Milley honored as Charles Q. Brown takes over as next chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff
Mike Brest
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Gen. Mark Milley, the Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman who advised Presidents Donald Trump and Joe Biden, has retired after more than four decades in the Army.
The 65-year-old Massachusetts-born Army general was honored during an Armed Forces Farewell Tribute on Friday. He had combat command experiences in Panama, Bosnia, Iran, and Afghanistan and served in leadership positions, such as chief of staff of the Army, the position he served before his term as chairman. His successor is Gen. Charles Q. Brown, 61, who served as chief of staff of the Air Force until Biden chose him to be the 21st chairman. His tenure will begin on Oct. 1.
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“Today is not about anyone up here on this stage,” he said, referencing Biden, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Brown, or himself. “It’s about our democracy. It’s about our republic. It’s about the colors posted behind me. It’s about the ideas and the values that make up this great experiment in liberty. Those values and ideas are contained within the Constitution of the United States of America, which is the moral North Star for all of us, who have the privilege of wearing the cloth of our nation. It is that document, the idea that is America, is that document that gives purpose to our service.”
Trump nominated Milley to the position in December 2018 against the advice of his defense secretary, and he was confirmed in September 2019, but their relationship devolved from there.
Milley’s apology for his participation in a walk with then-President Trump from the White House across Lafayette Square to St. John’s Episcopal Church shortly after law enforcement officials cleared protesters out of the way during racial justice protests was a souring point for their relationship. Their divide grew during Trump’s tenure as a lame-duck president following his election loss in 2020, as he claimed fraud without evidence.
The chairman’s communication with his Chinese counterpart to assure that the U.S. wouldn’t launch a surprise attack against them during Trump’s failed election challenges incurred significant scrutiny from congressional Republicans. It also led Trump to accuse Milley of treason last week and argue such a crime used to be penalized by death.
“We don’t take an oath to a king, or queen, or tyrant or dictator. We don’t take an oath to a wannabe dictator,” Milley added during his farewell speech.
Milley, who said he has had to take “appropriate measures” to secure his and his family’s safety, noted in an interview set to air on Sunday with 60 Minutes, “As much as these comments are directed at me, it’s also directed at the institution of the military.”
The latter half of his tenure was marred by difficult situations, including the withdrawal from Afghanistan and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Biden fulfilled a campaign promise to withdraw U.S. forces from Afghanistan, which Trump wanted to do as well. While Milley advised Biden not to withdraw U.S. forces completely, the president pursued it anyway, and the chaotic and deadly withdrawal left the administration and Pentagon to face significant scrutiny.
More recently, Milley and Austin have led U.S. military support for Ukraine while working with defense leaders from dozens of allies to assist Ukraine collectively. Milley and Austin speak with their Ukrainian counterparts and meet monthly with defense officials from roughly 50 countries to ensure Ukraine’s most pressing needs are fulfilled.
Brown will assume Milley’s role alongside Austin in those meetings and at hearings on Capitol Hill. Brown will be the second black man to serve as chairman, following Gen. Colin Powell, and it will mark the first time both the defense secretary and Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman are black.
He was commissioned in 1984 from the ROTC Program at Texas Tech University, and during his career, Brown has commanded a fighter squadron, two fighter wings, Air Forces Central Command, and the Air Force Weapons School, according to his biography.
“As chairman, every day, I will focus on strengthening the bonds of trust across our force, ensuring the American people know their military and its service members, active, Guard, Reserve, and civilian only, as the unwavering defenders of the Constitution and servants of our nation,” Brown said during Milley’s retirement ceremony on Friday.
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Austin, Biden, and Milley spoke highly of the incoming chairman, with the latter calling his successor “the right leader to accelerate change, the right man at the right time to carry on the mission of this great military.”
Brown has faced criticism from some Republicans who have taken exception to his comments about race and diversity within the Armed Forces. Eleven senators, all Republicans, voted against his confirmation last week.