Ashton Carter, US defence secretary

U.S. Defence Secretary Ashton  Carter said on Tuesday the Pentagon was planning to whittle down the number of four-star generals and admirals in military headquarters to counter inefficiencies within the command chain.

“In the coming weeks, the Defense Department will look to simplify and improve command and control where the number of four-star positions have made headquarters either top-heavy, or less efficient than they could be,” said Carter here during a speech at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

“So where we see potential to be more efficient and effective, billets currently filled by four-star generals and admirals will be filled by three-stars in the future,” Carter added.

Carter’s remarks came as the Pentagon was preparing to update a 30-year-old law which reworked the Pentagon’s command structure.

Under the Pentagon’s proposals, the updating of the 1986 Goldwater-Nichols Act would also include clarification of the role of the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, currently held by Gen. Joseph Dunford, and specify the chairman should look across all services and combatant commands to make recommendations, Carter said.