Pete Hegseth leaves Pentagon brass guessing after firing another top general: report

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has pushed out yet another senior military leader, leaving those still at the Pentagon to guess why.

Army Lt. Gen. Brett Sylvia, the Pentagon's chief planner, was removed from the Joint Chiefs of Staff earlier this week with no explanation given, The Atlantic reported Wednesday. Sylvia ran the Joint Staff's strategy, plans and policy directorate, known as the J5, and is the second person pushed out of that job within a year. His predecessor, Army Lt. Gen. Joseph McGee, was forced to retire.

The shakeup comes at a delicate moment. President Donald Trump is weighing renewed combat against Iran after next week's elections, according to The Atlantic. U.S. Central Command has drawn up strike options ranging from a quick hit on Iran's nuclear sites to a longer campaign aimed at squeezing the country's economy. Trump has not made a decision, and strikes are unlikely before next week, the outlet reported.

"Now is not the time when you'd want to lose the J5," a former Joint Chiefs of Staff official told The Atlantic, describing the role as a vital bridge between troops in the field, Pentagon policy and the White House.

No replacement has been named. The Joint Chiefs webpage listing Sylvia has already been pulled, and the general did not respond to the outlet's request for comment.

Defense officials told The Atlantic that Hegseth had lost confidence in Sylvia and that the general clashed with Elbridge Colby, the Pentagon's top civilian policy official.

Sylvia is at least the fifth general forced out this year. Hegseth previously removed Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George at the height of the U.S. strike campaign, along with Gen. David Hodne and Maj. Gen. William Green Jr. Gen. Chris Donahue stepped down in June amid disagreements with the defense secretary. At least 26 generals and admirals have left or been pushed out since Hegseth took over the Pentagon.

The Pentagon has rarely explained the firings. Officials told The Atlantic the reasons tend to involve past work on policies Hegseth views as "woke," such as diversity efforts, perceived ties to figures the administration shuns, like former Joint Chiefs Chairman Mark Milley, or suspicions of leaking to reporters.

Sylvia had also drawn fire from the far right. Last year, MAGA activist Laura Loomer demanded the Trump administration fire his son Gavin, a FEMA data analyst, over an Instagram post she called inflammatory following Charlie Kirk's assassination. In the same post, Loomer urged Hegseth to review the general's employment too.

"These people hate us," Loomer wrote. Gavin Sylvia was later placed on administrative leave, The Washington Post reported.