Pentagon Removes Prominent General from Joint Chiefs of Staff, Forces Retirement
General Brett Savelia was relieved of his position in the Joint Chiefs of Staff and retired due to loss of confidence, as part of leadership changes at the Pentagon.
Translated by Qiyas from الجريدة — Original source
A prominent Pentagon general was unexpectedly relieved of his leadership role earlier this week and retired, according to ABC News, citing two sources familiar with the situation.
Lieutenant General Brett Sylvia had served as the Director for Strategy, Plans, and Policies on the Joint Staff, a key position responsible for long-term strategic planning, known in military terminology as “J-5.”
Sylvia was removed from his post due to a “loss of confidence,” according to one source. With his removal, he retired from the U.S. Army after serving 11 months in the role.
Sylvia is the latest senior military officer to be dismissed or removed from his position during the tenure of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. However, one source said it was unclear whether the decision to remove him was made by Hegseth or by General Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
A spokesperson for the Joint Staff said, “The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Joint Staff, and the unified combatant commands express their deep gratitude to Lieutenant General Brett Sylvia and his family, in recognition of his 32 years of distinguished service to our nation.”
The spokesperson added, “We wish him and his family every success as they transition to new opportunities and the next chapters of their lives.”
Earlier this week, the Joint Staff website still listed Sylvia as the Director of the Office of Planning, but it now lists only the Deputy Director, Major General Mark H. Selkowitz.
Last year, two prominent U.S. Army generals serving on the Joint Staff were removed and forced into early retirement, including Sylvia’s immediate predecessor as J-5 Director, Lieutenant General Joseph “J.P.” McGee, who retired last October.
McGee had been nominated by the Biden administration to serve as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, but the Trump administration did not renominate him. With no other positions available suitable for a three- or four-star general, he was forced to retire.
Also last year, Lieutenant General Douglas Sims, a senior officer on the Joint Staff, retired early. He had been widely expected to be promoted to the rank of four-star general.
