W.G. DUNLOP
Fri, September 29, 2023
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin greets retiring Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Mark Milley (SAUL LOEB)
General Mark Milley stepped down Friday as the top US military officer with a parting swipe at his former boss Donald Trump, saying no soldier ever swore an oath to serve a "wannabe dictator."
The stunning rebuke from Milley on his last day as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff illustrated the way the US military has been dragged into the increasingly volatile political arena since the Trump era.
At an elaborate military ceremony for his departure -- attended by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and President Joe Biden -- Milley did not name Trump, but there was no doubt about the target of his barb.
"We don't take an oath to a king, or queen, or a tyrant or a dictator," Milley said of American soldiers. "And we don't take an oath to a wannabe dictator."
Milley will be replaced as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff by Air Force General Charles "CQ" Brown -- just the second African American to hold the top military job.
A barrel-chested army veteran of countless foreign deployments and high-level command posts, Milley served in uniform for four decades.
But he faced his highest-stakes challenge when Trump appointed him in 2019 to the career pinnacle of senior military advisor to the president.
During a four-year term -- continuing under Biden from 2021 -- Milley managed the harrowing exit of US troops from Afghanistan, special forces operations in Syria, and the enormous program to assist Ukraine's desperate fight against Russian invasion.
As chairman, "it was one crisis right after another," Milley told AFP last month.
Milley's years at the top, however, also saw the military involved in an unusual number of politicized controversies.
While the Biden administration has pressed for changes including renaming bases named after Confederate leaders in the Civil War, senior Republicans have repeatedly lashed out at what they claim are "woke" leftist policies in the ranks.
And that was nothing compared to the precarious situation Milley found himself in during the lead-up to and aftermath of the 2020 presidential election -- in which Trump, in an unprecedented political nightmare for the United States, refused to accept defeat.
At the height of tensions after Trump supporters stormed the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, Milley secretly called his Chinese counterpart to reassure Beijing that the United States remained "stable" and had no intention to attack China, according to the book "Peril" by Bob Woodward.
That revelation has caused lasting fury for Trump, who just this month wrote on his social media network that "in times gone by, the punishment would have been DEATH!" for Milley.
- Threats and attacks -
The barely veiled threat from Trump -- the clear frontrunner to be the Republican candidate in the 2024 presidential election -- prompted Milley to take "appropriate measures" for his safety, he told CBS News.
Biden lashed out Thursday during a speech at Trump's "heinous statements" and attacked the "deafening" silence from Trump's fellow Republicans on the threat.
Milley's replacement, chosen by Biden, will become the second Black top Joint Chiefs officer after Colin Powell. Austin, meanwhile, is the country's first Black secretary of defense.
Brown -- who officially takes the reins from Milley at midnight (0400 GMT) on Saturday -- was commissioned as a US Air Force officer in 1984 and is an experienced pilot with more than 3,000 flight hours, 130 of them in combat.
Brown, known to most as "CQ," even once survived ejecting from an F-16 during training over Florida.
He has commanded a fighter squadron and two fighter wings, as well as US air forces under the Central Command and Indo-Pacific Command, and served as chief of staff of the Air Force.
Following the 2020 murder of Black man George Floyd by a white police officer in Minnesota, Brown recorded an emotional video about his personal experiences, including with discrimination in the American military.
He said he felt pressure to "perform error-free," and worked "twice as hard" to prove wrong those who expected less of him because of his race.
Milley in farewell speech: ‘We don’t take an oath to a wannabe dictator’
Eric Bazail-Eimil
Fri, September 29, 2023
Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP Photo
Gen. Mark Milley used his final speech as Joint Chiefs chair on Friday to emphasize that troops take an oath to the Constitution and not to a “wannabe dictator,” days after former President Donald Trump suggested the nation’s top officer should be put to death.
In an impassioned speech during his retirement ceremony at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall in Arlington, Va., Milley spoke of the continued bravery of American service members and underscored that the oath they take to protect the Constitution encompasses “all enemies, foreign and domestic,” emphasizing “all” and “and.”
“We don't take an oath to a king, or a queen, or to a tyrant or dictator, and we don't take an oath to a wannabe dictator,” Milley said. “We don't take an oath to an individual. We take an oath to the Constitution, and we take an oath to the idea that is America, and we’re willing to die to protect it.”
“Every soldier, sailor, airman, Marine, guardian and Coast Guardsman, each of us commits our very life to protect and defend that document, regardless of personal price," Milley continued. "And we are not easily intimidated.”
The Trump campaign did not immediately return a request for comment.
Though the general did not mention Trump by name, the sharp rebuke came one week after Trump lashed out at Milley on social media over reports that the general had contacted his Chinese counterpart during the Trump administration to assure them the U.S. was not preparing to attack.
Trump last Friday called Milley “a Woke train wreck who, if the Fake News reporting is correct, was actually dealing with China to give them a heads up on the thinking of the President of the United States.”
“This is an act so egregious that, in times gone by, the punishment would have been DEATH!” Trump continued.
Trump’s rivals for the 2024 Republican nomination called the former president’s comments “reprehensible” and “inexcusable”.
In an interview with CBS News’ Norah O’Donnell this week, Milley confirmed he was taking “adequate safety precautions,” when asked about Trump’s comments.
“I wish those comments had not been made, and I’ll take appropriate measures to ensure my safety and the safety of my family,” Milley said.
Milley was not the only speaker at the ceremony to address the country’s political challenges. President Joe Biden, who spoke before Milley and his replacement, Gen. C.Q. Brown, slammed “a single senator” for holding up confirmation votes for more than 300 military leaders.
Biden was referring to Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), who is blocking the confirmations of flag and general officers in protest of the Pentagon’s abortion travel policy.
“It’s totally unacceptable that more than 300 military officers and reservists are held in limbo,” Biden said. “It’s an insult.”
Although the Senate this month confirmed Brown, along with the chiefs of the Army and Marine Corps, the nominees to take over the Navy and Air Force are still subject to the hold.
Biden also criticized House Republicans for failing to pass legislation that would fund the government, saying a possible government shutdown on track for this weekend will hurt service members.
“You can’t be playing politics while our troops stand in the breach,” Biden said.
Matt Berg contributed to this report.
Gen. Milley strikes back at Trump in farewell speech: "We don’t take an oath to a wannabe dictator"
Tatyana Tandanpolie
Fri, September 29, 2023
Mark Milley Drew Angerer/Getty Images
In his final speech as Joint Chiefs chairman Friday, Gen. Mark Milley reminded the gathered troops that they take an oath to the Constitution, not a "wannabe dictator."
Milley's remarks came during his retirement ceremony at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall in Arlington, Va., and come just a week after former President Donald Trump suggested he should be put to death.
The nation's top officer lauded the continued bravery of American soldiers during his speech and described how the oath they take to protect the Constitution encompasses "all enemies, foreign and domestic," placing emphasis on "all" and "and," Politico reports.
"We don't take an oath to a king, or a queen, or to a tyrant or dictator, and we don't take an oath to a wannabe dictator," Milley said. "We don't take an oath to an individual. We take an oath to the Constitution, and we take an oath to the idea that is America, and we're willing to die to protect it." He continued, "Every soldier, sailor, airman, Marine, guardian and Coast Guardsman, each of us commits our very life to protect and defend that document, regardless of personal price. And we are not easily intimidated."
Though Milley didn't mention Trump by name, his impassioned comments followed Trump's social media tirade suggesting Milley's execution last Friday over reports that the general had contacted his Chinese counterpart during the Trump administration to assure them the United States would not take up arms against the nation.
Despite being tight-lipped in his assessments of the former president while he was in office, as the Atlantic notes, Milley did tell "The Divider" authors he believed Trump to be "shameful" and "complicit" in the Jan. 6 Capitol attack, and feared Trump's "'Hitler-like' embrace of the big lie about the election would prompt the president to seek out a 'Reichstag moment.'
Top US general Milley takes apparent jab at Trump as he retires
Phil Stewart, Nandita Bose and Idrees Ali
Updated Fri, September 29, 2023
Armed Forces Farewell Tribute in honor of General Mark A. Milley and Armed Forces Hail in honor of General Charles Q. Brown, Jr.
By Phil Stewart, Nandita Bose and Idrees Ali
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Top U.S. general Mark Milley retired on Friday after a four-year tenure, saying in a speech that U.S. troops take an oath to the Constitution and not a "wannabe dictator," an apparent swipe at former President Donald Trump.
Milley was hailed by President Joe Biden as a sage advisor and as a warrior who served in combat zones from Afghanistan and Iraq to Panama and Haiti.
Milley's tenure included the killing of Islamic State head Abu Bakr al Baghdadi in 2019 and providing military assistance to Ukraine's defense against the invasion by Russia in February 2022.
But it also included the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan two years ago and a rocky relationship with Trump.
Milley said that troops take an oath to a constitution and not a "wannabe dictator", in an apparent reference to Trump that drew an audible reaction from some in the audience.
Trump has been criminally charged with trying to overturn Biden's 2020 election victory.
"We don't take an oath a king or queen or a tyrant or dictator. We don't take an oath to a wannabe dictator. We don't take an oath to an individual. We take an oath to the Constitution," Milley during a ceremony at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall near Washington.
Trump later in the day lashed out at him with a series of insults, calling Milley, a Princeton University graduate, "Slow moving and thinking" and a "moron."
"Look at his words - STUPID & VERY DANGEROUS!" Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
Biden called Milley "unflinching in the face of danger," and said he "once ran across a bridge booby-trapped with mines to stop two battle tanks evacuating wounded troops from driving across it."
"Mark, your partnership has been invaluable to me," Biden said.
Milley handed over command to Air Force chief General Charles Q. Brown in an event featuring marching bands and a red-coated fife-and-drum corps.
Brown is only the second Black officer to become chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, after Colin Powell two decades ago.
Biden said Milley served in war zones as part of his long military service and had a "chest full of medals to show for it."
In his remarks, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin recalled a time during the Iraq war when he and Milley were serving in Baghdad and their vehicle was damaged when it was hit by an improvised explosive device while en route to a hospital to see a wounded soldier.
"'Has this happened to you before?'" Austin said he asked Milley. "And he said, oh yeah, I've been blown up about five times now.'"
ROCKY RELATIONSHIP WITH TRUMP
Milley took the reins in 2019 after being nominated by Trump, but soon found himself having to balance the need to maintain his relationship with him without appearing to be political.
In 2020, he publicly apologized for joining Trump as he walked from the White House to a nearby church for a photo opportunity after authorities cleared the way of protesters using tear gas and rubber bullets.
Milley said on Wednesday he would take measures to protect his family after Trump suggested he had colluded with China in an act he said would have once warranted death.
Brown is a self-described introvert whose public persona contrasts sharply with the outgoing Milley, a loquacious Boston native.
Brown told the audience that his goal will be to deter aggression and "fight when called upon." He said the U.S. military "must focus on modernizing" with new concepts and approaches.
The promotion of Brown, a former fighter pilot with experience in the Pacific, meant Black Americans will hold the top two positions at the Pentagon for the first time - a major milestone for an institution that is diverse in its lower ranks but largely white and male at the top.
Biden appointed Austin to become the first Black U.S. secretary of defense, the top civilian position at the Pentagon.
(Reporting by Phil Stewart, Idrees Ali, Nandita Bose, Steve Holland and Doina Chiacu; Editing by Don Durfee and Grant McCool)
In farewell speech, Gen. Mark Milley says military serves Constitution, not despots
Doug Cunningham
Fri, September 29, 2023
On Friday, Gen. Mark A. Milley speaks during a ceremony in Arlington, Va., where his replacement on the Joint Chiefs of Staff -- Gen. CQ Brown -- was sworn in. Photo by Nathan Howard/UPI
Sept. 29 (UPI) -- As a new Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman was sworn in on Friday, outgoing Gen. Mark Milley said in a farewell speech that America's military serves the Constitution, not a "wannabe dictator."
His comments come after former President Donald Trump recently suggested that a president has total, unchecked power and that Milley is a traitor worthy of execution.
Milley delivered his farewell address as President Joe Biden paid tribute to him and swore in his successor, Gen. Charles Q. Brown. The ceremony took place at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall in Arlington, Va.
Biden said Milley was a trusted confidant and revered military leader, and the president commended his service to the nation.
"A combat infantryman, a master parachutist, a Green Beret, a warrior -- he served a total of five years in war zones," Biden said. "From Panama to Haiti to Bosnia to Afghanistan to Iraq, with a chest full of medals to show for it."
General Mark A. Milley shakes hands with President Joe Biden during a ceremony Friday at the Armed Forces Farewell Tribute in honor of General Mark A. Milley, 20th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Photo by Nathan Howard/UPI
Biden said Milley was a patriot who is uncompromising in his duty, unflinching in the face of danger and unwavering in his service to the country.
Milley spoke, as well, and delivered a passionate farewell speech laced with strong reminders about the U.S. military's role in protecting the U.S. Constitution.
Vice President Kamala Harris (left) applauds as President Biden (center) shakes hands with incoming Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Charles Q. Brown, Jr. during a ceremony at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall, Arlington, Virginia on Friday. Photo by Nathan Howard/UPI
"We are unique among the world's militaries," Milley said. "We don't take an oath to a country, we don't take an oath to a tribe, we don't take an oath to a religion. We don't take an oath to a king, or a queen, or a tyrant or a dictator. And we don't take an oath to a wannabe dictator."
That last line appeared to refer to former president Donald Trump, who recently suggested Milley is a traitor who deserves execution.
Lloyd Austin, United States Secretary of Defense, shakes hands with General Mark A. Milley during a ceremony at the Armed Forces Farewell Tribute in honor of Milley, the 20th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, in Virginia on Friday. Photo by Nathan Howard/UPI
Biden took to task Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., for single-handedly blocking more than 300 military promotion confirmations in the U.S. Senate.
"I've been here a long time I've never seen anything like this. It's outrageous and must stop," Biden said.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had high praise for Milley's service.
"Gen. Milley is a scholar and a warrior," Austin said. "We respect him for his wit, but we love him for his heart. And he's thrown his whole heart into leading this tremendous joint force of soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, guardians."
Late Friday after Milley's comments, Trump responded on his Truth Social platform, calling the general a "moron" and "stupid."
"Slow moving and thinking Mark Milley should never have made those calls to China's Military Leadership," Trump posted. "Does this moron, together with WOKE FOOL Mark Yesper (Esper!), who said "yes" to everything, have any idea how dangerous a situation he put our Country in? Look at his words -- STUPID & VERY DANGEROUS!"
Before honoring Milley, Biden used the occasion to comment on the death of Sen. Dianne Feinstein, whom he called an historic figure, a trailblazer for women and a friend who championed civil liberties and the environment.
Gen. Milley delivers defense of democracy and swipes at Trump in farewell address
TARA COPP and LOLITA C. BALDOR
Updated Fri, September 29, 2023
Retiring Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley speaks during the Armed Forces Farewell Tribute in honor of Milley at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall, Friday, Sept. 29, 2023, in Fort Meyer, Va. Also held was an Armed Forces Hail in honor of Gen. CQ Brown, Jr., who the Senate confirmed as the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin applauds at left.
(AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
JOINT BASE MYER-HENDERSON HALL, Va. (AP) — Army Gen. Mark Milley delivered a full-throated defense of democracy and not-so-subtle swipes at former President Donald Trump during a packed ceremony on Friday as he closed out his four, often tumultuous years as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Under cloudy skies at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall, Milley never mentioned the former president by name. But he practically shouted on two different occasions that the U.S. military swears to protect the Constitution “against ALL enemies, foreign AND domestic.”
“We don’t take an oath to a king or a queen or to a tyrant or a dictator. And we don’t take an oath to a wannabe dictator," he said. "We don’t take an oath to an individual. We take an oath to the Constitution, and we take an oath to the idea that is America, and we're willing to die to protect it.”
Milley is retiring after more than four decades of military service, including multiple combat deployments and two often turbulent years as Joint Chiefs chairman under Trump. And it was those years, and the battles he fought against Trump, that formed much of the underpinning of his farewell address and also were sprinkled throughout other speeches in the ceremony.
As chairman, Milley pushed back against a host of Trump’s plans, including demands to pull all troops out of Iraq and Syria and his desire to put active-duty troops on Washington’s streets to counter racial protests. Several books have described Milley’s deep concerns about Trump’s fitness as commander in chief and his worries that Trump would try to use the military to help block President Joe Biden’s election.
Just a week ago, Trump railed against Milley in a post on Truth Social, condemning him as a treasonous, “Woke train wreck” whose actions have been “so egregious that, in times gone by, the punishment would have been DEATH!” The post, which some interpreted as a threat, has prompted Milley to ensure his family has adequate protection.
But seemingly in response, Milley said, his voice booming, the military will protect the Constitution, no matter the personal price, and “we are not easily intimidated.”
Biden, who spoke at the ceremony, continued the democracy theme, praising Milley’s staunch defense of the Constitution, which “has always been Mark’s North Star.” And he said the general has been a steady hand guiding the military during one of the most complex national security environments.
The farewell tribute on the base just outside Washington was both rousing and somber, with marching bands, troop salutes and speeches.
Milley’s four-year term as chairman ends at midnight Saturday, and Air Force Gen. CQ Brown takes over Sunday. Milley is retiring after nearly 44 years of service.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin recalled Milley as a battle buddy, noting with a grin that he was always “eager to get into the fight. And I’ve seen that firsthand over our long history of working together, including one time when he got me blown up. Literally.”
When Austin was commanding the 10th Mountain Division during the Iraq War he visited Milley, one of his brigade commanders, who suggested they go to the hospital to see a wounded soldier.
“So we took Route Irish in Baghdad, which was known as the most dangerous road in the world. And we promptly got hit by an IED,” Austin told the crowd. “Afterwards, I asked, ‘Hey general, has this happened to you before?’ And Mark said, ‘Oh yes sir — I’ve been blown up about five times now.’"
The crowd of about 1,800 included past and current U.S. and international dignitaries and military leaders, families, friends, troops, veterans, wounded warriors and Gold Star families who lost loved ones in the wars.
Milley’s fellow hockey teammates from Princeton — where he got his military commission — were easy to spot, wearing the bright orange and black jackets they got at their 25th reunion. Many of them attended a reception Thursday night at Milley’s house, where his wife, Hollyanne, cooked lasagna for 65 people.
They all hollered out when Milley recognized them publicly from the podium, but he jokingly complained about their weak response, adding, “That’s all a result of last night.”
Also present were five female Afghan special forces whom Milley worked to get out of the country as Kabul fell to the Taliban in 2021. Capt. Mahnaz Akbari said they wanted to come to Milley's retirement to thank him for what he did for their country and for the female troops now in the U.S.
One of the opening performances was a stirring rendition of “God Bless America” by Army Capt. Luis Avila, who was severely injured and lost a leg in a bomb blast in Afghanistan. Milley’s choice of Avila was a tribute to wounded troops but also served as a pointed jab at Trump.
Milley has said Trump made disparaging remarks about Avila, who sang from his wheelchair at a ceremony for Milley in 2019. Milley said Trump asked him at the time, “Why do you bring people like that here? No one wants to see that, the wounded.”
Milley, 65, is a native of Winchester, Massachusetts. He commanded troops at all levels, including in Iraq and Afghanistan. He became Army chief of staff in 2015 and launched several initiatives, including the creation of Security Force Assistance Brigades, which train foreign forces, and the opening of Army Futures Command in Austin, Texas, to pursue new technologies.
___
Baldor reported from Washington.
Top US military officer General Mark Milley retires
AFP
Fri, September 29, 2023
US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley attends a press briefing at the Pentagon on March 15, 2023 (ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS)
General Mark Milley steps down on Friday after a tumultuous term as the top US military officer that saw him face repeated crises at home and abroad.
General CQ Brown will replace him, becoming the second Black officer after Colin Powell to serve as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, at a time when the Pentagon is headed by Lloyd Austin, the country's first Black secretary of defense.
As chairman, "it was one crisis right after another," Milley told AFP last month.
Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the US withdrawal from Afghanistan, Donald Trump's refusal to accept his presidential election loss and nationwide protests against police brutality are just some of the events that defined his four years as the top US officer.
Milley is credited by his supporters with helping protect the country from Trump, but has been the target of intense criticism from the former president and his adherents.
His departure comes at a time when the US military -- particularly its leadership -- has been under repeated fire from conservative politicians and pundits, especially over the alleged imposition of "woke" policies on the armed forces.
Brown was commissioned as a US Air Force officer in 1984 and is an experienced pilot with more than 3,000 flight hours, 130 of them in combat.
He has commanded a fighter squadron and two fighter wings, as well as US air forces under the Central Command and Indo-Pacific Command, and served as chief of staff of the Air Force.
Following the 2020 murder of Black man George Floyd by a white police officer in Minnesota, Brown recorded an emotional video about his personal experiences, including with discrimination in the American military.
He said he felt pressure to "perform error-free" and worked "twice as hard" to prove wrong those who expected less of him because of his race.
Brown's nomination was one of more than 300 stalled by a dispute over Pentagon policies that assist troops who must travel to receive reproductive health care that is unavailable where they are stationed.
A single Republican senator who opposes those efforts has been preventing lawmakers from quickly approving senior military nominees in groups, and Brown was only confirmed in time through an individual vote on his nomination.
wd/st
JOINT BASE MYER-HENDERSON HALL, Va. (AP) — Army Gen. Mark Milley delivered a full-throated defense of democracy and not-so-subtle swipes at former President Donald Trump during a packed ceremony on Friday as he closed out his four, often tumultuous years as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Under cloudy skies at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall, Milley never mentioned the former president by name. But he practically shouted on two different occasions that the U.S. military swears to protect the Constitution “against ALL enemies, foreign AND domestic.”
“We don’t take an oath to a king or a queen or to a tyrant or a dictator. And we don’t take an oath to a wannabe dictator," he said. "We don’t take an oath to an individual. We take an oath to the Constitution, and we take an oath to the idea that is America, and we're willing to die to protect it.”
Milley is retiring after more than four decades of military service, including multiple combat deployments and two often turbulent years as Joint Chiefs chairman under Trump. And it was those years, and the battles he fought against Trump, that formed much of the underpinning of his farewell address and also were sprinkled throughout other speeches in the ceremony.
As chairman, Milley pushed back against a host of Trump’s plans, including demands to pull all troops out of Iraq and Syria and his desire to put active-duty troops on Washington’s streets to counter racial protests. Several books have described Milley’s deep concerns about Trump’s fitness as commander in chief and his worries that Trump would try to use the military to help block President Joe Biden’s election.
Just a week ago, Trump railed against Milley in a post on Truth Social, condemning him as a treasonous, “Woke train wreck” whose actions have been “so egregious that, in times gone by, the punishment would have been DEATH!” The post, which some interpreted as a threat, has prompted Milley to ensure his family has adequate protection.
But seemingly in response, Milley said, his voice booming, the military will protect the Constitution, no matter the personal price, and “we are not easily intimidated.”
Biden, who spoke at the ceremony, continued the democracy theme, praising Milley’s staunch defense of the Constitution, which “has always been Mark’s North Star.” And he said the general has been a steady hand guiding the military during one of the most complex national security environments.
The farewell tribute on the base just outside Washington was both rousing and somber, with marching bands, troop salutes and speeches.
Milley’s four-year term as chairman ends at midnight Saturday, and Air Force Gen. CQ Brown takes over Sunday. Milley is retiring after nearly 44 years of service.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin recalled Milley as a battle buddy, noting with a grin that he was always “eager to get into the fight. And I’ve seen that firsthand over our long history of working together, including one time when he got me blown up. Literally.”
When Austin was commanding the 10th Mountain Division during the Iraq War he visited Milley, one of his brigade commanders, who suggested they go to the hospital to see a wounded soldier.
“So we took Route Irish in Baghdad, which was known as the most dangerous road in the world. And we promptly got hit by an IED,” Austin told the crowd. “Afterwards, I asked, ‘Hey general, has this happened to you before?’ And Mark said, ‘Oh yes sir — I’ve been blown up about five times now.’"
The crowd of about 1,800 included past and current U.S. and international dignitaries and military leaders, families, friends, troops, veterans, wounded warriors and Gold Star families who lost loved ones in the wars.
Milley’s fellow hockey teammates from Princeton — where he got his military commission — were easy to spot, wearing the bright orange and black jackets they got at their 25th reunion. Many of them attended a reception Thursday night at Milley’s house, where his wife, Hollyanne, cooked lasagna for 65 people.
They all hollered out when Milley recognized them publicly from the podium, but he jokingly complained about their weak response, adding, “That’s all a result of last night.”
Also present were five female Afghan special forces whom Milley worked to get out of the country as Kabul fell to the Taliban in 2021. Capt. Mahnaz Akbari said they wanted to come to Milley's retirement to thank him for what he did for their country and for the female troops now in the U.S.
One of the opening performances was a stirring rendition of “God Bless America” by Army Capt. Luis Avila, who was severely injured and lost a leg in a bomb blast in Afghanistan. Milley’s choice of Avila was a tribute to wounded troops but also served as a pointed jab at Trump.
Milley has said Trump made disparaging remarks about Avila, who sang from his wheelchair at a ceremony for Milley in 2019. Milley said Trump asked him at the time, “Why do you bring people like that here? No one wants to see that, the wounded.”
Milley, 65, is a native of Winchester, Massachusetts. He commanded troops at all levels, including in Iraq and Afghanistan. He became Army chief of staff in 2015 and launched several initiatives, including the creation of Security Force Assistance Brigades, which train foreign forces, and the opening of Army Futures Command in Austin, Texas, to pursue new technologies.
___
Baldor reported from Washington.
Top US military officer General Mark Milley retires
AFP
Fri, September 29, 2023
US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley attends a press briefing at the Pentagon on March 15, 2023 (ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS)
General Mark Milley steps down on Friday after a tumultuous term as the top US military officer that saw him face repeated crises at home and abroad.
General CQ Brown will replace him, becoming the second Black officer after Colin Powell to serve as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, at a time when the Pentagon is headed by Lloyd Austin, the country's first Black secretary of defense.
As chairman, "it was one crisis right after another," Milley told AFP last month.
Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the US withdrawal from Afghanistan, Donald Trump's refusal to accept his presidential election loss and nationwide protests against police brutality are just some of the events that defined his four years as the top US officer.
Milley is credited by his supporters with helping protect the country from Trump, but has been the target of intense criticism from the former president and his adherents.
His departure comes at a time when the US military -- particularly its leadership -- has been under repeated fire from conservative politicians and pundits, especially over the alleged imposition of "woke" policies on the armed forces.
Brown was commissioned as a US Air Force officer in 1984 and is an experienced pilot with more than 3,000 flight hours, 130 of them in combat.
He has commanded a fighter squadron and two fighter wings, as well as US air forces under the Central Command and Indo-Pacific Command, and served as chief of staff of the Air Force.
Following the 2020 murder of Black man George Floyd by a white police officer in Minnesota, Brown recorded an emotional video about his personal experiences, including with discrimination in the American military.
He said he felt pressure to "perform error-free" and worked "twice as hard" to prove wrong those who expected less of him because of his race.
Brown's nomination was one of more than 300 stalled by a dispute over Pentagon policies that assist troops who must travel to receive reproductive health care that is unavailable where they are stationed.
A single Republican senator who opposes those efforts has been preventing lawmakers from quickly approving senior military nominees in groups, and Brown was only confirmed in time through an individual vote on his nomination.
wd/st
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