Sean Parnell, the assistant to the secretary of war for public affairs, said Thursday that the Department of War has “zero tolerance for the intentional, unauthorized disclosure of classified information” and that, after an “extensive Air Force OSI investigation,” the department “took necessary personnel action to protect sensitive information” and referred the matter, “along with others,” to the Justice Department “for potential further legal action,” a day after reports that Secretary of War Pete Hegseth had ousted Lt. Gen. Brett Sylvia, a senior Joint Staff planner.
“Anyone who compromises sensitive national security information puts the lives of our Warriors at risk and undermines every military operation that keeps our country safe,” Parnell wrote in a statement on X. “To protect the integrity of the investigation, no further comment will be made regarding the individual or the circumstances of this action.” He added: “Classified information is not personal property. Leaking it for personal, political or professional gain is a betrayal of the trust placed in those responsible for keeping it. Our commitment was not an empty promise. We vowed to find you, and we meant it.”
Parnell did not name the officer, but a defense official familiar with the matter told The Washington Post that Parnell’s comments related to the removal of Sylvia, an Army officer who served as the Joint Staff’s director for strategy, plans and policy. The Atlantic‘s Nancy A. Youssef first disclosed the ouster on Wednesday, reporting that Hegseth had removed Sylvia without a public explanation as President Donald Trump weighs renewed strikes on Iran.
Accounts of why Sylvia was removed diverge sharply. An Axios report, citing an internal investigation report shared with the outlet, said Thursday that Sylvia “admitted to leaking” classified information about Ukraine and Iran to two reporters over about a year, cooperated with investigators, and provided his personal phone for forensics. A U.S. official told Axios that Sylvia acknowledged the misconduct on video after failing four polygraph tests. The report, as described by Axios, said the alleged contacts included Signal messages and a meeting at a Silver Diner in Arlington, Virginia, and that Sylvia “admitted to being one of the 20 officials” cited in a story criticizing Pentagon leadership. Sylvia did not respond to Axios’s requests for comment, the outlet said.
CBS News reported that a Pentagon official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Sylvia failed three polygraph tests about sharing classified information with the press and that the case had been referred to Justice. Two other Pentagon sources told CBS that the firing was related to the polygraph tests but said those accusations “are not true.” The Washington Post reported that one of Sylvia’s colleagues said the general has repeatedly denied leaking classified information but acknowledged past interactions with journalists, which historically were considered acceptable for an officer of Sylvia’s rank. The Post also noted that Parnell and other Hegseth spokespeople declined to address questions about the accusations and have not publicly disclosed evidence corroborating their claims.
The Joint Staff’s handling of Sylvia’s departure shifted within hours. After The Atlantic’s report, a Joint Staff spokesperson told The Hill: “The Chairman [Gen. Dan Caine], the Joint Staff and the Joint Force extend our deepest gratitude to Lt. Gen. Brett Sylvia and his family for their 32 years of distinguished service to our nation.” Early Thursday the Joint Staff retracted that statement, saying: “Upon further review, we determined that the statement did not appropriately reflect the full circumstances. Out of respect for the servicemember and the ongoing personnel process, we will not comment further,” according to the Post and CBS. Axios reported that an Army official denied that Acting Army Secretary Adam Telle’s office had lobbied for a supportive statement, calling that claim “the latest in a coordinated campaign of lies” and “false.”
Asked at a Joint Base Andrews press gaggle Thursday whether he had heard that Lt. Gen. Sylvia leaked classified information, Trump replied: “She’s got problems. She’s going to have big problems. She did — we’re very much looking for leakers, and she’s going to have big problems, long-term problems,” according to the Roll Call Factba.se transcript. Trump referred to Sylvia, who is a man, as “she.” The Justice Department, in a statement reported by the Post, said it has “ongoing investigations related to possible leaks of classified information” and is coordinating with government partners, including at the Pentagon.
Sylvia, a 1994 West Point graduate and former commander of the 101st Airborne Division, earned a Bronze Star Medal for Valor and a Purple Heart for actions and an injury during a July 4, 2013, battle in Afghanistan, according to a WRAL report on the awards. He is among a string of senior officers removed under Hegseth. The Atlantic reported that Sylvia’s predecessor as J5, Lt. Gen. Joseph McGee, was also pushed into retirement, and that at least 26 generals and admirals have departed or been removed since Hegseth took office.
The removal comes as Trump weighs renewed Iran operations after the Nov. 3 midterms. A Semafor report published Thursday, citing an administration official, said that if diplomacy fails the United States is ready to resume combat operations shortly after the midterms and that “All they’ll need is a go order from the president.” The New York Times reported Oct. 21 that the United States and Israel had drawn up plans for renewed strikes after the elections; a White House official said the administration does not comment on military plans “that may or may not exist.” As of Oct. 28, the Defense Casualty Analysis System listed 15 deaths under Operation Epic Fury and 7 deaths under Overseas Operations, for a combined total of 22 U.S. deaths.
Parnell says the personnel action followed an intentional, unauthorized disclosure, and a defense official told the Post the statement referred to Sylvia. Separately, Axios, citing an internal report shared with the outlet and a U.S. official, described Sylvia as acknowledging leaks after failing four polygraphs. CBS sources said the polygraph accusations “are not true,” and a colleague told the Post that Sylvia has repeatedly denied leaking classified information. Parnell released no evidence with his statement, no charges have been announced, and Sylvia has not commented publicly. The Justice Department has confirmed only that it has ongoing leak investigations, so Trump’s warning that Sylvia will have “big problems” goes beyond anything prosecutors have said.