Defense Secretary Hegseth Fires Joint Staff J5 Director Lt. Gen. Brett Sylvia Over Alleged Classified Leaks; Case Referred to Justice Department
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has fired U.S. Army Lieutenant General Brett Sylvia, a senior military planner on the Pentagon's Joint Staff, over accusations that he leaked classified information to the public, officials said on Thursday, according to Reuters. The firing is one of the highest-profile consequences to date of Hegseth's sweeping hunt for officials suspected of leaking information to the news media.
Sylvia led the Directorate for Strategy, Plans, and Policy at the Joint Staff, known inside the military as the J5, a key position that helps advise the top U.S. military official, General Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He previously led the U.S. Army's 101st Airborne Division and had served for 32 years. His dismissal was first reported by The Atlantic magazine.
A senior Pentagon official, speaking on condition of anonymity, accused Sylvia of failing three polygraphs questioning him about leaking classified information. "The extent of his leaking became so critical that Secretary Hegseth took immediate action and fired Sylvia in order to protect national security. Urgent action was needed and could not wait another second," the official said.
Sean Parnell, the chief Pentagon spokesperson, said the decision followed an extensive investigation by the Air Force Office of Special Investigations. "This matter, along with others, have been referred to the Justice Department for potential further legal action," Parnell said, without identifying other officials who may also be targeted. He added: "Our commitment was not an empty promise. We vowed to find you, and we meant it."
President Donald Trump, who misidentified Sylvia as a woman, told reporters the senior general has "got problems." "We're very much looking for leakers, and she's going to have big problems, long-term problems," Trump said. Sylvia could not be immediately reached for comment. A spokesperson for the Joint Staff said an initial statement expressing gratitude for Sylvia's 32 years of service had been withdrawn because it "did not appropriately reflect the full circumstances," and declined to comment further out of respect for the service member and the ongoing personnel process.
The dismissal comes as part of a broader leak hunt led by Hegseth: the Pentagon has set up a task force to identify the source of leaks and has made widespread use of polygraph exams on senior officials. Last year, Hegseth introduced a media policy that raised legal concerns among press organizations, and revoked the press credentials of journalists who refused to sign it.
The firing also comes as the unpopular Iran war enters its ninth month and the Pentagon has fumed about leaks concerning its planning and the expenditure of munitions. Reuters reported on Wednesday that an internal U.S. military analysis estimates it would cost more than $29 billion in munitions alone to restock weapons used against Iran so far, the bulk of the more than $47 billion spent on operations in the war. The U.S. military is planning for a potential resumption of intensive bombings in Iran, something Trump has called "another little Epic Fury."
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 西尔维亚中将美国陆军官方肖像，美国陆军公共领域照片，经 Wikimedia Commons 取得
