HEGSETH ORDERS A US ARMY TRANSFORMATION: MERGING COMMANDS, CUTTING PROGRAMS

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced a new US Army transformation on May 1st. The Army is planning a sweeping transformation that will merge commands, cut around 1,000 headquarters staff in the Pentagon, and will merge or close headquarters.

In a memo released on May 1st, Hegseth said the Army must change fast to stay ready for new threats. This means there will be cuts to some older programs and the combination of departments. The reason for this is that the Trump administration wants to make the force stronger, faster, and better prepared for future wars.

What Is the Memo About?

Last week, Hegseth announced a new memo that is supposed to create a massive US Army transformation, which would include the combination of Army Futures Command and Training and Doctrine Command into a new organization, while Forces Command will turn into Western Hemisphere Command, combining Army North and Army South.

“To build a leaner, more lethal force, the Army must transform at an accelerated pace by divesting outdated, redundant, and inefficient programs, as well as restructuring headquarters and acquisition systems,” Hegseth wrote in his memo.

Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll told reporters that the changes were necessary to meet modern threats in the afternoon press conference at the Pentagon.

“We’ve seen in wars going on around the world that the equipment just can’t provide what it was originally supposed to soldiers, and yet it keeps showing up year after year after year,” he said. “All of these parochial interests and all of these lobbyists that crawl around this building and crawl around Congress, they have succeeded for far too long, and so the first thing is, we are going to start to cut the things we don’t want or need.”

The Army transformation will focus on three things:

• Giving troops what they need to win
• Fixing the Army’s structure
• Cutting programs that don’t work

“This initiative,” service chief Gen. Randy George wrote, “will reexamine all requirements and eliminate unnecessary ones, ruthlessly prioritize fighting formations to directly contribute to lethality, and empower leaders at echelon to make hard calls to ensure resources align with strategic objectives.”

As part of this, the Army will cut about 1,000 staff jobs. There will also be fewer generals, which will help make decisions faster and reduce layers of command.

Cutting Old Weapons and Units

On the other hand, one of the biggest moves is to stop using outdated weapons and vehicles. The Army will stop making Humvees and the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle. They will also stop production of the new M10 Booker tank.

“The Booker is a classic example of sunk cost fallacy, and the Army doing something wrong,” Driscoll said. “We wanted to develop a small tank that was agile and could be dropped into places our regular tanks can’t. We got a heavy tank.”

In addition to that, the Apache helicopters are also being affected. The older AH-64D models will be removed. It’s not clear if they will be replaced by the newer AH-64E version.

“Those are the older Apaches, they’re very expensive to maintain,” George told reporters today. “I think this will actually increase our operational readiness rate in doing this.”

The Army will also stop using the Gray Eagle drone. Some people say the drone has been improved, but Army leaders believe it no longer meets modern needs.

“We have developed the modernized Gray Eagle 25M, Gray Eagle STOL [short takeoff and landing], and EagleEye radar to bring these platforms to the absolute cutting edge,” C. Mark Brinkley wrote in an emailed response to Breaking Defense. “We’ve done that despite low funding priority and an unclear vision from the US Army that has forced Congress and others to make bold moves on behalf of America’s soldiers.”

Hegseth’s team believes that small, cheap drones can do many jobs better than manned helicopters. That’s why the Army wants to use more drone swarms going forward.

A Focus on China and New Tech

Hegseth has also confirmed that the service is realigning to, “optimize deterrence and rapid deployment, [and] above all to defend the American homeland and deter China in the Indo-Pacific.”

Therefore, the US Army transformation is also about getting ready for a big threat. Experts say 2027 could be an important year in that region, and the Army is preparing now.

“The Army must prioritize investments in accordance with the administration’s strategy, ensuring existing resources are prioritized to improve long-range precision fires, air and US missile defense including through the Golden Dome for America, cyber, electronic warfare, and counter-space capabilities,” he wrote.

The Army will also invest in new tools like long-range US missile defense, air defense systems, cyber tech, and artificial intelligence.

Some goals include:

• A missile that can hit moving targets at long range by 2027
• New drones and “launched effects” that can be used by all Army units
• More mobile and cheaper systems to stop enemy drones
• 3D printing for making parts in the field
• AI systems to help commanders make faster choices

What to Expect with the New Changes

It is expected that more changes will come later this year, as Army leaders say this is just the beginning. They have been doing this since the new administration started, and some programs may still be cut, while others will get more support. What’s clear is that Hegseth wants the Army to move fast and take action now.

However, people in Washington are still confused about how these changes will work, as Congress may need to approve new ways for the Army to spend money.

Army leaders will need to share their plans and work with lawmakers to make things happen because people in the government are paying close attention, especially if big changes to the budget or older programs are involved.

If it goes well, the US Army transformation could become faster and more ready for today’s challenges. But if things don’t go smoothly, the changes might be delayed.

Read next:

• Trump Releases 2026 Federal Budget Request, Boosting Military Spending and VA Funding
• Trump Has Ended VASP, a Key Program Helping Veterans Avoid Foreclosure
• Armed Services Committee Approves $150B Funding Boost for Defense Initiatives

Sources:

• Hegseth Orders ‘Comprehensive Transformation’ of US Army, Merging Offices and Cutting Weapons