WASHINGTON, Oct 28 – Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has removed Army Lt. Gen. Brett Sylvia from his position as the Pentagon’s top military planner, a defense official said Wednesday, marking another high-ranking military departure at a time when President Donald Trump is considering whether to resume military strikes against Iran.
Sylvia served as director of strategy, plans and policy on the Joint Staff, a position commonly known within the military as the J5. The office plays a central role in developing and coordinating military strategies and operational plans for the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the president. His removal comes amid growing uncertainty over the next phase of the eight-month-long war involving the United States, Israel and Iran.
The defense official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the matter involved sensitive personnel issues, said no immediate replacement had been named for Sylvia. The official also said no reason had been provided for his dismissal. The Atlantic first reported the decision.
A spokesperson for the Joint Staff acknowledged Sylvia’s departure but did not provide an explanation for the move. In a statement, the spokesperson said the chairman, the Joint Staff and the Joint Force extended their gratitude to Sylvia and his family for his 32 years of service to the United States. The statement also conveyed their best wishes for the family’s future.
Sylvia’s departure is particularly notable because he is the second officer to be removed from the J5 leadership position during Hegseth’s tenure as defense secretary. His predecessor, Army Lt. Gen. Joseph McGee, was forced to retire in October 2025, leaving the strategic planning office under new leadership before Sylvia’s appointment.
The latest leadership change comes as the Trump administration weighs its military options against Iran following months of fighting. Trump has repeatedly indicated that the United States could launch additional attacks, maintaining that the military campaign should achieve its objectives rather than end without a decisive outcome.
The president has vowed to “finish the job” in Iran and has said renewed strikes remain an option after the U.S. midterm elections scheduled for next week. However, U.S. officials have not announced a final decision on whether to resume military operations.
The timing of Sylvia’s dismissal has drawn attention because the J5 office is responsible for helping translate presidential objectives and military priorities into operational plans. Its work involves coordinating strategic assessments, developing potential courses of action and preparing military options for senior civilian and uniformed leaders.
The director and the office’s staff typically work with the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and other senior officials to ensure that military planning reflects the administration’s objectives and the capabilities available to the armed forces. The office also helps assess the potential consequences of different courses of action, including the resources required and the risks associated with military operations.
With the Trump administration considering further action against Iran, the absence of an immediately announced successor leaves the office facing a leadership transition during a period of heightened military planning. The defense official did not indicate whether Sylvia’s departure would affect ongoing preparations or whether another senior officer would temporarily assume his responsibilities.
The possibility of renewed strikes has also prompted diplomatic and military preparations across the Middle East. Two diplomats briefed on the matter said U.S. officials had informed several countries in the region and other regional allies that they should prepare for potential renewed American military action after Tuesday’s elections. The warnings also included the possibility that Iran could retaliate against countries in the region if the United States resumes attacks.
The diplomats said Trump had not made a final decision on new strikes. Their accounts indicate that regional governments have been advised to consider the risks of renewed fighting even as Washington continues to weigh its next steps.
Military deployments are also expanding. A third U.S. aircraft carrier, accompanied by thousands of additional troops, is making its way to the region, adding to the American military presence as officials prepare for different possible developments in the conflict.
The deployments do not, by themselves, establish that a new attack has been authorized. Aircraft carriers and additional personnel can provide the administration with greater operational flexibility, including the ability to respond to developments, protect U.S. forces and support military operations if the president orders them.
Sylvia brought extensive operational experience to his Joint Staff position. Before joining the Pentagon’s senior planning leadership, he commanded the 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, until May 2025, according to his official biography. He had also served as vice director for strategy, plans and policy, giving him previous experience within the same office from which he was removed.
His official biography was no longer available online following his departure. The Pentagon did not immediately respond to requests for comment late Wednesday, leaving questions about the circumstances surrounding the dismissal unanswered.
Sylvia is the latest in a series of senior military leaders to leave their positions under Hegseth. Nearly two dozen generals, admirals and other military leaders have been dismissed, pushed into retirement or otherwise departed during his tenure, with the Pentagon providing limited public explanations for many of the changes.
The departures have extended beyond uniformed officers. Senior civilian officials, including the secretaries of the Army and Navy, have also left their positions. Changes among top military officers have affected leadership across the armed services, adding to concerns among some lawmakers about the scale and pace of the personnel decisions.
Hegseth has defended the broader restructuring effort as a necessary move to strengthen accountability and reduce the number of senior leadership positions within the military.
Last month, he said he had ordered the Pentagon to double its planned reductions in the number of top officers, targeting a 20% decrease to be completed by January 1, 2027. The military currently has approximately 800 general and flag officer positions, according to the figures cited in discussions of the plan.
Speaking to junior officers and enlisted leaders at Marine Corps Base Quantico on September 30, Hegseth described the cuts as an overdue effort to establish accountability within the military’s senior ranks. His administration has argued that reducing the number of top officers is part of a broader effort to reorganize the Defense Department and reassess its leadership structure.
However, the dismissals have drawn criticism from some members of Congress, who warn that removing experienced commanders and senior planners could weaken institutional knowledge and make it harder to maintain continuity during major military operations.
Sen. Mark Kelly, a Democrat from Arizona and former Navy combat pilot, has been among the lawmakers criticizing Hegseth’s approach. Kelly said last month that the defense secretary appeared to have a deep-seated grievance against military leadership and accused him of removing an entire generation of experienced officers.
Kelly also warned that rebuilding the military’s leadership capacity could take years, raising concerns about the longer-term consequences of the personnel changes.
Sylvia’s removal adds another senior position to the list of leadership changes that have yet to receive a detailed public explanation. It also comes as the administration faces decisions involving military strategy, regional security and the potential consequences of renewed conflict with Iran.
For now, the Pentagon has not identified a successor to oversee the Joint Staff’s strategy, plans and policy directorate. Trump has not announced whether he will authorize further strikes, while U.S. military deployments and diplomatic preparations continue across the Middle East.
The combination of a senior planning official’s abrupt departure and uncertainty over the next stage of the Iran war places additional attention on how the Pentagon will manage its leadership responsibilities as the administration weighs its options.