Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark A. Milley retired Friday. President Joe Biden spoke at a ceremony honoring the general held at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall near Washington, D.C. Biden called the “partnership” he had with Milley “invaluable.” Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin described Milley as “a scholar and a warrior,” saying, “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.”
Milley spoke for some time, joking that the good news was no one need hear him speak in uniform anymore after Friday’s ceremony. His speech highlighted the people who helped him and the important work being done by the U.S. military around the world. But he saved a few choice words for the topic of the military’s place in the separation of powers that is essential to a healthy democracy.
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 queen, or a tyrant, or a dictator. And 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 and we take an oath to the idea that this is America and we’re willing to die to protect it. Every soldier, sailor, airman, Marine, guardian and Coast Guard: Each of us commits our very life to protect and defend that document regardless of personal price.
This is the first part of Milley’s speech. The second part will be posted below it as soon as it becomes available.
Air Force Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr. will succeed Milley as the new chairman.
Tuberville’s political posturing is endangering military readiness and risks U.S. national security.
