US Defense Secretary considers second Quantico meeting of senior military commanders

WASHINGTON, United States — WASHINGTON — US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is considering calling hundreds of the military's senior officers to Marine Corps Base Quantico for a second meeting this year to outline priorities and issue a new slate of directives to the armed forces, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing US officials. The date of the proposed gathering and whether attendance would be mandatory for all active-duty generals and admirals had not been determined, according to the report. A second Quantico meeting would echo an unusual session Hegseth convened last September at the same base, when generals and admirals were ordered to assemble with little notice and without a stated agenda in advance. Since taking charge of the Pentagon, Hegseth has rolled back diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives across the Defense Department and pushed a greater emphasis on physical readiness, appearance and traditional military standards. It remained unclear whether President Donald Trump would attend the second Quantico gathering.