US Defense Secretary weighs second Quantico gathering of senior commanders

WASHINGTON, United States — WASHINGTON — US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is considering calling hundreds of the military's senior commanders to Marine Corps Base Quantico, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing US officials. The proposed meeting would be the second at the Virginia installation this year and could be used to lay out the Pentagon's priorities and a new set of directives for the armed forces. The date of the gathering and whether attendance would be mandatory for all active-duty generals and admirals have not been finalized. The reported plan echoes an unusual meeting Hegseth convened at Quantico last September, when generals and admirals were ordered to assemble on short notice and without a prior explanation of the agenda. Since taking over the Pentagon, Hegseth has pushed to roll back diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives within the Defense Department and has emphasized physical fitness, grooming and traditional military standards. It remains unclear whether President Donald Trump would attend a second Quantico meeting.