Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has dismissed the Pentagon’s senior military planner as President Donald Trump considers whether to resume strikes against Iran after next week’s midterm elections.
Army Lt. Gen. Brett Sylvia was removed from his position as director of strategy, plans and policy for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, a senior official told the Associated Press.
No successor has been announced, leaving uncertainty over who will assume Sylvia’s duties, The Atlantic reported.
The J5 director and staff typically develop and coordinate military plans in consultation with the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the president.
Usually, the deputy or vice director within the Joint Chiefs’ directorate temporarily assumes those responsibilities until the president nominates a permanent replacement for Senate confirmation.
Sylvia is the second general to be removed from the J5 post during Hegseth’s tenure. His predecessor, Lt. Gen. Joseph McGee, was compelled to retire last October.
Sylvia’s departure comes as Trump has repeatedly raised the prospect of launching additional military operations against Iran.
“This is not the moment when you would want to lose the J5,” a former Joint Chiefs official told The Atlantic.
“That officer serves as a crucial connection between military operations, Pentagon policy and the White House.”
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has removed the Pentagon’s top military planner as President Donald Trump weighs renewed strikes against Iran
Army Lt. Gen. Brett Sylvia was dismissed as director of strategy, plans and policy for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, according to a senior official
A Defense Department official said Hegseth had lost confidence in Sylvia, adding that the lieutenant general had clashed with Elbridge Colby, the Pentagon’s 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 32 years of distinguished service to our nation.
“We wish him and his family the best as they move on to new opportunities and the next chapters of their lives,” the spokesperson added.
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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 removed from the internet. He had also served as the J5’s vice director.
Sylvia is the latest of nearly two dozen generals, admirals and other senior military leaders to be fired, pushed into retirement or otherwise leave their posts under Hegseth. In most cases, the Pentagon has not publicly explained the departures.
The group includes the civilian secretaries of the Army and Navy, along with several senior uniformed officers from the military services.
President Trump has vowed to “finish the job” in Iran after launching the war with Israel eight months ago and says further strikes could follow next week’s midterm elections
Last month, Hegseth said 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 about 800 general and flag officer positions.
“I call it accountability, and it is long overdue,” Hegseth told junior officers and enlisted leaders at Marine Corps Base Quantico on September 30.
Some lawmakers have condemned the reductions as a “purge,” warning that rebuilding the ranks could take years.
“He seems to have some kind of deep-seated grievance about leadership in the military,” Sen. Mark Kelly, an Arizona Democrat, said last month. “He’s purging a generation of great military leaders, and it’s going to take a generation to recover from it.”
Trump, however, has pledged to “finish the job” in Iran after launching the war with Israel eight months ago. He has also said additional strikes remain an option once the midterm elections are over.
US officials have warned several Middle Eastern nations and regional allies to prepare for possible renewed military action after Tuesday’s elections, as well as the risk that Iran could retaliate against them, two diplomats briefed on the matter said. The officials said Trump has not made a final decision about further strikes.
At the same time, a third US aircraft carrier and thousands of additional troops are heading toward the region.
This is a breaking news story and will be updated.
