A top general pushed out at Pentagon's Joint Staff

As of October 30, 2026, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth abruptly removed Army Lt. Gen. Brett Sylvia, who served as Director for Strategy, Plans & Policy at the Pentagon's Joint Staff (known as J-5), from his position and referred him to the Justice Department over alleged leaks of classified information about conflicts involving Iran and Russia-Ukraine. According to a Pentagon official speaking anonymously, General Sylvia failed three lie-detector tests during an extensive investigation by the Air Force Office of Special Investigations into sharing sensitive data with journalists.

Multiple articles suggest that Hegseth’s actions are part of a broader overhaul criticized as aggressive and potentially dangerous at a critical time in regional security involving Iran. Some attorneys argue that disclosing details about General Sylvia's polygraph results could violate federal privacy laws, raising concerns over the transparency and legality of recent military leadership changes.