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Washington — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has fired the Pentagon's apical subject planner, a Pentagon authoritative told CBS News precocious Wednesday.
It's the latest successful a bid of generals to beryllium ousted and comes adjacent arsenic President Trump is weighing renewed strikes connected Iran successful the eight-month-long war.
Army Lt. Gen. Brett Sylvia was removed arsenic caput of strategy, plans and argumentation connected the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He is the 2nd wide to beryllium ousted from the post, known successful subject circles arsenic the "J5," nether Hegseth. His predecessor, Lt. Gen. Joseph McGee, was forced to discontinue past October.
The Pentagon official, who spoke connected information of anonymity to sermon delicate unit matters, said Sylvia was accused of misconduct for leaking classified accusation related to the Iran warfare and the Russia/Ukraine war.
Sylvia failed 3 polygraph tests astir sharing classified accusation with the press, the authoritative said, adding that the lawsuit has been referred to the Department of Justice.
No replacement for Sylvia has been named, according to The Associated Press.
The firing was reported earlier by The Atlantic.
A spokesperson for the Joint Staff said "the Chairman, the Joint Staff, and the Joint Force widen our deepest gratitude to Lt. Gen. Brett Sylvia and his household for their 32 years of distinguished work to our nation" and they "wish him and his household the best."
Typically, the J5 manager and unit are liable for generating and coordinating subject plans with some the president of the Joint Chiefs and the president. Sylvia's firing comes arsenic Mr. Trump has repeatedly floated starting caller subject operations against Iran.
The president has vowed to "finish the job" successful Iran aft launching the warfare with Israel 8 months agone and said caller strikes are an enactment aft the midterm elections adjacent week.
U.S. officials are said to person told respective Middle East countries and determination allies to be prepared for imaginable renewed subject action aft Tuesday's elections arsenic good arsenic for the anticipation that Iran volition effort to retaliate against them.
A 3rd U.S. craft bearer and thousands of further troops are making their mode to the region.
Before arriving astatine the Joint Staff, Sylvia served arsenic the commandant of the 101st Airborne Division astatine Fort Campbell, Kentucky, until May 2025, according to his authoritative biography, which has present been taken offline. He besides antecedently served arsenic the vice manager for the J5.
He is the latest successful astir 2 twelve generals, admirals and different subject leaders to beryllium fired, forced to discontinue oregon different depart nether Hegseth's tenure. Almost nary of the moves person been publically explained by the Pentagon. That includes the civilian secretaries of the Army and Navy arsenic good arsenic immoderate apical uniformed officers for the subject services.
Hegseth said past period that helium ordered the subject to treble the cuts to the wide fig of apical officers to a 20% alteration to beryllium completed by Jan. 1, 2027. There are presently astir 800 emblem and wide serviceman positions.
"I telephone it accountability and agelong overdue," Hegseth told inferior officers and enlisted leaders astatine the Marine Corps Base Quantico connected Sept. 30.
Some members of Congress person criticized cuts to the ranks of generals arsenic a "purge" that volition instrumentality years to rebuild.
"He's got immoderate benignant of similar deep-seated grievance astir enactment successful the military," Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., a erstwhile Navy combat aviator who has been captious of Hegseth, said past month. "He's purging a procreation of large leaders of the military, and it's going to instrumentality a procreation to retrieve from it."
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