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Hegseth fires Pentagon's top war planner as Iran strikes weighed
Lt. Gen. Brett Sylvia, head of strategy and plans on the Joint Staff, is out with no reason given and no successor named
WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has removed Lt. Gen. Brett Sylvia as director of strategy, plans and policy (the J5) on the Joint Staff, a defense official told the AP on Wednesday. The Joint Staff confirmed Sylvia is leaving and thanked him for 32 years of service. Neither explanation nor replacement has been announced. Sylvia is the second J5 pushed out under Hegseth. His predecessor, Lt. Gen. Joseph McGee, was forced to retire last October. The firing comes as President Trump weighs new strikes on Iran. CNN reports U.S. forces in the region could launch major operations within 96 hours of an order. AP reports that diplomats say regional allies were told to prepare for possible renewed action after Tuesday's elections, and that a third carrier and thousands more troops are heading to the region. Nearly two dozen senior officers have departed under Hegseth.
Why it mattersThe J5 turns presidential objectives into military options, and its leader has been removed just as the Pentagon prepares for possible new operations against Iran.
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