Hegseth removes Pentagon's chief planner Lt. Gen. Brett Sylvia

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has removed Lieutenant General Brett Sylvia from his post as director for strategy, plans and policy on the Joint Staff, a key military planning role, according to Mehr News. No official reason has been given for Sylvia's departure.

Sylvia's predecessor in the position, Lieutenant General Joseph McGee, was also forced to retire by Hegseth, the report noted. The removal marks the second such change at the top of the Joint Staff's planning directorate under the current defense secretary.

A Joint Staff spokesperson, speaking to Al Jazeera, said: "The Chairman, the Joint Staff, and the Joint Force extend our deepest gratitude to Lieutenant Gen. Brett Sylvia and his family for their 32 years of distinguished service to our nation." The spokesperson added: "We wish him and his family the best as they graduate to new opportunities and the next chapters of their lives."

The statement did not address the circumstances of Sylvia's removal, and no further explanation has been provided by the Pentagon. The Joint Staff directorate for strategy, plans and policy is responsible for military planning and policy development across the joint force.

According to Mehr News, the departure follows the earlier removal of McGee, who was likewise compelled to retire by Hegseth. The report did not specify when either change took effect or whether a successor to Sylvia has been named.