Milley’s Retirement Plans
Retired Army General Mark A. Milley, the former top officer of the U.S. military, said he was “deeply grateful” to receive a preemptive pardon from outgoing President Biden. He served as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during President-elect Donald Trump’s first term.
“My family and I are deeply grateful for the President’s action today,” Milley said in a statement to USA Today provided by a spokesperson. “After forty-three years of faithful service in uniform to our Nation, protecting and defending the Constitution, I do not wish to spend whatever remaining time the Lord grants me fighting those who unjustly might seek retribution for perceived slights.”
These perceived slights include the deeply contentious COVID vaccination response, recruiting and retention failures, and adverse interactions with foreign allies.
His publicly defended prioritization on DEI within the armed forces has undercut the military’s mission and cohesiveness.
He reportedly briefed congressional leaders in closed session that Ukraine would “fall in 72 hours” after a Russian invasion.
Prior to the disastrous withdrawal he maintained Afghan security forces had the abilities and resources needed to fight and defend their country, and advised the abandonment of the fortified Bagram Air Base in favor of Kabul’s airport. In testimony before the Senate a month after the pullout, Milley called the evacuation “a logistical success but a strategic failure” for the country.
Perhaps most egregiously he took it upon himself to twice contact his counterpart in the People’s Liberation Army Gen. Li Zuocheng, “conveying reassurance in order to maintain strategic stability” saying that President Trump did not intend to launch a military strike. “I said, hell, I’ll call you. But we’re not going to attack you,” Milley told the House Armed Services Committee.
A Presidential Pardon will only get one so far.
Hegseth cutting Milley’s security detail, eyes stripping him of star
Story by Ellen Mitchell
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is set to announce the immediate rescission of the personal security detail and security clearance for former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, retired Army Gen. Mark Milley, several news outlets report.
The Trump administration is also aiming to get Milley demoted in retirement. Hegseth is expected to direct the Pentagon’s new acting Inspector General to conduct a review board to see if enough evidence exists for the four-star general to be stripped of a star based on his actions to “undermine the chain of command” during President Trump’s first term, multiple senior administration officials told Fox News, which first reported on the plan.
Additionally, a second portrait of Milley inside the Pentagon will be removed as soon as Tuesday night. That portrait sits in the Army’s Marshall Corridor on the third floor and honors Milley’s service as a former chief-of-staff of the Army. The first portrait of him, which was removed just hours after President Trump was sworn into his second term on Jan. 20, depicted his time as the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Taking down both Milley portraits means there will be no more imagery of him inside the Pentagon.
Defense Department officials declined to comment on the potential directives, and the White House did not respond to a request for comment.
Not a bright future in DC thinktanks or the military defense industry without a security clearance, so the talking head circuit beckons. Maybe a book deal? Happy retirement, Mark.
Hat tip to our own Devtun for the inspiration.
Category: Big Pentagon, Guest Link, Schadenfreude
