Hegseth reportedly fires high-ranking army strategist over alleged leaks

The Pentagon announced on Thursday that it had referred an alleged information leak case for criminal investigation, maintaining that Sylvia's removal was essential "to protect sensitive information". Sylvia had served as the director for strategy, plans and policy on the joint staff.

Investigation details

Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell acknowledged the dismissal in a statement on social media, though he did not mention Sylvia by name. "Following an extensive Air Force OSI investigation, the Department took necessary personnel action to protect sensitive information," Parnell wrote.

Background context

Sylvia's removal represents one of the most significant actions in Hegseth's campaign to identify officials suspected of sharing information with journalists, as the US war on Iran moves into its ninth month. In July, Hegseth announced the creation of a joint taskforce to identify and prosecute unauthorized disclosures to the press.

Last year, Hegseth implemented new restrictions on media access that prompted legal concerns from press organizations, with dozens of journalists surrendering their press badges rather than agree to the new policies.

A senior Pentagon official told Reuters that Sylvia failed three separate polygraph tests about disclosing classified material. "The extent of his leaking became so critical that Secretary Hegseth took immediate action and fired Sylvia in order to protect national security," the official said.

However, a colleague of Sylvia told the Washington Post that the general consistently rejected accusations of leaking classified information while acknowledging he had previously communicated with journalists. In August, three journalists fired from Stars and Stripes sued the Pentagon, arguing their dismissals violated free speech rights.