Archive · 22 Sep 2026
Hegseth Plans Battlefield Tests for Future Generals’ Evaluations
Defense Secretary Hegseth wants future generals to be tested in battlefield-style exercises.
The tests would be part of a new way to judge senior military officers.
The plan is called a joint warfighting evaluation.
Hegseth believes military education and field exercises should matter more when officers are judged.
He also wants performance evaluations to be more meaningful.
Officials have not yet decided how much the test results will count in promotion decisions.
Hegseth is also seeking fewer senior general and flag officer positions.
The goal is to change how senior officers show they are ready for promotion.
The initiative would assess future generals through joint warfighting and battlefield tests.
The plan is part of Hegseth’s broader effort to change senior-officer evaluations and promotions.
Hegseth has argued that military education, field exercises and performance evaluations should better measure merit.
The weighting of battlefield-test results in promotion boards has not been determined.
Hegseth has also ordered reductions in senior general and flag officer positions.
- Who
- Defense Secretary Hegseth and military officials, including Scheller.
- What
- A proposed joint warfighting evaluation would put future generals through battlefield tests as part of broader changes to officer evaluations and promotions.
- Why
- Hegseth wants military education, field exercises and performance evaluations to become more meaningful measures of merit.
- Initiative
- Joint warfighting evaluation
- Primary subjects
- Future generals and senior officers
- Evaluation method
- Battlefield tests, military education, field exercises and performance evaluations
- Promotion weighting
- Not yet determined
- Broader personnel change
- Reductions in senior general and flag officer positions
- Stated objective
- Make measures of merit more meaningful