Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth fired the Pentagon’s top military planner, a defense official said Wednesday, in the latest ouster of a senior military officer as President Donald Trump weighs renewed strikes on Iran amid an eight-month war.
Hegseth removed Army Lt. Gen. Brett Sylvia as head of strategy, plans and policy on the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Sylvia is the second general officer Hegseth ousted from the post, known in military circles as the J5. He forced Sylvia's predecessor, Lt. Gen. Joseph McGee, to retire last October.
The defense official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive personnel matters, said no immediate replacement for Sylvia is planned and no reason was given for the firing. The Atlantic earlier reported the move.
A spokesperson for the Joint Staff expressed "deepest gratitude to Lt. Gen. Brett Sylvia and his family for their 32 years of distinguished service to our nation" and wished him and his family the best.
Typically, the J5 director and staff are responsible for generating and coordinating military plans with both the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs and the U.S. President. Sylvia's firing comes as U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly proposed new military operations against Iran.
U.S. President Donald Trump has vowed to "finish the job" in Iran after launching the war with Israel eight months ago and said new strikes are an option after next week's midterm elections.
U.S. officials have told several Middle Eastern countries and regional allies to prepare for potential renewed military action after Tuesday's elections, as well as the possibility Iran will retaliate against them, two diplomats briefed on the matter said. They say U.S. President Donald Trump has not made a final decision on new strikes.
A third U.S. aircraft carrier and thousands more troops are heading to the region.
Before arriving at the Joint Staff, Sylvia served as the commander of the 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, until May 2025, according to his official biography, now offline. He also previously served as the vice director of the J5.
He is the latest of nearly two dozen general and flag officers and other military leaders Hegseth has removed or forced to retire during his tenure. The Pentagon has not publicly explained almost all of these departures. These include the civilian secretaries of the Army and Navy and some top uniformed officers for the military services.
The Pentagon did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment late Wednesday.
Hegseth said last month he ordered the military to double cuts to top officers, aiming for a 20% decrease to be completed by Jan. 1, 2027. Approximately 800 flag and general officer positions currently exist.
"I call it accountability and long overdue," Hegseth told junior officers and enlisted leaders at Marine Corps Base Quantico on Sept. 30.
Some members of Congress criticize cuts to general officer ranks as a "purge" that will take years to rebuild.
"He's got some kind of deep-seated grievance about leadership in the military," Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., a former Navy combat pilot who criticizes Hegseth, said last month. "He's purging a generation of great military leaders, and it will take a generation to recover from it."