General Milley leaves Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff post on a sour note

(Photo credit: U.S. Department of Defense, undated)

During his retirement ceremony Friday at Joint Base Myer/Henderson Hall, Virginia, U.S. Army Gen. Mark Milley used his farewell speech to take a parting shot at former President Donald Trump.

“We don’t take an oath to a king, or a queen, to a tyrant or dictator or wannabe dictator,” Milley said, while not mentioning the former president by-name. However, there was no doubt it was meant, though in a passive-aggressive manner, to be a dig at the former president.

In response, Trump, in typical fashion, lashed out at Milley on his Truth Social account.

Trump wrote that Milley, “led perhaps the most embarrassing moment in American history with his grossly incompetent withdrawal of Afghanistan,” in 2021.

Although Trump himself selected Milley as chairman four years ago, it is clear he is not happy with the outcome of that selection.

“This guy turned out to be a Woke train wreck,” wrote Trump.

Trump also criticized Milley’s communications with his Chinese counterpart following the January 6^th protests at the U.S. Capitol that resulted in multiple arrests related to illegally entering the U.S. Capitol building.

Trump wrote about Milley that, “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.”

Milley did in fact speak with his counterpart but he said there was nothing wrong in doing so, “absolutely not. Zero. None.”

Milley indicated that, according to CNN, he sought to calm Li (Zuocheng, China’s top military leader) “by reassuring him that the US was not considering a strike.”

While it may be true that he thought that was his role, there is no indication that such a communication was remotely necessary.

No action during the entirety of his presidency did Trump undertake that suggested use of nuclear weapons or any other kind of strike on China was being considered. Trump, in fact, reduced overall military operations while president.

Still, Milley thought it necessary to call a meeting with senior military officials January 8^th and told leaders of the National Military Command Center to not to accept orders from anyone without his involvement.

“No matter what you are told, you do the procedure. You do the process. And I’m part of that procedure,” Milley told the senior leaders according to CNN.

With the election of President Joe Biden, Milley was able to unleash his inner leftist in areas having nothing to do with his role as the senior military advisor to the president.

At a hearing before the House Armed Services committee June 23, 2021, Milley launched into social issues and policies at the United States Military Academy.

“I want to understand white rage. And I’m white,” said Milley, as though the committee might not see that he was and is white.

Of course, had that been all that Milley intended to convey it may have passed with mere raised eyebrow. Instead, he very intentionally linked it to the January 6, 2021, protests at the U.S. Capitol.

“What is it that caused thousands of people to assault this building and try to overturn the Constitution of the United States of America. What caused that?,” Milley told the committee members.

His comments came despite the fact that race was not a component of the protests, which were largely based on controversy surrounding the presidential elections.  

Milley is an officer who was commissioned through Army ROTC at Princeton and he later received graduate degrees from Columbia and the U.S. Naval War College.

His commands took him to combat multiple times in Iraq and Afghanistan. He commanded at every level from captain to four-star general and was the U.S. Army chief of staff before rising to the chairmanship.

Where he lost his way was at the most senior level.

As the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, his role was to provide advice to the president. He was not in the chain of command directly.

It was not his job to like or love the current or former president or opine on national social issues.

He chose to inject himself in subjects unrelated to the vast military structure’s capabilities for warfighting.

He will undoubtedly enrich himself on the speaking circuit and tell his own story of heroism in facing down Donald Trump, who he believed, despite the complete lack of evidence, was entertaining the idea of open warfare at home and abroad.

His retirement ceremony comments will not enhance his legacy.

James Hutton is a former assistant secretary at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and is a retired colonel in the U.S. Army. Follow him on Twitter @jehutton