Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth fired US Army Lieutenant General Brett Sylvia over alleged classified leaks to journalists, according to the South China Morning Post. The firing is the latest in a series of ousters and departures of military leaders under Hegseth. A defense official told the newspaper late Wednesday that Sylvia had been removed as head of strategy, plans and policy for the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
The position typically generates and coordinates military plans for both the chairman of the Joint Chiefs and the president, according to the same report. No reason for the firing was given in that account.
A Pentagon official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said in a statement that Sylvia was under investigation over allegations that he shared classified information with journalists. According to the SCMP, the information concerned the Iran war, the Russia-Ukraine conflict and other topics.
The SCMP headline also says Sylvia was referred to the Justice Department after officials claimed he failed three lie-detector tests. That claim appears only in the headline and is attributed to unnamed officials. The sources do not include any official confirmation of it.
The Japan Times reported, citing reports, that Sylvia was fired over alleged leaks. CBS News reported that Sylvia was abruptly fired and accused of leaking classified information to the media. CBS described Hegseth’s overhaul of the US military as aggressive, and said critics call it dangerous. It said the firing continued that overhaul during the same week.
The Japan Times also reported that, since returning to office early last year, Trump has overseen a purge of top military personnel, including the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
The sources do not say what specific classified information was allegedly shared, or with which journalists. Only a headline and a short excerpt were available for the Japan Times and CBS News reports, so their full details could not be checked independently.
Neither Sylvia nor his lawyers have responded, and the sources include no statement from the Pentagon or the White House beyond the anonymous official.
Sylvia is under investigation, and the allegations were referred to the Justice Department, according to the SCMP. The sources report no further steps.
Sources
This article was written with AI assistance from the published reporting listed above. It is part of the World Brief daily news podcast.