Newly Fired General Accused of Leaking Info to Media

The Pentagon has accused a newly ousted three-star general of leaking sensitive information to the media. The accusation came just hours after officials confirmed his removal from a top military planning post. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth fired Army Lt. Gen. Brett Sylvia as head of strategy, plans, and policy for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, a defense official said late Wednesday.

• No reason was given for the firing, the latest in a series of ousters or departures of military leaders under Hegseth. However, a Pentagon official, who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity, later said in a statement that Sylvia was under investigation over allegations of sharing classified information about the Iran war, the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and other topics with journalists, the AP reports.
• A colleague of Sylvia's tells the Washington Post that the general has acknowledged having interactions with journalists, but he has repeatedly denied leaking classified information.

The Pentagon official's statement claims that Sylvia failed three polygraph tests about leaking classified information. Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a social media post that the department "took necessary personnel action to protect sensitive information" without mentioning Sylvia by name. He said the matter has been sent to the Justice Department for "potential further legal action." The Post's sources confirmed that Parnell was referring to Sylvia. It is not clear why the Pentagon appears to be pursuing charges in civilian courts instead of trying the general in the military justice system.

• When asked about Sylvia's firing by reporters Thursday, President Trump said, "She's gonna have big problems," incorrectly identifying the male general as a woman. "We're very much looking for leakers," Trump said.

• In a confusing twist, the Joint Staff on Thursday also withdrew a statement from a day earlier that wished Sylvia well because "upon further review, we determined that the statement did not appropriately reflect the full circumstances." A spokesperson late Wednesday had said the Joint Staff extended its "deepest gratitude to Lt. Gen. Brett Sylvia and his family for their 32 years of distinguished service to our nation."
• Before arriving at the Joint Staff, Sylvia served as commander of the 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, until May 2025, according to his official biography, which has now been taken offline. He also previously served as the vice director for the office he recently led. His military awards include six Bronze Star Medals, including one for valor, and a Purple Heart, indicating he was wounded in combat.
• Sylvia's case is Hegseth's latest accusation against top Pentagon officials of leaking to the media. He fired three aides from his inner circle last year as part of a broader leak investigation that included polygraph tests.