Hegseth fires the Pentagon's top military planner even as Trump
considers new Iran strikes
[October 29, 2026]
By KONSTANTIN TOROPIN
WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has fired the
Pentagon’s top military planner, a defense official said Wednesday, the
latest in a series of generals to be ousted and one that comes even as
President Donald Trump is weighing renewed strikes on Iran in the
eight-month-long war.
Army Lt. Gen. Brett Sylvia was removed as head of strategy, plans and
policy on the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He is the second general to be
ousted from the post, known in military circles as the “J5,” under
Hegseth. His predecessor, Lt. Gen. Joseph McGee, was forced to retire
last October.
The defense official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss
sensitive personnel matters, said there is no immediate replacement for
Sylvia and no reason has been given for the firing. The move was
reported earlier by The Atlantic.
A spokesperson for the Joint Staff 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 they "wish him and his family the best.”
Typically, the J5 director and their staff are responsible for
generating and coordinating military plans with both the chairman of the
Joint Chiefs and the president. Sylvia's firing comes as Trump has
repeatedly floated starting new military operations against Iran.
Trump has vowed to “finish the job” in Iran after launching the war with
Israel eight months ago and said new strikes are an option after the
midterm elections next week.
U.S. officials have told several Middle East countries and regional
allies to be prepared for potential renewed military action after
Tuesday's elections as well as for the possibility that Iran will
attempt to retaliate against them, two diplomats briefed on the matter
said. They say Trump has not made a final decision on new strikes.
A third U.S. aircraft carrier and thousands of additional troops are
making their way to the region.
Before arriving at the Joint Staff, Sylvia served as the 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 J5.
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U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth attends the Association of
Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Defence Ministers' Informal Meeting
in Cebu, central Philippines, Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2026. (Jam Sta
Rosa/Pool Photo via AP)
He is the latest in nearly two dozen generals, admirals and other
military leaders to be fired, forced to retire or otherwise depart under
Hegseth's tenure — almost all of which have not been publicly explained
by the Pentagon. That includes the civilian secretaries of the Army and
Navy as well as some top uniformed officers for the military services.
The Pentagon did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment
late Wednesday.
Hegseth said last month that he ordered the military to double the cuts
to the overall number of top officers to a 20% decrease to be completed
by Jan. 1, 2027. There are currently roughly 800 flag and general
officer positions.
“I call it accountability and long overdue,” Hegseth told junior
officers and enlisted leaders at the Marine Corps Base Quantico on Sept.
30.
Some members of Congress have criticized cuts to the ranks of generals
as a “purge” that will take years to rebuild.
“He’s got some kind of like deep-seated grievance about leadership in
the military,” Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., a former Navy combat pilot who
has been critical of 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.”
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Associated Press writers Aamer Madhani in Washington and Samy Magdy in
New York contributed to this report.
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