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Hegseth Fires Top Military Planner 10/29 06:17
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has fired the Pentagon's top military
planner, a defense official said Wednesday, the latest in a series of generals
to be ousted and one that comes even as President Donald Trump is weighing
renewed strikes on Iran in the eight-month-long war.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has fired the Pentagon's
top military planner, a defense official said Wednesday, the latest in a series
of generals to be ousted and one that comes even as President Donald Trump is
weighing renewed strikes on Iran in the eight-month-long war.
Army Lt. Gen. Brett Sylvia was removed as head of strategy, plans and policy
on the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He is the second general to be ousted from the
post, known in military circles as the "J5," under Hegseth. His predecessor,
Lt. Gen. Joseph McGee, was forced to retire last October.
The defense official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss
sensitive personnel matters, said there is no immediate replacement for Sylvia
and no reason has been given for the firing. The move was reported earlier by
The Atlantic.
A spokesperson for the Joint Staff said "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" and they
"wish him and his family the best."
Typically, the J5 director and their staff are responsible for generating
and coordinating military plans with both the chairman of the Joint Chiefs and
the president. Sylvia's firing comes as Trump has repeatedly floated starting
new military operations against Iran.
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 the midterm
elections next week.
U.S. officials have told several Middle East countries and regional allies
to be prepared for potential renewed military action after Tuesday's elections
as well as for the possibility that Iran will attempt to retaliate against
them, two diplomats briefed on the matter said. They say Trump has not made a
final decision on new strikes.
A third U.S. aircraft carrier and thousands of additional troops are making
their way 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, which has now been taken offline. He also previously
served as the vice director for the J5.
He is the latest in nearly two dozen generals, admirals and other military
leaders to be fired, forced to retire or otherwise depart under Hegseth's
tenure -- almost all of which have not been publicly explained by the Pentagon.
That includes the civilian secretaries of the Army and Navy as well as some top
uniformed officers for the military services.
The Pentagon did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment late
Wednesday.
Hegseth said last month that he ordered the military to double the cuts to
the overall number of top officers to a 20% decrease to be completed by Jan. 1,
2027. There are currently roughly 800 flag and general officer positions.
"I call it accountability and long overdue," Hegseth told junior officers
and enlisted leaders at the Marine Corps Base Quantico on Sept. 30.
Some members of Congress have criticized cuts to the ranks of generals as a
"purge" that will take years to rebuild.
"He's got some kind of like deep-seated grievance about leadership in the
military," Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., a former Navy combat pilot who has been
critical of Hegseth, said last month. "He's purging a generation of great
leaders of the military, and it's going to take a generation to recover from
it."
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