Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has fired the Pentagon's top military planner, a Pentagon official told CBS News late Wednesday. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive personnel matters.
According to the official, Army Lt. Gen. Brett Sylvia was accused of misconduct for leaking classified information related to the Iran war. The official said Sylvia failed three polygraph tests about sharing classified information with the press, and that the case has been referred to the Department of Justice.
Sylvia led strategy, plans and policy on the Joint Chiefs of Staff, a post known in military circles as the "J5." He is the second general to be removed from that job under Hegseth. His predecessor, Lt. Gen. Joseph McGee, was forced to retire last October. The Associated Press reported that no replacement for Sylvia has been named, and The Atlantic was the first to report the firing.
A spokesperson for the Joint Staff said, "The Chairman, the Joint Staff, and the Joint Force extend our deepest gratitude to Lt. Gen. Brett Sylvia and his family for their 32 years of distinguished service to our nation." The spokesperson added that they "wish him and his family the best."
The J5 director and staff are typically responsible for generating and coordinating military plans with both the chairman of the Joint Chiefs and the president. The removal comes as President Trump has repeatedly floated new military operations against Iran. He has vowed to "finish the job" after launching the war with Israel eight months ago, and has said new strikes are an option after the midterm elections next week. A third U.S. aircraft carrier and thousands of additional troops are making their way to the region.
Before joining the Joint Staff, Sylvia commanded the 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, until May 2025, according to his official biography, which has since been taken offline. He also previously served as the vice director for the J5.
Sylvia is the latest of nearly two dozen generals, admirals and other military leaders to be fired, forced to retire or otherwise depart during Hegseth's tenure. The Pentagon has publicly explained almost none of the moves, which also include the civilian secretaries of the Army and Navy as well as some top uniformed officers for the military services.
Hegseth said last month that he had ordered the military to double its planned cuts to the overall number of top officers, to a 20% decrease to be completed by Jan. 1, 2027. There are currently roughly 800 flag and general officer positions. "I call it accountability and long overdue," Hegseth told junior officers and enlisted leaders at Marine Corps Base Quantico on Sept. 30.
Some members of Congress have criticized the reductions as a "purge" that will take years to rebuild from. Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., a former Navy combat pilot who has been critical of Hegseth, said last month: "He's purging a generation of great leaders of the military, and it's going to take a generation to recover from it."
