U.S. Senators Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), both members of the Senate Armed Services Committee, have called on Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to explain the rationale behind an upcoming large-scale gathering of top military commanders at Marine Corps Base Quantico. The senators expressed concern about the security risks and costs associated with convening such a significant number of senior leaders in one location.
In a letter sent ahead of Secretary Hegseth’s scheduled speech to these commanders, the senators highlighted the potential dangers and financial implications of this meeting, especially as it coincides with ongoing budget negotiations that could lead to a government shutdown.
“If reports are accurate, this gathering would represent an unprecedented concentration of senior military leadership in one location simply to hear you speak about standards and ethos at significant cost and with potentially serious security implications. This includes both the personal security of all individuals assembling—and creating a rich target for any malign actor—and national security, given that our adversaries will know that many of our most senior commanders from around the world are tied up together with some portion of the highest level of the civilian chain of command,” they wrote.
The senators questioned why such a large assembly was necessary, noting that previous gatherings involving high-ranking officers were typically smaller, had clear operational objectives, and were planned well in advance. They requested detailed information on travel expenses, lodging costs, security measures, funding sources, operational impacts during leaders’ absence from their posts, and whether alternative formats such as secure virtual meetings were considered.
They further stated: “For an administration obsessed with rooting out waste, this abrupt, time and resource-intensive meeting of our military’s top commanders, all of whom have earned their positions through superior performance over decades of service, to reportedly hear you, the least qualified Secretary of Defense in living memory, lecture about military standards and warfighting is absurd.”
The letter also referenced recent controversies under Secretary Hegseth’s tenure including decisions related to use of military resources in domestic settings and concerns over mishandling classified information.
The senators have requested either a briefing or written answers by September 29 addressing more than a dozen specific questions regarding logistics, cost-benefit analysis conducted prior to organizing the event, risk assessments performed for concentrating so many key leaders in one place, contingency planning for possible emergencies during the event, impacts on ongoing operations worldwide due to absence of senior leadership from their posts during this period, coordination with intelligence agencies for threat assessment purposes as well as clarity on whether President was involved or informed about convening this meeting.
They concluded: “Secretary Hegseth, we write with particular concern on account of your consistent prioritization of political theater and distraction over warfighting and blatant disregard for operational security. Given the reported scale and sensitivity of this reported gathering, we require a briefing or written response to answer these questions no later than Monday September 29, 2025. If any of the information requested is classified, we are prepared to receive a briefing in an appropriate setting.”
