I hear he has received a Purple Heart for getting a paper cut.Originally Posted by Peter1469
Milley is unfit to serve. He is more at home in the Washington swamp that our armed forces.
Why Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Mark Milley should step down | Washington Examiner
Gen. Mark Milley has become a politicized figure. An apolitical military being intrinsic to American democracy, Milley should step down as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
The immediate cause for Milley to relinquish his post comes from Susan Glasser and Peter Baker's new book, The Divider.
An excerpt from the book published by the New Yorker on Monday strongly suggests that Milley provided extraordinary access to the authors. They recall, for example, a private one-on-one meeting between Milley and then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in which the two officials shared concerns over President Donald Trump's response to being defeated by Joe Biden. We hear of Milley's fear that Trump had approached his "Reichstag" moment, in which he was ready to stage a Nazi-esque coup against democracy. Glasser and Baker also provide a full copy of a resignation letter Milley considered sending to Trump.
It is hard to see how Milley was not the source for at least some of these reports, or that his motive in leaking the information wasn't in some sense political. This is incompatible with his critical role as the nation's senior military officer and the president's most senior military adviser.
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At best, a chairman's media engagement on partisan matters draws the military ship into the unpredictable political maelstrom. At worst, it undermines the military's position as a reliable instrument of democratic governance. Perception is as important as reality here. And the perception of many Republicans and likely some Democrats is that Milley can no longer be trusted as an apolitical figure. Certainly, President Joe Biden has cause to wonder whether a controversial decision he might one day make might later be second-guessed by the chairman in the media.
Milley's tenure will end before the next president enters office. Before then, however, the chairman will repeatedly be called upon to brief senior congressional leaders of both parties and members of the congressional armed service committees. Considering the rapidly rising risk of war with China over Taiwan or a military escalation with Russia over the war in Ukraine, Milley's briefings and their weight with Congress may be of immense importance to the nation. This is not an area with much nationally acceptable margin for doubt or error.
It's time for Milley to retire in the best interests of the nation he has served in uniform for 42 years. Considering his bold, China-focused reforms to the Marine Corps, Biden should nominate Marine Commandant David Berger to replace Milley. Alternatively, Air Force Chief of Staff Charles Brown should get the top job.
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