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News · United StatesHegseth fires the Pentagon's top military planner as Trump weighs new strikes on Iran
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth removed Lt. Gen. Brett Sylvia, head of plans and strategy on the Joint Staff. No reason has been given and there is no replacement yet.
Translated from the original Spanish article. Read in Spanish
News published on October 29, 2026. The situation may have changed since then.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has fired Lt. Gen. Brett Sylvia, the Pentagon's top military planner. The news broke on Wednesday, October 28, 2026.
It was first reported by The Atlantic and confirmed by the AP news agency through a defense official.
Who is Brett Sylvia
Sylvia led the strategy, plans and policy office of the Joint Staff, known as the J5. That office prepares military plans and coordinates them with the chairman of the Joint Chiefs and the president.
He previously commanded the famous 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. He had served 32 years in the Army.
No reason has been given for his firing and there is no replacement for now. His official biography is no longer online.
Sylvia is the second head of military planning pushed out by Hegseth: his predecessor, Joseph McGee, was forced to retire in October 2025.
Amid tension with Iran
The firing comes at a delicate moment. The United States has been at war with Iran for eight months, alongside Israel.
Donald Trump is weighing new strikes and has said they are an option after the midterm elections. A third aircraft carrier and thousands more troops are heading to the region.
A long list of departures
With Sylvia, nearly two dozen generals, admirals and senior officials have been fired or have left the Pentagon under Hegseth. They include the civilian secretaries of the Army and the Navy.
Hegseth has also ordered a 20% cut in general and admiral positions by January 1, 2027. He calls it accountability. Critics such as Democratic Senator Mark Kelly see it as a purge that will take years to repair.
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Sources (in Spanish)
- Despido, cargo, trayectoria, falta de motivo y de sustituto, antecesor, contexto de Irán, salidas y recortes: PBS NewsHour / AP (29 de octubre de 2026).
- Primera información de The Atlantic y reacción de Mark Kelly: NBC Washington / AP (29 de octubre de 2026).
- Confirmación adicional: Gulf News / AP (29 de octubre de 2026).
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