Pentagon fires Joint Chiefs planner Lt Gen Brett Sylvia over classified leaks
The Pentagon says Lieutenant General Brett Sylvia leaked classified information about the Iran and Ukraine wars; the case has been referred to the Justice Department.
At a glance
- US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth fired Lt Gen Brett Sylvia, the Joint Chiefs' director of strategy, plans and policy.
- A Pentagon official told Al Jazeera that Sylvia met journalists outside the Pentagon to leak classified information.
- The investigation is ongoing and has been referred to the Justice Department; no replacement has been named.
United States Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has fired Lieutenant General Brett Sylvia, the director of the Strategy, Plans and Policy Directorate at the Joint Chiefs of Staff, over what the Pentagon describes as severe misconduct. A Department of Defense official told Al Jazeera on Thursday that Sylvia had been "meeting with journalists outside the Pentagon in order to leak classified information".
"Sylvia is the subject of an investigation for leaking classified information about the Iran war, the war between Russia and Ukraine, and more," the official said.
Investigation referred to the Justice Department
The Pentagon says the investigation is ongoing and has been referred to the Department of Justice. The official said Sylvia failed three polygraphs that questioned him about leaking classified information, and accused him of putting national security at risk. "Urgent action was needed and could not wait another second," the official said.
The same official said Sylvia served as the Defense Department's chief military planner but was "not a central planner for the Iran war", saying that responsibility belongs to Central Command and its commander, Admiral Brad Cooper.
An official who spoke on condition of anonymity to the Associated Press said there is no immediate replacement for Sylvia.
Who is Brett Sylvia
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 previously served as vice director of the office he later led. His awards include six Bronze Star Medals, one of them for valour, and a Purple Heart, indicating he was wounded in combat.
He is the second person to be ousted from the post, known in military circles as the J5, under Hegseth; his predecessor was forced to retire in October last year.
Sean Parnel, assistant to the defense secretary for public affairs, said earlier on Thursday in a post on X that "the Department of War has zero tolerance for the intentional, unauthorized disclosure of classified information." He did not refer specifically to Sylvia.
A wider leak crackdown
Sylvia is the latest senior Pentagon official whom Hegseth has accused of leaking to the media. Hegseth fired three aides from his inner circle last year as part of a broader leak investigation that included polygraph tests.
The firing comes amid reports that the US had warned its allies of a possible renewal of strikes against Iran. President Donald Trump has promised to "finish the job" in Iran after launching the war with Israel eight months ago, and said he would do so after the midterm elections on Tuesday.
Source: Al Jazeera.
Questions and answers
- Why was Lieutenant General Brett Sylvia fired?
- The Pentagon says he leaked classified information to journalists, including material about the Iran war and the Russia-Ukraine war. Officials also say he failed three polygraph tests.
- Who is Brett Sylvia?
- He was director of the Strategy, Plans and Policy Directorate at the Joint Chiefs of Staff, known as the J5, and previously commanded the 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell, Kentucky.
- Will a replacement be named for Sylvia?
- An official told the Associated Press there is no immediate replacement. The Pentagon says the investigation has been referred to the Department of Justice.
