(Epoch Times) President Donald Trump will attend a gathering near Washington with generals and other top military leaders this week, the president told the press on Sunday.

Earlier, Trump had been ambivalent about whether he’d attend the gathering in Quantico Marine Corps Base, Virginia, telling reporters he would “be there if they want me.”

On Sunday, Trump told NBC that one of the purposes of the gathering would be building an “esprit de corps,” describing an attitude of loyalty, camaraderie, and honor toward one’s organization.

“We have some great people coming in, and it’s just an ‘esprit de corps.’ You know the expression ‘esprit de corps’? That’s all it’s about. We’re talking about what we’re doing, what they’re doing, and how we’re doing.”

Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said Sept. 25 that Hegseth “will be addressing his senior military leaders early next week,” but did not disclose the agenda or purpose of the meeting. The gathering will be held in Quantico.

In an interview with Reuters, Trump said he wants to tell the generals “we love them.”

“I want to tell the generals that we love them, they’re cherished leaders, to be strong, be tough, and be smart, and be compassionate,” Trump said.

“That’s all that is, esprit de corps. It’s about time somebody did that,” Trump added.

Hegseth and Trump have sought sweeping changes to U.S. military posturing, rebranding the Department of Defense to the Department of War, and undertaking initiatives to restructure the U.S. defense branch.

In May, Hegseth issued a memo to the military leadership, directing a minimum 20 percent reduction in the number of four-star positions across the active component.

The memo also required that the number of general officers in the National Guard be reduced by at least 20 percent, with an additional minimum 10 percent reduction among general and flag officers across the military.

“We’re going to shift resources from bloated headquarters elements to our warfighters,” Hegseth said.

“This is not a slash-and-burn exercise meant to punish high-ranking officers. Nothing could be further from the truth. This has been a deliberative process.”