Hegseth fires Pentagon chief planner
The gist
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth fired Army Lt. Gen. Brett Sylvia, the Pentagon's top military planner, with no reason given.
The ouster comes as Trump weighs renewed strikes on Iran in an eight-month war.
How it unfolded
- May 30, 2025Maj. Gen. Brett Sylvia appears at a 101st Airborne Division change of command ceremony at Fort Campbell, Ky.
- Oct 2025Lt. Gen. Joseph McGee, Sylvia's predecessor as the J5, is forced to retire.
- Oct 28, 2026The Atlantic reports that Hegseth has fired Sylvia as the Pentagon's top military planner.