By Phil Stewart
WASHINGTON, Oct 29 (Reuters) - Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has fired US Army Lieutenant General Brett Sylvia, a senior military planner on the Pentagon's Joint Staff, over accusations he leaked classified information to the public, officials said on Thursday.
Sylvia's firing is one of the highest-profile consequences to date from Hegseth's sweeping hunt for officials suspected of leaking information to the news media as the unpopular Iran war enters its ninth month.
Hegseth's effort
includes a Pentagon task force to identify the source of leaks and the widespread use of polygraph exams on senior officials as part of these investigations.
Last year, he introduced a media policy that raised legal concerns among press organizations, and revoked the press credentials of journalists who refused to sign it.
A senior Pentagon official, speaking on condition of anonymity, accused Sylvia of failing three polygraphs questioning him about leaking classified information.
"The extent of his leaking became so critical that Secretary Hegseth took immediate action and fired Sylvia in order to protect national security. Urgent action was needed and could not wait another second," the official said.
US President Donald Trump, who misidentified Sylvia as a woman, said the senior US general has "got problems."
"We're very much looking for leakers, and she's going to have big problems, long-term problems," Trump told reporters.
Sylvia could not be immediately reached for comment.
KEY POSITION
Sylvia led the Directorate for Strategy, Plans, and Policy at the Joint Staff, known inside the military as the J5, a key position that helps advise the top US military official, General Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
He previously led the US Army's 101st Airborne Division. His dismissal was first reported by The Atlantic magazine.
His removal comes as the US military plans for a potential resumption of intensive bombings in Iran, something Trump has called "another little Epic Fury." The Pentagon has fumed about leaks during the Iran war, including about its planning and the expenditure of munitions.
Reuters reported on Wednesday that an internal US military analysis estimates it would cost more than $29 billion in munitions alone to restock weapons used against Iran so far. That's the bulk of the more than $47 billion spent on operations in the war.
Sean Parnell, the chief Pentagon spokesperson, said the decision followed an extensive investigation by the Air Force Office of Special Investigations.
"This matter, along with others, have been referred to the Justice Department for potential further legal action," Parnell said, without identifying other officials who may also be targeted.
Parnell added: "Our commitment was not an empty promise. We vowed to find you, and we meant it."
A spokesperson for the Joint Staff withdrew an initial statement expressing gratitude for Sylvia's 32 years of service, saying "we determined the statement did not appropriately reflect the full circumstances."
"Out of respect for the service member and the ongoing personnel process, we will not comment further," the spokesperson said.
(Reporting by Phil Stewart; additional reporting by Ryan Jones; Editing by Don Durfee and Sanjeev Miglani)
