Pentagon fires General Brett Sylvia over alleged leaks of classified information to media

United States Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has fired Lieutenant General Brett Sylvia, director of the Strategy, Plans and Policy Directorate at the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The Pentagon says the dismissal was for 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.

The official said Sylvia is the subject of an investigation for leaking classified information about the Iran war, the war between Russia and Ukraine, and more. The investigation remains ongoing and has been referred to the Department of Justice for further action, according to the Pentagon.

The official said Sylvia was the Defense Department's chief military planner but was not a central planner for the Iran war. That, he said, is the responsibility of CENTCOM and its commander, Admiral Brad Cooper.

The Pentagon 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, the official said.

Sylvia 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.

An official speaking to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity said there is no immediate replacement for Sylvia.

Before arriving at the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Sylvia served as commander of the 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, until May 2025, according to his official biography, which has now been taken offline. He also previously served as vice director of the office he went on to lead.

His military awards include six Bronze Star Medals, including one for valour, and a Purple Heart, indicating he was wounded in combat.

Sean Parnell, assistant to the defense secretary for public affairs, said earlier on Thursday in a post on X that the department has zero tolerance for the intentional, unauthorised disclosure of classified information. He did not refer specifically to Sylvia in that post.

Sylvia is the latest senior Pentagon official Hegseth has accused of leaking to the media. Last year Hegseth fired three aides from his inner circle as part of a broader leak investigation that included polygraph tests.