President Donald Trump will speak Tuesday at an unusual meeting of hundreds of senior U.S. military officers summoned from around the world at a base near Washington.

Trump told reporters when asked about the meeting last week, “I like it, I mean I think it’s great.” The president added, referring to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, “Be friendly with generals and admirals from all over the world.”

No official reason was given for this unusual meeting to be held at Quantico, amid controversy facing the U.S. military both domestically and abroad, as Trump has ordered troop deployments in two Democratic-controlled U.S. cities and launched deadly strikes on small boats suspected of drug trafficking in the Caribbean region.

Trump, who oversaw a rare process of dismissing a large number of generals and admirals after taking office, ordered strikes on key Iranian nuclear sites during the 12-day war between Iran and Israel in June, as well as against the Houthis in Yemen.

White House briefing notes indicate the 79-year-old Republican will deliver “remarks to the Department of War” at 9 a.m. (13:00 GMT).

Vice President J.D. Vance rejected describing the meeting as “unusual,” telling reporters, “The strange thing is that you made it important news.”

The Pentagon has not publicly explained the reason for holding this meeting, with spokesman Sean Barnell stating in a release: “Austin will deliver a speech to his senior military leaders early next week.”

Changes at the Pentagon

According to reports, the session will gather officers with star ranks and above, meaning a large number of personnel in leadership positions will be withdrawn from duties worldwide, but the lack of clarity has sparked speculation that an important order will be announced.

In May, Austin ordered the dismissal of a large number of generals and admirals in the U.S. military, including four-star officers, by at least 20%.

This followed the Pentagon’s February announcement aiming to reduce its civilian staff by at least 5%.

Since the start of his second term in January, Trump also dismissed senior officers, including Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Charles “CQ” Brown, who was fired without explanation in February.

Other senior officers dismissed this year include heads of the Navy, Coast Guard, National Security Agency, Defense Intelligence Agency, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Air Force, and a Navy admiral assigned to NATO.

Separately, U.S. forces earlier this year conducted nearly two months of airstrikes targeting Houthis in Yemen and struck three nuclear sites that were a key part of Tehran’s nuclear program.

Domestically, U.S. troops were deployed in Los Angeles and Washington purportedly to combat civil unrest and crime, with similar moves planned for Portland and Memphis, possibly including other U.S. cities.