Hegseth ousted top military strategist from Pentagon, sources say

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ousted a top military strategist from the Pentagon, The Hill has learned, marking another senior officer who has been removed from the department since Hegseth took the helm close to two years ago.

Hegseth fired Army Lt. Gen. Brett Sylvia, who was the Director for Strategy, Plans and Policy, J-5 on the Joint Staff this week, according to two U.S. officials familiar with the situation, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss personnel matters.

It is unclear why Sylvia, a former commander of the Army’s 101st Airborne Division, was removed from the role.

When reached for comment, Hegseth’s office referred The Hill to Joint Staff.

“The Chairman [Gen. Dan Caine], 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,” a spokesperson for the Joint Staff told The Hill in a statement. “We wish him and his family the best as they graduate to new opportunities and the next chapters of their lives.”

The Joint Staff J5’s put forward plans, policy recommendations and strategies to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to support “his provision of military advice across the full spectrum of national security concerns to the President and other national leaders and to ensure those recommendations are informed by a larger strategic context — coordinated with interagency and alliance partners — account for the view and requirements of the combatant commanders and assess risk in executing the National Military Strategy,” according to the Pentagon.

Sylvia’s ouster comes as the U.S. Central Command has drawn up Iran attack plans that could take place after the November midterm elections if there is authorization from the White House, The Hill previously reported .

It is not clear who will replace Sylvia, according to one of the U.S. officials and another source familiar with the matter. But typically, a deputy or vice director of the appropriate directorate on the Joint Staff would fill the position until the commander-in-chief nominates a replacement before the Senate for confirmation.

Sylvia’s firing, which was reported earlier by The Atlantic, comes as Hegseth has fired or pushed out more than two-dozen senior military officers since taking the top role at the Pentagon, decisions that have prompted pushback from both Democrats and Republicans on Capitol Hill .

Earlier this month, Hegseth defended his plan to cut up to 20 percent of admirals and generals — which will affect positions across the Army, Navy and the Air Force — arguing they are “rank-heavy” and out of touch with troops on the ground.

“With more layers and more rank comes more distance between the warfighter and the decisionmaker, and not necessarily better outcomes. In fact, there’s an inverse relationship between success on the battlefield [and] the number of four- and three-star generals since World War II,” Hegseth said on Oct. 1 at the Association of the United States Army in Washington, D.C.

Sylvia’s predecessor, three-star general Lt. Gen. Joe McGee, retired from the post last year after having friction with Hegseth and Caine.