About 50 personnel attached to the United States military’s Joint Staff have reportedly undergone polygraph tests as investigators intensify efforts to identify those suspected of leaking classified information to journalists.
According to a report by the New York Post on Saturday, the tests were conducted in August and involved military officers and civilian employees believed to have disclosed sensitive information.
The investigation reportedly includes leaks concerning US weapons stocks that have been depleted during the war with Iran.
Several media reports have recently highlighted shortages of critical American munitions, including long-range missiles and Patriot air-defence interceptors.
The Joint Staff, which comprises between 1,500 and 2,000 personnel, is responsible for coordinating military operations, policy and war plans with US combatant commanders around the world.
The scale of the polygraph exercise has reportedly raised concerns, with officials describing it as an unusual move and potentially unprecedented among senior US military personnel in modern times.
Retired Rear Admiral Donald J. Guter, a former Navy Judge Advocate General, said he had never seen polygraph testing conducted on such a broad scale or involving personnel 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 of Defense investigates unauthorised disclosures of classified national security information but declined to provide details about the ongoing investigation.
Parnell said the department does not comment on internal personnel or investigative matters but takes the unauthorised release of classified information seriously.
He stressed that protecting sensitive information remains essential to the security of the United States and American troops deployed around the world.
The leak investigation comes amid heightened tensions within the Pentagon over media reports concerning the US military’s performance during the Iran war and the depletion of key weapons stocks.
President Donald Trump has repeatedly called for tougher action against individuals responsible for unauthorised disclosures of sensitive government information.
Trump has also criticised media reports that have questioned the conduct of the war and the military’s preparedness, at times describing such reports as “treasonous.”
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