Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and his team have forced out another top general at the Pentagon, the latest in a long-running purge of senior military officials, four people familiar with the matter said.
Lt. Gen. Brett Sylvia served as director for strategy, plans and policy on the Joint Staff, reporting to Gen. Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Caine’s staff released a statement Wednesday night thanking Sylvia for his 32 years of service, without explaining what precipitated his departure.
“We wish him and his family the best as they graduate to new opportunities and the next chapters of their lives,” the unattributed statement read.
Attempts to reach Sylvia were unsuccessful. His online biography appears to have been removed from the Joint Staff website.
Hegseth’s team did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Since becoming defense secretary last year, he has removed dozens of senior military leaders but seldom discloses his rationale.
Sylvia’s abrupt removal has infuriated colleagues, who saw him as a battle-tested and thoughtful leader, those familiar with the matter said. They spoke with The Washington Post on the condition of anonymity, citing the issue’s sensitivity.
Sylvia previously led the Army’s 101st Airborne Division and is a recipient of the Bronze Star with “V” device for valor in Afghanistan, where he served as a battalion commander in 2013. He was wounded in the same battle for which he received the medal and was also presented with a Purple Heart, which recognizes military personnel who are injured in combat.
Sylvia’s departure was reported earlier by the Atlantic.
Inside the Pentagon, the general’s admirers have questioned why he was pushed out. One person noted that, in his previous assignments, the general had routinely spoken to the news media — commonplace for military leaders in high-profile assignments before Hegseth’s arrival. Hegseth has taken a dim view of such interactions as he copes with regular leaks on a variety of issues.
Another noted that Sylvia was friendly with Gen. Randy George, the Army chief of staff who was fired by Hegseth in April.
Sylvia also was targeted by Laura Loomer, the far-right activist and informal adviser to President Donald Trump. Loomer alleged last year that the general’s adult son had questioned the Trump administration’s focus on mourning Charlie Kirk, the conservative firebrand whose killing was a galvanizing moment for Trump’s MAGA movement.
“His father is a Major General in the United States Army and currently serves at the Pentagon,” she wrote on social media. “He was nominated for a third star by Joe Biden.”
She concluded the post by saying Hegseth should review the general’s employment.
No successor has been named for Sylvia, who replaced another officer, Lt. Gen. Joseph McGee, whom Hegseth forced out last year. The role, commonly known in the Pentagon as “the J5,” assists the Joint Chiefs chairman with developing policy and coordinating assistance to allies and partners.
As he has maneuvered to remake the military’s senior ranks, Hegseth has zeroed in this year on the Army, where he previously served as a staff officer in the National Guard. In addition to George, in April he removed Gen. David Hodne, who led training efforts across the Army, and Maj. Gen. William Green Jr., the service’s top chaplain.
Hegseth has forced other generals into retirement by not offering them next assignments. They include Gen. Christopher Donahue, the head of U.S. Army Europe and Africa, who retired in July after Hegseth bypassed him for promotion and left him uncertain about whether there was a future role for him.
Trump’s Senate-confirmed Army secretary, Dan Driscoll, exited this summer after repeatedly clashing with Hegseth over the firing of generals and other issues.
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