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Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has ordered an unprecedented, short-notice meeting of hundreds of top US generals and admirals for an in-person meeting.

Getting into it: The meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, September 30, at Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia, a secure military installation just outside Washington, DC The directive was issued earlier this week and applies to virtually all US military officers ranked brigadier general (O-7) and above, including their Navy equivalents and senior enlisted advisers. This means nearly 800 generals and admirals (many stationed across the globe, including in active conflict zones) have been ordered to report in person, making the gathering one of the largest and most unusual assemblies of senior military leadership in US history.

The purpose of the meeting has not been disclosed by the Pentagon, and official statements have offered no agenda or reasoning for the summons. Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell confirmed only that “the Secretary of War will be addressing his senior military leaders,” without elaborating further. This has fueled speculation online, with some questioning whether the meeting could involve further leadership changes, new strategic directives, or whether it is to discuss something so sensitive it has to be done in person.

This has led to some raising serious operational and security concerns about bringing such a large portion of the nation’s top command into a single physical location at the same time. Normally, secure communications technology like video conferencing is used to coordinate sensitive discussions among global commanders.

Critics warn that this type of mass gathering leaves command structures vulnerable, especially if unforeseen events occur in theaters like the Middle East, Indo-Pacific, or Europe while so many top leaders are away from their posts.

The White House has not commented on this development.