Trump and Hegseth to address top US generals in unusual military gathering

September 30, 2025

President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth are set to address hundreds of top U.S. military leaders at Marine Corps Base Quantico near Washington DC in an unusual large-scale gathering. The summit, announced with short notice and without official explanation, has sparked speculation despite Trump describing it as "a very nice meeting" to discuss military matters and build "esprit de corps. " Security is extremely tight for the event, which has drawn criticism from some observers like NATO Military Committee Chair Giuseppe Cavo Dragone and analyst Mark Cancian who questioned why such a meeting wasn't conducted virtually.

Who is affected

Hundreds of U.S. military leaders including generals and admirals
Senior-most enlisted officers from various units worldwide
Military personnel stationed in Europe, South Korea, and the Middle East who traveled to attend
Officers representing all military branches (Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, and Space Force)

What action is being taken

A large in-person military leadership summit is being held at Marine Corps Base Quantico
President Trump and Defense Secretary Hegseth are addressing the gathered military leaders
Military officials are traveling from around the world to attend the meeting
Extremely tight security measures are being implemented for the event
Military leaders are being seated according to their branch of service

Why it matters

The gathering represents an unusual concentration of military leadership in one location
The short-notice, unexplained nature of the meeting has prompted widespread speculation
Some military experts have questioned the necessity of an in-person gathering of this scale
The meeting may relate to Hegseth's emphasis on instilling a "warrior ethos" in American troops
It potentially signals Trump's approach to military leadership and organization

What's next

No explicit next steps stated in the article

Read full article from source: BBC