US War Secretary Pete Hegseth has removed the Pentagon’s top military planner from his post without publicly explaining the decision, adding to a growing list of senior military officers who have been dismissed or forced out during his tenure.

Army Lt. Gen. Brett Sylvia was removed as director of strategy, plans and policy on the Joint Staff, a position commonly known as the “J5,” the Associated Press reported Wednesday, citing an unnamed Pentagon official.

Sylvia is the second general to leave the post under Hegseth. His predecessor, Lt. Gen. Joseph McGee, was also forced to retire last October.

The official also told the AP that no successor has been named and that no reason has been given for Sylvia’s removal. The Atlantic first reported the decision.

A Joint Staff spokesperson, meanwhile, expressed gratitude on behalf of the chairman, the Joint Staff and the Joint Force for Sylvia and his family’s 32 years of service, adding that they “wish him and his family the best.”

Before joining the Joint Staff, Sylvia commanded the 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, until May 2025. He had previously served as the J5’s vice director. His official biography has since been taken offline.

Sylvia is among nearly two dozen generals, admirals and other senior military leaders who have been dismissed, pressured to retire or otherwise left their posts since Hegseth took office. Most of the departures have not been publicly explained. Civilian leaders at the Army and Navy departments, along with senior uniformed officers, have also been removed.

The J5 office plays a central role in developing and coordinating military plans for the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the president.

Sylvia’s removal comes as President Donald Trump weighs yet another war of aggression against Iran following eight months of war involving the United States and Israel. Trump has said he intends to “finish the job” in Iran and has left open the possibility of additional strikes after next week’s midterm elections, a vote that could shape the final two years of his presidency.

US Army secretary quits amid Hegseth's wartime purges

Dan Driscoll, who has served as the Army’s civilian leader since February 2025, tendered his resignation Monday.

Two diplomats familiar with the matter separately told the AP that US officials had warned West Asian countries and regional allies to prepare for possible attacks after Tuesday’s vote, as well as potential Iranian retaliation.

Trump has yet to announce a final decision. Meanwhile, a third US aircraft carrier and thousands of additional troops are heading to the region.

Last month, Hegseth said he had ordered a doubling of planned cuts to senior military leadership, with the goal of reducing general and flag officer positions by 20 percent by January 1, 2027.

The military currently has approximately 800 such positions. Defending the policy at Marine Corps Base Quantico in late September, Hegseth told junior officers and enlisted leaders, “I call it accountability and long overdue,” while some lawmakers have warned the cuts amount to a purge that could take years to reverse.

Some members of Congress have slammed cuts to the ranks of generals as a “purge” that will take years to rebuild.

“He’s got some kind of like deep-seated grievance about leadership in the military,” Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., a former Navy combat pilot who has been critical of Hegseth, said last month. “He’s purging a generation of great leaders of the military, and it’s going to take a generation to recover from it,” he added.