The United States has removed Lieutenant General Brett Sylvia from his position as head of strategy, plans and policy on the Joint Staff, with US media reports linking the decision to alleged leaks of classified information.
Sylvia’s dismissal was connected to allegations of sharing sensitive information with journalists. Media cited a Pentagon official as saying the general had failed three polygraph tests related to the matter.
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said the Defence Department had zero tolerance for unauthorised disclosures of classified information, adding that the case had been referred to the Justice Department for possible legal action. He did not name Sylvia or disclose further details.
The reported removal comes amid a broader shake-up of senior US military leadership under President Donald Trump, which has raised concerns among Democrat lawmakers about the potential politicisation of the armed forces.
Sylvia previously commanded the US Army’s 101st Airborne Division and held a leadership position in Iraq. Officials have not publicly detailed the full circumstances of his departure.
