Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has reportedly fired Lieutenant General Brett Sylvia, a senior military strategist. Sylvia was removed from the Joint Chiefs of Staff even as President Donald Trump mulls renewed strikes against Iran.
Sylvia, who directed strategy, plans and policy for the Joint Staff, was ousted without a public explanation, The Atlantic reported. The Pentagon planner headed the Joint Staff’s J5 directorate. They help coordinate military strategy and policy recommendations for senior defense officials and the White House.
The Department of Defense is yet to publicly announce a replacement for Sylvia.
Brett Sylvia’s ouster comes at an important time, experts feel
A former Joint Chiefs official noted that Sylvia’s ouster came at a vital time, since the position the planner held is important during potential military escalation.
Speaking to The Atlantic, the former official said “Now is not the time when you’d want to lose the J5. This person would serve as a critical link between the operational force, the department policy, and the White House.”
Also Read | US forces in Middle East ready to launch ‘a big effort’ in Iran after November midterm elections: Report
Sylvia graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in 1994 and previously commanded the 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. He also had multiple deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan and has numerous military decorations, including six Bronze Star Medals, and a Purple Heart.
Why was Brett Sylvia ousted? What we know so far
Pentagon officials speaking to the publication said that Hegseth had lost confidence in Sylvia and the general had had a tough working relationship with Elbridge Colby, the Pentagon’s senior civilian policy official.
In a statement, the Joint Chiefs thanked Sylvia for over three decades of military service. “The Chairman, the Joint Staff, and the Joint Force extend our deepest gratitude to Lt. Gen. Brett Sylvia and his family for their 32 years of distinguished service to our nation. We wish him and his family the best as they graduate to new opportunities and the next chapters of their lives,” a spokesperson said.
Sylvia becomes the second J5 director reportedly forced out in the last year. Army Lt. Gen. Joseph McGee, Sylvia’s predecessor, was pushed into retirement as well, The Atlantic report noted.
This also marks the latest in a series of senior leadership changes in the military under Hegseth. At least 26 generals and admirals have either left or have been removed since the former Fox News host took office, the report noted. Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George was forced out during the US campaign against Iran. Others include Gen. David Hodne, who used to lead the army’s Transformation and Training Command, and Maj. Gen. William Green Jr., head of the Army Chaplain Corps.
Meanwhile, Gen. Chris “C.D.” Donahue stepped down in June as commander of the U.S. Army forces in Europe and Africa, after disagreements with Hegseth, as per the report.