Pentagon announces new test for promotion to general and admiral

The Pentagon is changing how senior officers are assessed for promotion to general and admiral, with a new battlefield-style evaluation intended to reduce bureaucracy and emphasize merit, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Tuesday.

In a video posted on “X”, Hegseth said the Defense Department would introduce the “Joint Warfighter Evaluation” this year for eligible colonels and Navy captains. The assessment will examine their ability to fight, adapt and win, he said, according to The Hill.

“While the backbone of our military is our NCOs and our petty officers, victory depends on the commanders who lead them,” Hegseth said, referring to noncommissioned officers and petty officers.

Different assessments planned for each service

Hegseth said the US military needed commanders capable of mastering a chaotic battlefield and argued that promotions should be based on “proven competence, not paper credential”.

According to internal documents obtained by The Hill, each branch of the US military will use a different version of the evaluation.

• The Army will combine a written test with a digital wargame.
• The Air Force and Space Force will administer a two-hour online analysis test followed by a one-hour simulation.
• Navy officers will complete a three-hour written assessment and a two-to-three-hour wargame at the Naval War College.
• The Marine Corps will conduct an eight-hour remote evaluation using an AI-enabled platform that combines written assessments with situational judgment tests.

The Joint Staff will also assess 50 to 60 students at the Joint Forces Staff College through a hybrid process. It will begin with written analysis and conclude with an in-person, AI-enabled execution phase in Norfolk, Virginia.

Hegseth faces criticism over senior officer dismissals

The announcement comes as Hegseth faces criticism from some members of Congress over the dismissal of what they describe as an unprecedented number of generals and senior officers.

In July, Senator Susan Collins, a Republican and chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, criticized Hegseth for dismissing more than two dozen senior military officers since taking office and blocking officer promotions. She said she found the reports “deeply troubling”.