Washington — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has fired the Pentagon’s top military planner, multiple sources confirmed to CBS News Wednesday night. A Pentagon official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive personnel matters, said Army Lt. Gen. Brett Sylvia was charged with misconduct for allegedly leaking classified information related to the Iran war and the Russia-Ukraine war. the Department of Justice. Two other Pentagon sources confirmed to CBS News that the shooting was related to polygraph tests, but said those allegations are not true. Hegseth has made rooting out leaks at the Pentagon a priority, and sources told CBS News last month that high-ranking military officials were subjected to polygraph tests. Three employees in his office were escorted last year amid a leak investigation, but the Pentagon never released the results of any investigation. Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell did not name Sylvia by name in a statement on social media, but said that “following an extensive Air Force OSI investigation, the Department took the necessary personal steps to protect sensitive information.” Maj. Gen. Brett Sylvia at Fort Campbell on May 30, 2025. Sgt. Timothy Jackson/US Army via AP “To protect the integrity of the investigation, no further comment will be made regarding the individual or the circumstances of this action,” Parnell continued. “This matter, along with others, has been referred to the Department of Justice for possible further legal action. Classified information is not personal property. Leaking it for personal, political or professional gain is a betrayal of the trust placed in those responsible for preserving it. Our commitment was not an empty promise. We promised to find it, and we meant it.” Sylvia’s firing comes as President Trump is considering resuming attacks on Iran after the Nov. 3 midterm elections. Sylvia was removed as head of strategy, plans and policies for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and was coordinating the battle plan against Iran. Sylvia is the second general during Hegseth’s tenure to be removed from what is known as a “J5” position, which is the lead on how the Iran war affects long-term planning. Sylvia’s predecessor, Lt. Gen. Joseph McGee, was forced to retire in October 2025. No replacement for Sylvia has been named. The firing was previously reported by The Atlantic. After initially issuing a statement extending “the deepest gratitude” for Slyvia’s 32 years of service, a spokesman for the Joint Chiefs of Staff retracted the statement and issued a new one. “Upon further review, we determined that the statement did not adequately reflect all of the circumstances,” the spokesperson said. “Out of respect for the service member and the ongoing personnel process, we will not be commenting further.” Sylvia is a former 101st Airborne Division commander with multiple deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq and earned a Bronze Star for Valor. He received the Purple Heart after being wounded in battle in that firefight with the Taliban, and had a storied combat career that spanned 32 years. Charlie D’Agata contributed to this report. Go deeper with The Free Press on:
