Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has dismissed the Pentagon’s top military planner as President Donald Trump reportedly weighs renewed strikes against Iran after next week’s midterm elections.
Army Lt. Gen. Brett Sylvia was removed from his post as director of strategy, plans and policy on the Joint Chiefs of Staff, a senior official told the Associated Press.
No successor has been announced, leaving it unclear who will assume Sylvia’s responsibilities, according to The Atlantic.
The J5 director and staff typically develop and coordinate military plans with the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the president.
Traditionally, the directorate’s deputy or vice director temporarily takes over while the president selects a nominee for Senate confirmation.
Sylvia is now the second general to be removed from the position—known within the military as the “J5”—during Hegseth’s tenure. His predecessor, Lt. Gen. Joseph McGee, was compelled to retire last October.
The timing of Sylvia’s departure comes as Trump has repeatedly suggested that the United States could launch new military operations against Iran.
“Now is not the time when you’d want to lose the J5,” a former Joint Chiefs of Staff official told The Atlantic.
“This person would serve as a critical link between the operational force, the department policy and the White House.”
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has dismissed the Pentagon’s top military planner as President Donald Trump considers possible renewed strikes against Iran
Army Lt. Gen. Brett Sylvia was removed as director of strategy, plans and policy on the Joint Chiefs of Staff, according to a senior official
A Department of Defense official said Hegseth had lost confidence in Sylvia, adding that the lieutenant general had clashed with Elbridge Colby, the senior civilian official overseeing policy.
In a statement, a Joint Staff spokesperson said: “The Chairman, the Joint Staff, and the Joint Force extend our deepest gratitude to Lt. Gen. Brett Sylvia and his family for their 32 years of distinguished service to our nation” and “wish him and his family the best.”
CONTINUE READING: Woolworths’ Emergency Kits Every Home Needs to Be Prepared
The Pentagon did not immediately respond to requests for comment late Wednesday.
Before joining the Joint Staff, 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 had also served as the J5’s vice director.
Sylvia is the latest of nearly two dozen generals, admirals and other military leaders to be fired, pushed into retirement or otherwise leave their posts since Hegseth became defense secretary. In most cases, the Pentagon has not publicly explained the departures.
The list also includes the civilian secretaries of the Army and Navy, along with several senior uniformed officers from the military services.
Hegseth said last month that he had ordered the military to double planned reductions in the number of senior officers, targeting a 20 percent cut by January 1, 2027. The armed forces currently have roughly 800 general and flag officer positions.
“I call it accountability and long overdue,” Hegseth told junior officers and enlisted leaders at Marine Corps Base Quantico on September 30.
President Trump has vowed to “finish the job” in Iran after launching the war with Israel eight months ago and said further strikes remain an option after next week’s midterm elections
Trump, meanwhile, has vowed to “finish the job” in Iran after launching the war with Israel eight months ago. He has said additional strikes could be considered after next week’s midterm elections.
US officials have warned several Middle Eastern countries and regional allies to prepare for possible renewed military action after Tuesday’s elections, as well as the prospect of Iranian retaliation, two diplomats briefed on the matter said. They emphasized that Trump has not made a final decision on whether to launch new strikes.
A third US aircraft carrier, along with thousands of additional troops, is also heading toward the region.
Some members of Congress have condemned the reductions in the ranks of generals as a “purge” that could take years to reverse.
“He’s got some kind of deep-seated grievance about leadership in the military,” Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., a former Navy combat pilot who has criticized Hegseth, said last month. “He’s purging a generation of great leaders of the military, and it’s going to take a generation to recover from it.”
This is a breaking news story and will be updated.
