By — Konstantin Toropin, Associated Press Konstantin Toropin, Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/hegseth-fires-the-pentagons-top-military-planner-even-as-trump-considers-new-iran-strikes Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Hegseth fires the Pentagon's top military planner even as Trump considers new Iran strikes Politics Oct 29, 2026 4:51 PM EDT WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has fired the Pentagon's top military planner, a defense official said Wednesday, the latest in a series of generals to be ousted and one that comes even as President Donald Trump is weighing renewed strikes on Iran in the eight-month-long war. Army Lt. Gen. Brett Sylvia was removed as head of strategy, plans and policy on the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He is the second general to be ousted from the post, known in military circles as the "J5," under Hegseth. His predecessor, Lt. Gen. Joseph McGee, was forced to retire last October. Educate your inbox Subscribe to Here’s the Deal, our politics newsletter for analysis you won’t find anywhere else. Enter your email address Subscribe Form error message goes here. Thank you.…
Hegseth fires the Pentagon's top military planner even as Trump considers new Iran strikes
In short
Army Lt. Gen. Brett Sylvia was ousted without explanation from his post as director of strategy, plans, and policy on the Joint Chiefs of Staff. His departure leaves a crucial planning vacancy just as a third U.S. aircraft carrier and thousands of troops deploy to the Middle East for potential operations against Iran. Sylvia marks the second J5 director removed during Hegseth's tenure, following Lt. Gen. Joseph McGee's forced retirement last October. The personnel churn aligns with an administration directive to cut 20% of all flag and general officer positions by January 2027.
Key points
- The Pentagon currently lacks an immediate replacement for the chief planner who coordinat…: The Pentagon currently lacks an immediate replacement for the chief planner who coordinates strategic war plans with the president.
- Hegseth is pursuing an aggressive initiative to eliminate one-fifth of the military's rou…: Hegseth is pursuing an aggressive initiative to eliminate one-fifth of the military's roughly 800 general and flag officer roles by 2027.
- Lawmakers including Sen. Mark Kelly have pushed back against the removals, warning that t…: Lawmakers including Sen. Mark Kelly have pushed back against the removals, warning that the personnel purge damages seasoned military leadership.