About 50 members of the US military’s Joint Staff were reportedly subjected to polygraph tests in August as the Pentagon intensified its investigation into suspected leaks of classified information to journalists, the New York Post reported Saturday.
The tests reportedly targeted military officers and civilian employees suspected of disclosing sensitive information, including details about US weapons stocks depleted during the war with Iran.
The investigation follows a series of media reports highlighting shortages of critical US munitions, including long-range missiles and Patriot air-defence interceptors.
The Joint Staff, which has between 1,500 and 2,000 personnel, advises senior military leaders and coordinates operations, policy and war plans with US combatant commands worldwide.
The scale of the polygraph testing is unusual and has reportedly been described by officials as unprecedented among senior US military personnel in modern times.
Retired Rear Adm. Donald J. Guter, who previously served as the Navy’s judge advocate general, said he had never seen polygraph examinations conducted so broadly or at such a senior level.
“I’ve never seen polygraphs employed this broadly or at this seniority level. In my experience, it’s unprecedented,” Guter said.
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell confirmed that the department investigates leaks involving classified national security information but declined to comment on the specific investigation.
“The department does not comment on internal personnel or investigative matters but takes all leaks of classified national security information extremely seriously and investigates accordingly,” Parnell said. He added that protecting classified information is essential to the security of the US and its deployed forces.
The investigation comes amid heightened tensions at the Pentagon over reports about 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 those responsible for unauthorised disclosures and has described some critical media reports as “treasonous.”
