About 50 US military personnel face polygraphs in classified-leak probe, report says

About 50 members of the US military’s Joint Staff reportedly faced polygraph tests in August as investigators intensified a search for leaks of classified information to journalists.

The tests involved military officers and civilian employees suspected of disclosing sensitive material, including reports about US weapons stocks depleted by the war with Iran. Media reports have described shortages of critical munitions, including long-range missiles and Patriot air-defense interceptors.

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I’ve never seen polygraphs employed this broadly or at this seniority level. In my experience, it’s unprecedented.

The Joint Staff has between 1,500 and 2,000 personnel and coordinates military operations, policy and war plans with US combatant commanders worldwide. The New York Post reported that the scale of the testing was unusual. Retired Rear Admiral Donald J. Guter, who served as the Navy’s top judge advocate general, said, “I’ve never seen polygraphs employed this broadly or at this seniority level. In my experience, it’s unprecedented.”

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Securing classified information is critical to ensuring the security of the United States and of our troops deployed around the world.

Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell confirmed that the department investigates leaks involving classified national-security information but declined to discuss the specific probe. “Securing classified information is critical to ensuring the security of the United States and of our troops deployed around the world,” he said.

The investigation comes amid tensions at the Pentagon over reports on the US military’s performance in the Iran war and the depletion of weapons stocks. President Donald Trump has repeatedly called for tougher action against unauthorized disclosures and has described some reports critical of the war and US military preparedness as “treasonous.”

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treasonous