The Pentagon has removed decades of classified documents from classified computer systems used by defense officials and the U.S. military after The Washington Post reported that top generals expressed concerns about the war in Iran.
The Washington Post reported exclusively on the 3rd, citing three people familiar with the matter, that documents related to the Secretary of Defense Order Book (SDOB) had been removed from the internal portal of the Secret Internet Protocol Routing Network (SIPRNet). The people spoke on condition of anonymity because of the classified systems involved.
It is unclear whether U.S. personnel could have obtained the documents through other means or how reduced access would complicate military planning. SIPRNet stores information marked "confidential" (secret), while "top-secret" information is stored on a network with a higher level of confidentiality and fewer access points.
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell declined to discuss the change on the 2nd, but did not deny it.
"As we have stated previously, the Department of War does not publicly discuss internal operations review processes, including the management, processing or access protocols of the Secretary of War Order Book (SWOB)," Parnell said in the statement, using the Trump administration's preferred designation for the Department of Defense and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
Parnell's statement added: "The success of military personnel is Secretary Hegseth's top priority, and as such, decisions regarding operational processes, force deployment and personnel review are managed through appropriate security channels to ensure mission safety and operational integrity."
Prior to this change, the Trump administration had taken a number of measures to prevent leaks to the media, including subjecting some personnel to polygraph tests, subpoenaing reporters, and even searching the home of a China Post reporter and seizing his electronic equipment.
SDOB details the location and availability of U.S. warships, military units, weapons systems and other resources and provides a forum for senior generals. Through this forum, they can express their disapproval of President Trump and Hegseth while carrying out the order. They do this by marking them as "non-concurring," a process that explains any reservations they may have or the negative impact the orders may have on other military plans.
SDOB is published twice a month. The China Post recently reported that SDOB became the focus of heated discussions after a number of senior generals warned Hegseth that long-term large-scale military action against Iran is unsustainable and may weaken their ability to deal with threats in other regions. People familiar with the document said the generals issued the warning by expressing "disagreement" in the SDOB.
People familiar with the discussions revealed that the generals who expressed reservations and marked "disagree" include Adm. Alexus Grynkewich, commander of European Command, Adm. Francis Donovan, commander of Southern Command, Adm. Samuel Paparo, commander of Pacific Command, and Adm. Daryl Caudle, chief of naval operations.
People familiar with the matter said that while Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Kenneth S. Wilsbach and Army Acting Chief of Staff Gen. Christopher LaNeve "approved" of Hegseth's plan to extend the deployment of some troops, both emphasized that the move would come with significant risks.
In recent months, senior U.S. officials have become increasingly concerned about the long-term implications of a war with Iran. Trump initially claimed the war would only last a few weeks, but it has now entered its seventh month. Those concerns include the depletion of increasingly scarce munitions such as Patriot missile interceptors and Tomahawk cruise missiles, as well as the enormous pressure on the U.S. Navy in enforcing Trump's naval blockade on Iran.
A former Defense Department official said that clearing the SDOB or moving it to a more classified system would "significantly reduce the number of people with direct access to the file," which could limit emergency military planning. Commanders and their staff rely on access to SDOB for time-sensitive decisions and notifications, such as moving aircraft and weapons from one command to another, requiring emergency logistics to reroute equipment and resources. Restricting access to relevant information will make the process slower and more difficult.
