Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth removed Army Lt. Gen. Brett Sylvia from his role as Director for Strategy, Plans and Policy (J-5) on the Joint Staff this week. Two U.S. officials familiar with the matter confirmed the dismissal on Wednesday, October 28, 2026. Sylvia is the second J-5 director to leave the post in the past year, following the retirement of Lt. Gen. Joseph McGee.
The J-5 directorate is responsible for developing military strategy and policy recommendations for the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to present to the President and other national leaders. The Joint Staff issued a statement thanking Sylvia for his 32 years of service but did not provide a reason for his removal. Hegseth’s office referred all inquiries to the Joint Staff.
Pentagon officials cited by The Atlantic stated that Hegseth had lost confidence in Sylvia and noted a difficult working relationship between the general and Elbridge Colby, a senior civilian policy official at the Pentagon. Sylvia previously commanded the 101st Airborne Division and is a recipient of six Bronze Star Medals and a Purple Heart.
The scale of personnel changes under Hegseth includes the removal or departure of at least 26 generals and admirals since he took office nearly two years ago. On October 1, 2026, Hegseth announced plans to cut the total number of three- and four-star generals and admirals by 20 percent, or roughly 80 to 90 positions across the Army, Navy, and Air Force. He stated these cuts are intended to reduce the distance between decision-makers and troops on the ground, arguing that a high number of senior officers does not correlate with success on the battlefield.
For the active-duty force and the broader defense establishment, these removals signal a shift in how the Pentagon evaluates senior leadership. Officials have reported that recent departures have been influenced by factors including past involvement in diversity initiatives and associations with former Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Mark Milley. While a replacement for Sylvia has not been named, a deputy or vice director will typically fill the role until a successor is nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate. Any potential military strikes against Iran are considered unlikely until after the November midterm elections.