Hundreds of US military generals and admirals have been summoned to a base in northern Virginia for a meeting where President Donald Trump says he will tell them "we love them".
That is what the US president said in explanation of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth summoning senior military leaders from around the world for a meeting in Quantico on Tuesday, local time.
"I want to tell the generals that we love them, they're cherished leaders, to be strong, be tough and be smart and be compassionate," Mr Trump said.
"That's all that is, esprit de corps. It's about time somebody did that," he added.
Mr Hegseth did not offer a reason for the gathering of senior commanders of one-star rank or higher and their top advisers at the Marine Corps base in Quantico.
However, the Pentagon's top spokesperson, Sean Parnell, confirmed that Mr Hegseth "will be addressing his senior military leaders early next week".
The president's attendance could overshadow Mr Hegseth, who was expected to discuss the need to adhere to a "warrior ethos" throughout the military, according to two US officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity.
A third official said that given how many senior officials would be in one location, it was likely that substantive issues, like the administration's new national defence strategy and the expected shrinking of the senior-most ranks in the military, could be discussed.
"I wouldn't be surprised if there was some surprise during the event," the official said.
"We are not letting our guard down."
The US has troops around the world, including in distant locations like South Korea, Japan and across the Middle East, which are commanded by two-, three- and four-star generals and admirals.
In almost every public speech he gives, Mr Hegseth talks about the "warrior ethos" and the need for the US military to have a warrior mentality.
Department restructure
Earlier this month, Trump signed an executive order to rename the Department of Defense as the "Department of War", reverting to a title it held until after World War II, when officials sought to emphasise the Pentagon's role in preventing conflict.
Mr Hegseth, a former Fox News host, has moved with stunning speed to reshape the department as he seeks to implement Mr Trump's national security agenda and root out diversity initiatives he calls discriminatory.
The meeting on Tuesday follows several unexplained actions that Mr Hegseth has taken involving military leaders.
In May, Mr Hegseth ordered that the military cut 20 per cent of its four-star general officers, directed an additional 10 per cent cut from all general and flag officers across the force, and told the National Guard to shed 20 per cent of its top positions.
In February, he fired Admiral Lisa Franchetti, the Navy's top officer, and General James Slife, the Air Force's second-highest officer, without explanation. He also relieved the military's top lawyers.
Since then, Mr Hegseth has fired other military leaders without saying why.
Most recently, he fired a general who led a military intelligence agency whose initial assessment of US damage to Iranian nuclear sites in American strikes angered Mr Trump.
Officials have told Reuters that the event on Tuesday, local time, is expected to take place at the Marine Corps University in Quantico, Virginia.
Some of the senior-most officials, who are provided US military aircraft for official travel, are expected to fly into Joint Base Andrews in Maryland.
It remains unclear why the gathering could not have taken place virtually. It will likely cost at least millions of dollars to transport and protect the large gathering.
ABC/Wires
