Pentagon chief announces new test for promotions to general

The Pentagon is changing how officers are assessed for promotion to general and admiral in an effort to “cut bureaucracy and demand true meritocracy” among senior leaders, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Tuesday.

In a video on US social media company X, Hegseth said the Defense Department will introduce the “Joint Warfighter Evaluation” this year for eligible colonels and navy captains.

The battlefield-style assessment will test officers being considered for one-star positions on “their ability to fight, adapt, and win,” he said.

“While the backbone of our military is our NCOs (noncommissioned officers) and our petty officers, victory depends on the commanders who lead them,” Hegseth said.

He added that “America needs warfighters who can master a chaotic battle space,” arguing that commanders should be selected based on “proven competence, not paper credential.”

According to internal documents obtained by The Hill, each military branch will use a different version of the evaluation.

The army will combine a written test with a digital wargame. The air force and space force will use a two-hour online analysis test followed by a one-hour simulation. Navy officers will complete a three-hour written assessment and a two-to-three-hour wargame at the Naval War College.

The marine corps will conduct an eight-hour remote evaluation using an AI-enabled platform that combines written assessments with situational judgment tests.

Meanwhile, the Joint Staff will assess 50 to 60 Joint Forces Staff College students through a hybrid process, beginning with written analysis and ending with an in-person, AI-enabled execution phase in Norfolk, Virginia.

The Hill has also reported that Hegseth has been faulted by some members of Congress over his firing what they say is an unprecedented number of generals and top officers.

In July, Senator Susan Collins, a member of President Donald Trump’s Republican Party and chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, criticized Hegseth for firing more than two dozen senior military officers since taking office and blocking officer promotions, saying she found the news “deeply troubling.”