Pentagon accuses newly fired general of leaking sensitive information to the media

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon has accused a newly ousted three-star general of leaking sensitive information to the media 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. Typically, the general in the position and their staff are responsible for generating and coordinating military plans for both the chairman of the Joint Chiefs and the president.

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 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.”

It is not clear why the Pentagon would appear to be pursuing charges in civilian courts instead of trying the general in the military justice system.

Sylvia did not immediately respond to a voicemail, text messages, emails and a LinkedIn message on accounts and numbers that appear to belong to him.

When asked about Sylvia’s firing by reporters Thursday, President Donald 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.”

The firing of Sylvia from the Pentagon’s top military planning post comes as Trump weighs renewed strikes on Iran in the eight-month-long war following next week’s midterm elections. The Pentagon official, however, insisted Sylvia was not a “central planner” on the Iran conflict and said that was the purview of U.S. Central Command.

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.

In a joint statement shared by senior aide Dan Caldwell, the trio protested the firing and said they were “incredibly disappointed by the manner in which our service at the Department of Defense ended. Unnamed Pentagon officials have slandered our character with baseless attacks on our way out the door.”

Hegseth never provided more information on what the three were accused of, and Caldwell would go on to be hired by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.

Under Hegseth, the Pentagon also has carried out a series of moves restricting media access, including requiring that journalists be escorted while on Pentagon grounds and declaring that its press office was a classified space inaccessible to journalists.

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Associated Press writer Seung Min Kim contributed to this report.