Lieutenant General Fired for Alleged Leaks

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth dismissed a lieutenant general earlier this week over claims of leaking classified information concerning ongoing conflicts in Iran and Ukraine, according to various sources.

As initially reported by the Atlantic, Army Lt. Gen. Brett Sylvia was removed from his role as the director of the Directorate for Strategy, Plans, and Policy at the Joint Staff, or J5.

Known as “the Pentagon’s top military planner” by CBS News, Sylvia allegedly failed three polygraph tests related to sharing classified intel with the media, according to one insider.

Although chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell did not specifically name the ousted general, he mentioned that “this matter, along with others, have been referred to the Justice Department for potential further legal action.”

In a statement posted on X, Parnell emphasized, “The Department of War has zero tolerance for the intentional, unauthorized disclosure of classified information. Anyone who compromises sensitive national security information puts the lives of our Warriors at risk and undermines every military operation that keeps our country safe.”

He further explained that the “necessary personnel action” followed an “extensive” investigation, adding that “classified information is not personal property.”

“Leaking it for personal, political, or professional gain is a betrayal of the trust placed in those responsible for keeping it,” Parnell remarked. “Our commitment was not an empty promise. We vowed to find you, and we meant it.”

However, two additional Pentagon sources confirmed to CBS News that the termination was linked to the polygraph tests but disputed the allegations against Sylvia.

In a rather unusual development, the Joint Staff retracted a statement released on Wednesday that had expressed “deepest gratitude to Lt. Gen. Brett Sylvia and his family for their 32 years of distinguished service to our nation.”

In a follow-up on Thursday, the Joint Staff clarified, “Upon further review, we determined that the statement did not appropriately reflect the full circumstances.” They concluded by stating, “Out of respect for the servicemember and the ongoing personnel process we will not comment further.”

Currently, there has been no announcement regarding who will take over Sylvia’s position. He is a former commander of the 101st Airborne Division and has received both the Bronze Star for Valor and the Purple Heart.