Lt. Gen. Brett Sylvia leaves Pentagon planning post

Lt. Gen. Brett Sylvia has left his role leading the Joint Staff’s strategy directorate and retired from the Army, but accounts differ on whether he was fired or removed before retiring. The Joint Staff confirmed his departure and thanked him for 32 years of service without giving a reason. Sylvia led the Joint Staff Directorate for Strategy, Plans and Policy, known as the J5, which develops strategic plans and policy recommendations for senior military leaders. He held the position for about 11 months. The Joint Staff website later listed Maj. Gen. Mark H. Slocum, the J5 vice director, but did not identify a successor to Sylvia. The circumstances of Sylvia’s departure have not been publicly explained by the Joint Staff. Sources familiar with the situation said he was removed earlier in the week and then retired. One said the reason was a lack of confidence, but could not establish whether Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth or Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine ordered the removal. A Department of War official offered a different account, telling Fox News that Hegseth fired Sylvia amid an investigation into alleged leaks of classified information about the wars in Iran and...