What happened
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has fired the Pentagon's top military planner, according to several sources who confirmed the move to CBS News late Wednesday. The officer is Army Lt. Gen. Brett Sylvia, who led strategy, plans and policy on the Joint Staff.
A Pentagon official, speaking anonymously to discuss sensitive personnel matters, told CBS News that Sylvia was accused of misconduct for allegedly leaking classified information about the Iran war and the Russia-Ukraine war. The official said he failed three polygraph tests about sharing classified material with the press and that the case has been referred to the Department of Justice.
Two other Pentagon sources told CBS News the firing was connected to the polygraph tests but said the accusations are not true. The firing was first reported by The Atlantic.
What the Pentagon is saying
Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell did not name Sylvia in a statement on social media. He said that, "following an extensive Air Force OSI investigation, the Department took necessary personnel action to protect sensitive information."
Parnell added that no further comment would be made about the individual or the circumstances "to protect the integrity of the investigation." He said the matter, along with others, has been referred to the Justice Department for potential further legal action. "Classified information is not personal property," he said, adding: "We vowed to find you, and we meant it."
The Joint Staff also changed course. A spokesperson first issued a statement offering "the deepest gratitude" for Sylvia's 32 years of service, then retracted it. The spokesperson later said: "Upon further review, we determined that the statement did not appropriately reflect the full circumstances."
A key post and a pattern
Sylvia was coordinating the Iran battle plan, according to CBS News. The post he held is known as "J5," the lead on how the Iran war affects long-term planning. He is the second general under Hegseth to be removed from it. His predecessor, Lt. Gen. Joseph McGee, was forced to retire in October 2025. No replacement for Sylvia has been named.
CBS News reported that Hegseth has made rooting out leakers a priority. Sources told the network last month that high-ranking military officials were subject to polygraph tests. Last year, three staffers from his office were escorted out amid a leak investigation, though the Pentagon never released any results.
Sylvia's record and the timing
Sylvia is a former commander of the 101st Airborne Division and had multiple deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq, according to CBS News. He earned a Bronze Star for Valor and a Purple Heart after being wounded in a gunfight with the Taliban, and his combat career spanned 32 years.
The firing comes as President Trump weighs resuming strikes against Iran after the Nov. 3 midterm elections, CBS News reported. The Pentagon has not released evidence supporting the leak allegations, and the dispute over their accuracy remains unresolved.
