The Pentagon’s top military planner is out as Secretary of War Pete Hegseth cleans house.
With rumors of impending strikes against Iran likely after the Nov. 3 midterm election, reports noted that Army Lieutenant General Brett Sylvia was “ousted from the Joint Staff,” according to The Atlantic.
The former commander of the 101st Airborne Division is reportedly the fifth general fired by Hegseth.
“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 Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement. “We wish him and his family the best as they graduate to new opportunities and the next chapters of their lives.”
As the war with Iran war heads into its ninth month, top general LT. General Brett Sylvia is being pushed out, the latest senior military official to be fired or pushed out under the leadership of Secretary Hegseth. @rachelvscott reports. https://t.co/5f62wisiPg
— Good Morning America (@GMA) October 29, 2026
A Pentagon official who spoke to CBS News “on condition of anonymity” said Sylvia “was accused of misconduct for leaking classified information related to the Iran war and the Russia-Ukraine war.”
“Sylvia failed three polygraph tests about sharing classified information with the press, the official said, adding that the case has been referred to the Department of Justice,” the outlet noted.
BREAKING: Pete Hegseth just fired Lt. Gen. Brett Sylvia after he failed THREE polygraphs about leaking classified info on the Iran war and Russia-Ukraine.
Sylvia would meet reporters outside the building to dodge the rules and the investigation is headed to the DOJ.
Good riddance. No more leakers in the Pentagon.
— My moms caregiver
(@mymomcare) October 29, 2026
No replacement for Sylvia has been named yet.
“In the past, the deputy or vice director of the relevant directorate of the Joint Chiefs of Staff would fill the role on a temporary basis until the president nominated a candidate for Senate confirmation,” The Atlantic noted.
“Sylvia is the second person to be pushed out of the job of director of the Directorate for Strategy, Plans, and Policy at the Joint Chiefs of Staff, known inside the military as the J5, in the past year. His predecessor, Army Lieutenant General Joseph McGee, was forced to retire,” the report continued.
A former Joint Chiefs of Staff official told the outlet, “Now is not the time when you’d want to lose the J5,” adding, “This person would serve as a critical link between the operational force, the department policy, and the White House.”
