# Hegseth Fires Lt. Gen. Brett Sylvia, the Joint Staff's Top Strategy Planner, Over Alleged Leaks on the Iran and Ukraine Wars; an Official Says He Failed Three Polygraphs

A Pentagon official tells Fox News the general is accused of leaking classified material to reporters, and that the case has gone to the Justice Department. Fox got no reply from Sylvia. President Trump says he will have 'big problems.'

- Section: [Politics](https://rightnewsrightnow.com/politics/)
- Published: 2026-10-29
- By: RightNewsRightNow Staff
- Canonical page: https://rightnewsrightnow.com/articles/hegseth-fires-lt-gen-brett-sylvia-pentagon-j5-leak-investigation-three-polygraphs-doj-referral-fox-news/

Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth has fired one of the military's senior strategic planners as part of a leak investigation, Fox News reports.

The firing. A Department of War official told Fox that Lt. Gen. Brett Sylvia failed three polygraph examinations about alleged disclosures of classified information. Fox says he is accused of leaking material to journalists about the Iran war, Russia's war in Ukraine and other sensitive matters. The investigation has been referred to the Justice Department.

The allegation. The official also says Sylvia met reporters outside the Pentagon with the intent to leak, after Hegseth required journalists to be escorted inside the building. Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell cited "an extensive Air Force OSI investigation," without naming Sylvia, and added: "Our commitment was not an empty promise. We vowed to find you, and we meant it."

The job. Sylvia was director of the Joint Staff's Directorate for Strategy, Plans and Policy, known as the J5, which develops military strategy and advises the chairman of the Joint Chiefs. Fox's sources say he has been sidelined from the role since spring. The official stressed he was not a central planner of the Iran war, which falls under U.S. Central Command and Adm. Brad Cooper.

The backstory. The Atlantic first reported his ouster Wednesday night. It cited sources who said Hegseth had lost confidence in him amid tension with Pentagon policy chief Elbridge Colby. Fox notes he is the second officer to lead the J5 to be removed under Hegseth, after Lt. Gen. John McGee, and that Lt. Gen. Douglas Sims was removed as Joint Staff director earlier this year. Fox counts nearly two dozen generals, admirals and other senior leaders fired, pushed out or otherwise gone during Hegseth's tenure.

The president. President Donald Trump told reporters Thursday that Sylvia is going to have "big problems, long term problems," per Fox.

His record. Fox says Sylvia, a 1994 West Point graduate, has served more than three decades in the Army, including deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, and was wounded in combat. He previously commanded the 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell.

Note for readers: the leak and polygraph claims come from an unnamed Pentagon official and have not been proven in court. Fox says it contacted the Justice Department and Sylvia and had not heard back when it published. Fox also notes the Pentagon is reportedly weighing renewed military action against Iran.

## Source

Original reporting: [Fox News](https://www.foxnews.com/politics/hegseth-fires-top-pentagon-strategist-accused-leaking-classified-iran-ukraine-war-information)