Another general bites the dust

[wtg]

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has fired the Pentagon's top military planner, several sources confirmed to CBS News late Wednesday.

Sylvia's firing comes as President Trump weighs resuming strikes against Iran after the Nov. 3 midterm elections.

Sylvia was removed as head of strategy, plans and policy on the Joint Staff, and was coordinating the Iran battle plan. Sylvia is the second general during Hegseth's tenure to be removed from what is known as a "J5" post, which is the lead on how the Iran war affects long-term planning.

Sylvia's predecessor, Lt. Gen. Joseph McGee, was forced to retire in October 2025.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/hegseth-fires-pentagons-top-military-planner/

[wtg]

Following the news that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth fired another Army general this week, a statement shared to media outlets from a Pentagon official said the high-ranking officer had failed polygraph examinations amid an ongoing investigation into alleged leaks of classified information to journalists. The revelation is unusual and raises questions about whether the disclosure violated federal privacy laws.

Lt. Gen. Brett Sylvia's ouster from the Joint Staff was first reported by The Atlantic Wednesday evening.

Soon after, social media influencers and news outlets, including CBS News, published a statement that said Sylvia failed three polygraph examinations. Some attorneys say the disclosure could run afoul of the Privacy Act of 1974, which generally prohibits federal agencies from releasing personal information maintained in certain government records without the individual's consent or other legal authorization.

Polygraph results, which are ordinarily maintained in personnel security or counterintelligence records, are protected under the law.

The statement from the official also accused Sylvia of leaking classified information about Iran and the Russia-Ukraine war.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/pentagon-disclosure-fired-general-brett-sylvia-polygraph-privacy-laws/