Pentagon fires Army planning chief

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth removed Lieutenant General Brett Sylvia from his position as the top Army general overseeing planning at the Pentagon. Officials not authorized to speak publicly said Sylvia is the subject of a leak investigation. The removal marks another personnel change within the Department of Defense under the current administration.

Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell released a statement confirming an investigation into the release of classified information. The statement did not name Sylvia directly but noted that the matter has been referred to the Justice Department for possible legal action. The Air Force Office of Special Investigations oversaw the probe.

Government officials allege that Sylvia released information regarding Iran and Ukraine to reporters. No specific details about the nature of the shared information have been made public. The investigation appears to involve air strikes over Iran, which began earlier this year. Those operations included thousands of strikes launched from airfields in the United States, Europe, and the Middle East.

Sylvia, a West Point graduate, has served in the planning role for less than a year. He previously commanded the 101st Airborne Division and served in combat in Afghanistan and Iraq. His military honors include a Purple Heart and six Bronze Star medals, one of which was for valor. His departure adds to a list of approximately two dozen senior officers dismissed by Hegseth without public explanation.

Some of those dismissals were linked to disagreements over the deployment of troops on American streets or perceptions that officers secured positions based on race or gender. Others were seen as connected to former Joint Chiefs Chairman General Mark Milley. Trump’s administration investigated Milley for undermining the president, an inquiry that is reportedly moving slowly.

The firing comes as Congress considers language for the upcoming defense bill. According to a Hill staffer, the proposed text would prohibit the firing of military personnel without first consulting lawmakers. This legislative move aims to establish clearer checks on the removal of senior officers during active operations.

Hegseth’s focus on leaks follows a prior incident in which he shared classified information about airstrikes in Yemen via a Signal chat. The Pentagon inspector general found that he transmitted secret data on aircraft launch times, numbers, and strike targets. The report noted that the information could have imperiled U.S. service members had it been intercepted. President Trump supported Hegseth at the time despite calls for his replacement.

Since that incident, Hegseth has fired civilian staff and threatened military officers with polygraphs. He has not held a press briefing since early May. Capitol Hill staff report they are often kept uninformed on military matters. The role from which Sylvia was removed covers broad strategic planning and long-term policy, distinct from the operational command of the current Iran conflict, which rests with Admiral Brad Cooper and regional forces.