Hegseth fired Army Lt. Gen. Brett Sylvia, the Pentagon’s top military planner, Wednesday. No reason was given publicly.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has fired the Pentagon’s top military planner, a defense official said Wednesday, the latest in a series of generals ousted as President Donald Trump weighs renewed strikes on Iran in the eight-month-old war.
Army Lt. Gen. Brett Sylvia was removed as head of strategy, plans and policy on the Joint Chiefs of Staff, a post known in military circles as the “J5.” The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive personnel matters, said there is no immediate replacement and no reason was given. The Atlantic reported the firing first. A Joint Staff spokesperson said the chairman, the Joint Staff and the joint force extended their deepest gratitude to Sylvia and his family for 32 years of distinguished service.
Sylvia is the second officer to be removed from the J5 post under Hegseth. His predecessor, Lt. Gen. Joseph McGee, was forced to retire last October after months of tensions with Hegseth. Other senior officers dismissed in Trump’s second term include Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Charles Q. Brown, the heads of the Navy and Coast Guard, and, in April, Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George. Hegseth said last month that he ordered the military to double its planned cuts in the number of top officers to 20% by Jan. 1, 2027. There are about 800 flag and general officer positions.
Read more at: https://www.stripes.com/branches/army/2026-04-02/army-general-randy-george-retirement-21263527.html
Source – Stars and Stripes
The Iran war has cost the United States more than $47 billion, about 25% above the Pentagon’s July estimate, Business Standard reported. Sen. Mark Kelly, a Democrat and former Navy combat pilot who has criticized Hegseth, said last month that Hegseth has a deep-seated grievance about military leadership.
Information for this report was provided by The Associated Press, The Atlantic, Business Standard and ABC News.