【By Observer News, Qi Qian】

Under the order of the U.S. "Secretary of War" Hagel, hundreds of U.S. generals from around the world rushed to Virginia for a collective meeting.

Recently, this global recall order has caused unease within the U.S. military, with many speculating about the reasons behind it.

As of now, the Pentagon has not officially announced the specific reason for the recall order, only stating that the Secretary will personally convey guidance to the military generals. According to the latest news from U.S. media, the meeting is expected to last an hour and is scheduled to take place on the morning of the 30th local time.

On September 26, Ben Hodges, a retired U.S. Army European Command chief, posted on social media comparing this recall order to the Nazi regime in Germany.

In his tweet, he mentioned a meeting held by Hitler. "In July 1935, German generals attended a sudden meeting in Berlin. They were told their previous oath of allegiance to the constitution was invalid, and they had to pledge loyalty to Hitler personally. Most generals compromised to keep their positions."

"That's a cool story, General," said Hagel, who retweeted the post and replied like that.

Screenshot of the tweet

More details exposed…

Previously, on the 25th, several foreign media outlets cited reports saying that Hagel had summoned senior U.S. officers from around the world to meet in Quantico, Virginia next week. It is rare for the U.S. military leadership to gather together. A source said that it is still unclear why Hagel issued such a hasty order, which has already caused uncertainty among those expected to attend.

A U.S. military official said that at the moment, various speculations are circulating in the Pentagon, from group physical tests to briefings, and even large-scale dismissals of officers, but everyone believes it is an unusual signal.

"Maybe the U.S. generals will have a 'Squid Game' (a survival game with the same name as a popular Korean TV series)," joked the official.

According to a report by the Wall Street Journal on the 26th, a senior U.S. official said that the meeting is expected to last an hour and is scheduled to be held on the morning of the 30th local time. The Pentagon also stated that Hagel will deliver a speech to the attending generals.

An informed official revealed that during the meeting, Hagel will give a speech on the "warrior ethos", because he is increasingly impatient with the Pentagon not fully implementing the instructions of the Trump administration regarding military culture.

The Financial Times reported on the same day that the highly unusual meeting is shrouded in mystery and conspiracy, as the participants know nothing about the agenda, which has raised widespread concerns among defense experts and officers. Some experts have warned that Hagel's simultaneous summoning of so many senior officers may affect the military's ability to respond to potential risks.

According to a U.S. military official, hundreds of generals and their advisors have been ordered to gather in Virginia. According to Pentagon data, as of June, the total number of active-duty generals in the United States was 838.

Video screenshot of September 19, Hagel and U.S. military representatives attending the U.S. Prisoner of War Memorial Ceremony

Meeting just for a lecture?

It remains unclear what Hagel's intention is.

A congressional assistant said: "We understand that this will be a morale-boosting gathering, mainly discussing cultural issues."

"I heard it's Hagel's personal show-off, demonstrating that he can get them to comply," said Cory Shank, former director of the National Security Council's Defense Strategy Office and current researcher at the American Enterprise Institute. "Since all commanders and their sergeants are present, it's more likely that the minister is obsessed with 'warrior spirit' and appearance standards, rather than strategy."

According to a former U.S. defense official, other speculations include releasing the long-awaited national defense strategy, requiring an oath of loyalty to President Trump, or cleaning up the top ranks of the military.

Notably, after Hagel moved from a Fox News anchor to the position of Secretary of Defense, he reshaped the department at an astonishing speed, firing many top generals to advance Trump's national security agenda and eradicate what he called "discrimination" in DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) initiatives. To date, the Trump administration has dismissed 14 top officers during its second term, including the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Brown.

A congressional assistant revealed that after the Congressmen provided details of the meeting, the Pentagon wrote to Congress stating that Hagel "will use this interaction to convey his intentions to the most senior active-duty personnel in the Department of Defense."

The Pentagon said he also plans to provide guidance to the generals present on implementing equal opportunity reforms, physical standards, and other topics, and promised that this meeting would not affect current U.S. military operations, nor disrupt the armed forces.

The Financial Times believes the meeting may also involve the upcoming release of the national defense strategy, aimed at shifting strategic focus to the homeland and the Western Hemisphere, rather than China and Russia. Hagel may also discuss organizational changes, such as merging U.S. military commands in Europe and Africa.

"Reckless and dramatic"

At around 4 p.m. local time on the 25th, Trump answered questions in the White House Oval Office, saying, "It's good that everyone is coming from all over the world to meet... there's nothing to worry about, I am the 'Peace President.'"

"We have the greatest military equipment in the world," Trump told reporters, "many generals want to come here. They will also visit the equipment sites. They will talk about the latest weapons." He said part of the meeting content is related to the review of military equipment.

U.S. Vice President Vance responded, saying that such meetings "are not uncommon."

However, Michael O'Hanlon, a defense strategy expert at the Brookings Institution think tank and former member of the Pentagon's Defense Policy Board, said the meeting is "reckless" and "obviously very dramatic." He explained that this gathering "endangers the command and control capabilities of the U.S. military, because you don't know when a crisis might occur." He said, "Our potential adversaries have five days to prepare mischief."

O'Hanlon said that as for the meeting itself, "it seems more like a dramatic performance."

Mark Cancian, a researcher at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and a former Pentagon official, said he believes that Hagel probably wants to encourage and pressure the generals at this meeting. "Hagel will tell the generals at the meeting that he expects their loyalty, execution of the president's plan, and no objections; if they fail to do so, they should retire," said Cancian.

Cancian added, "Such a meeting will be very embarrassing for senior officers, because on one hand, they have sworn allegiance to the Constitution, but on the other hand, they are under the president's command."

He also said that this particular meeting "is very unusual," and the scale, haste of preparation, and lack of agenda are all "unprecedented."

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Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7554655509928935945/

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