Authored by Jackson Richman via The Epoch Times,
The Pentagon is changing its process for promoting generals, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced on Sept. 22.
Hegseth announced the new process, known as the Joint Warfighter Evaluation, in a video posted on X.
Today, I am announcing the Joint Warfighter Evaluation. pic.twitter.com/F0JIfbmEKs
— Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (@SecWar) September 22, 2026
Its goal is to reduce bureaucracy and ensure meritocracy across senior ranks, he said.
Starting this year, colonels and Navy captains screening to be a one-star general will undergo the assessment, according to Hegseth.
“While the backbone of our military is our NCOs and our petty officers, victory depends on the commanders who lead them,” he said.
“America needs warfighters who can master a chaotic battle space.”
Hegseth cited Gen. George Marshall using the Louisiana Maneuvers, a massive series of military exercises to prepare U.S. forces before entering World War II.
He said that this kind of testing brought out military leaders such as Dwight Eisenhower, who planned and conducted the U.S. invasion of Normandy and led the liberation of Western Europe; Adm. Chester Nimitz, who led Allied air, land and sea in the Pacific theater during World War II; and Army Gen. Omar Bradley, the first chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff who led the U.S. military’s policymaking during the Korean War.
The Joint Warfighter Evaluation “brings that standard to the modern multi-domain fight,” Hegseth said.
“This evaluation is an objective equalizer. The scenario only cares about operational decisions under pressure.”
Hegseth recalled that a year ago he tasked Stuart Scheller, deputy chief of staff to the under secretary of war for personnel and readiness, to challenge years of the promotion process.
“Our troops deserve commanders chosen by proven competence, not paper credentials,” Hegseth said.
“The Joint Warfighter Evaluation ensures our flag is carried by our most lethal and most adaptable leaders.”
Hegseth has emphasized what he calls the “warrior ethos,” pushing for battle-ready personnel based on a high level of fitness. He has criticized what he said has been diversity, equity, and inclusion standards in promoting individuals.
“Real toxic leadership is endangering subordinates with low standards. Real toxic leadership is promoting people based on immutable characteristics or quotas instead of based on merit,” Hegseth told senior military leaders last year in Quantico, Virginia.
While the process of promotion to general is being changed, the Joint Warfighter evaluation is not replacing the existing promotion process, Scheller told Fox News Digital. Rather, it is a factor in addition to performance reports and an officer’s career record.