50 US military personnel face lie-detector tests in leak hunt — Report

Approximately fifty United States military personnel, primarily from the Joint Staff, underwent polygraph examinations as investigators escalated a probe into the leaking of classified information to journalists, according to a report by the New York Post. These tests were conducted in August and targeted military officers and civilian employees suspected of divulging sensitive information, including details about depleted US weapons stocks resulting from the conflict with Iran.

This investigation was sparked by numerous media reports revealing shortages of crucial US munitions, such as long-range missiles and Patriot air-defence interceptors. The Joint Staff, comprising between 1,500 and 2,000 personnel, is responsible for coordinating military operations, policy, and war plans with US combatant commanders worldwide.

The scale of this polygraph exercise, described as unprecedented among senior US military personnel in modern times, has left officials, including retired Rear Admiral Donald J. Guter, astounded. Guter, who previously served as the Navy's top judge advocate general, stated that he had never seen such extensive or high-level use of polygraph testing.

While the Pentagon's spokesman confirmed the department's involvement in investigating leaks involving classified national security information, he did not provide further details about the specific probe. The investigation unfolds amidst escalating tensions within the Pentagon over media reports regarding the US military's performance in the Iran war and the depletion of weapons stocks, as well as President Donald Trump's calls for more stringent action against those responsible for unauthorized disclosures.