Pentagon removes classified operational files after generals voice opposition, Washington Post reports

The Pentagon removed decades of classified documents from an internal military network after reports that senior commanders had warned Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth about the risks of prolonging the war in Iran.

The Washington Post, citing three people familiar with the matter, reported that documents connected to the Secretary of Defense Orders Book had been taken down from an internal portal on SIPRNet, the classified computer system used by defense officials and the U.S. military. The people spoke anonymously because the system contains classified information.

It was not clear whether personnel could still access the documents through other channels, or how the change would affect military planning. SIPRNet stores information classified as secret, while top-secret material sits on a more restricted network.

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As we have previously stated, the War Department will not publicly discuss internal operational deliberative processes, including the management, handling or access protocols for the Secretary of War Orders Book.

Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell declined to discuss the change but did not deny it. In a statement, he said, “As we have previously stated, the War Department will not publicly discuss internal operational deliberative processes, including the management, handling or access protocols for the Secretary of War Orders Book.” The statement used the Trump administration’s preferred name for the Defense Department and Hegseth’s position.

The orders book records the locations and availability of U.S. ships, military units, weapons systems and other resources. Senior commanders can mark themselves “non-concurring” to register reservations about orders or warn that they could affect other military plans. The book is issued twice a month.

People familiar with the discussions said the commanders who recorded objections included Alexus Grynkewich, Francis Donovan, Samuel Paparo and Daryl Caudle. Kenneth S. Wilsbach and acting Army Chief of Staff Christopher LaNeve supported extending some deployments but warned of major risks. Officials have grown increasingly concerned about the war’s length, the consumption of Patriot interceptors and Tomahawk missiles, and pressure on the Navy during the blockade of Iran. A former Defense Department official said moving the documents to a higher classification system could sharply reduce the number of people able to access them and complicate urgent decisions.

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Military personnel success is Secretary Hegseth’s top priority.