring dozens of generals and admirals to leave. While Pentagon officials say no final decisions have been made, the plan underscores how dramatically the Trump administration is willing to reshape the military’s leadership structure in pursuit of its strategic vision.
