The Pentagon subjected around 50 military officers and civilian staff working for the Joint Staff to lie detector tests following leaks about the Iran war’s impact on critical US ammunition supplies, The New York Times reported.
Officials familiar with the investigation told the newspaper that investigators questioned personnel about whether they had disclosed classified information to journalists, including details of declining US weapons stockpiles.
The polygraph examinations took place in August after a series of news reports highlighted shortages of key munitions, including long-range missiles and Patriot interceptors.
According to the officials, investigators specifically asked whether staff had provided journalists with information about the depletion of those supplies during the war.
The Joint Staff, which supports the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has between 1,500 and 2,000 military officers and civilian personnel. The reported examinations covered only a small proportion of that workforce.
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell declined to discuss personnel matters or internal investigations, but said the department takes leaks of classified national security information extremely seriously and investigates them accordingly.
He added that safeguarding classified material was essential to US security and the safety of American forces deployed worldwide.
