Pentagon accuses newly fired general of leaking sensitive information to
the media
[October 30, 2026]
By KONSTANTIN TOROPIN
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon has accused a newly ousted three-star
general of leaking sensitive information to the media just hours after
officials confirmed his removal from a top military planning post.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth fired Army Lt. Gen. Brett Sylvia as head
of strategy, plans and policy for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, a defense
official said late Wednesday. Typically, the general in the position and
their staff are responsible for generating and coordinating military
plans for both the chairman of the Joint Chiefs and the president.
No reason was given for the firing, the latest in a series of ousters or
departures of military leaders under Hegseth. However, a Pentagon
official, who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on
condition of anonymity, later said in a statement that Sylvia was under
investigation over allegations of sharing classified information about
the Iran war, the Russia-Ukraine conflict and other topics with
journalists.
The statement claims that Sylvia failed three polygraph tests about
leaking classified information.
Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a social media post that
the department “took necessary personnel action to protect sensitive
information” without mentioning Sylvia by name. He said the matter has
been sent to the Justice Department for "potential further legal
action."
It is not clear why the Pentagon would appear to be pursuing charges in
civilian courts instead of trying the general in the military justice
system.
Sylvia did not immediately respond to a voicemail, text messages, emails
and a LinkedIn message on accounts and numbers that appear to belong to
him.
When asked about Sylvia’s firing by reporters Thursday, President Donald
Trump said, "She’s gonna have big problems,” incorrectly identifying the
male general as a woman.
“We’re very much looking for leakers,” Trump said.
In a confusing twist, the Joint Staff on Thursday also withdrew a
statement from a day earlier that wished Sylvia well because “upon
further review, we determined that the statement did not appropriately
reflect the full circumstances.”
A spokesperson late Wednesday had said the Joint Staff extended its
“deepest gratitude to Lt. Gen. Brett Sylvia and his family for their 32
years of distinguished service to our nation.”
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This photo provided by the U.S. Army shows Maj. Gen. Brett Sylvia,
at a 101st Airborne Division change of command ceremony at Fort
Campbell, Ky., May 30, 2025. (Sgt. Timothy Jackson/U.S Army via AP)
The firing of Sylvia from the Pentagon's top military planning post
comes as Trump weighs renewed strikes on Iran in the
eight-month-long war following next week's midterm elections. The
Pentagon official, however, insisted Sylvia was not a “central
planner” on the Iran conflict and said that was the purview of U.S.
Central Command.
Before arriving at the Joint 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 the vice director for the
office he recently led.
His military awards include six Bronze Star Medals, including one
for valor, and a Purple Heart, indicating he was wounded in combat.
Sylvia's case is Hegseth's latest accusation against top Pentagon
officials of leaking to the media. He fired three aides from his
inner circle last year as part of a broader leak investigation that
included polygraph tests.
In a joint statement shared by senior aide Dan Caldwell, the trio
protested the firing and said they were “incredibly disappointed by
the manner in which our service at the Department of Defense ended.
Unnamed Pentagon officials have slandered our character with
baseless attacks on our way out the door.”
Hegseth never provided more information on what the three were
accused of, and Caldwell would go on to be hired by the Office of
the Director of National Intelligence.
Under Hegseth, the Pentagon also has carried out a series of moves
restricting media access, including requiring that journalists be
escorted while on Pentagon grounds and declaring that its press
office was a classified space inaccessible to journalists.
___
Associated Press writer Seung Min Kim contributed to this report.
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