🤭THANK🤗YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE🇺🇸❤🤍💙General Milley
One part of my day-to-day living is staying up to date with current events and news reports. I have been doing that since my late teens. My parents never told me to do that; one day when I was about 17 or so, I decided that mature adults stayed up to date with the news, and I decided to make that a standard practice for my life. I am still at it several decades later. It turned out to be a good decision and a good lifetime practice. As I started learning what it means to be an adult, I was blessed with remote mentoring from many people in journalism, people who were reporters, writers and camera people, all of them making sure the rest of us knew what was going on in the world. During these years, before internet advances and before social media, the across-the-board required standards were focused on objective reports about facts, and less about editorial opinions or opinion-focused commentary. I grew up with these journalists, and their reports focused on fact finding and fact reporting. This time started before the 40th anniversaries of the V-Days of WWII, and continuing aftermaths of WWII were more immediately present in news. These news years included more immediate aftermaths of the Civil Rights Movement and the murders of Civil Rights Movement leaders and others, (📖https://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/tserve/freedom/1917beyond/essays/crm.htm), the Cold War (📖https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cold_War; quote, “…a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc…”), the Cuban missile crisis and the near-miss of a nuclear incident (📖https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuban_Missile_Crisis#Resolution; also see, Two men who saved the world https://frederic-38110.medium.com/two-men-who-saved-the-world-91dc8c6f2bf9), ongoing aftermaths of the murders of President Kennedy and his brother Robert F. Kennedy, the Vietnam War and aftermaths, Watergate (📖https://www.crf-usa.org/bill-of-rights-in-action/bria-25-4-the-watergate-scandal.html), the Camp David Accords (peace treaty between Israel and Egypt, 📖https://history.state.gov/milestones/1977-1980/camp-david), the end of the Cold War, and so many other tumultuous events all around our world. Most of what I learned about all of these and other events, during my formative adult years, was by the work of objective, fact-finding, fact-reporting journalists; most of what these journalists reported reinforced lessons my parents had taught me about decency and the facts of rights that belong to each Human Being. As I have become an older adult, I continue my affinity for objective, fact-finding news reports.
A disturbing news report is why I decided to write this article. During news reports of recent weeks, I learned that Donald Trump had posted particular statements on social media about certain events leading up to the end of his term in office, and had expressed vitriolic anger against General Mark Milley, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. What Donald Trump actually said about General Milley—at the time still in the position of Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (i.e., one of our top line leaders)—was horrific, straight out of tactics that would only exist in an absolute autocracy dictatorship in which only one person, the autocratic dictator, would be considered to have any rights. On September 22, 2023, Donald Trump posted on social media angry statements about a conversation General Milley had with his Chinese counterpart in the waning days of Trump's term in office. Trump either ignored or did not like the purpose of the call, which was to provide information to Chinese leaders that would calm a stressful, difficult situation and maintain no-conflict security for both nations, a national security issue that was specifically materially relevant to General Milley's job and good job management. After lashing out at General Milley about the conversation, Trump concluded the social media post by falsely accusing General Milley of treason (apparently based on Trump having not been pre-informed about the conversation, which is not treason), and by falsely stating General Milley's actions would have during past times brought about a death sentence, comments that appeared to be a death threat against General Milley (to the best of my knowledge, and I am sure to the best of the knowledge of each historian of accurate American history, the USA has never issued treason charges or attempted to kill a skilled and honorable military leader for having a generally informative conversation with an international counterpart in order to maintain peace).
I was stunned. Those comments were extreme, even for Donald Trump, obviously unjustified and out of proportion, and an absolute contradiction against the rule of law and democracy of the United States. After I was able to adjust and absorb the fact that Donald Trump had actually made these statements, and considered how this would affect General Milley, who is an important USA military leader and a combat veteran, I was beyond angry. Donald Trump has lived his life focused on himself and money, and General Milley has lived his life as a defender and protector of others. By his call to his Chinese counterpart, General Milley was appropriately doing his job, protecting the USA; I also believe he was thinking beyond that, about accurately informing, and maintaining calm and peace that would prevent harm to others.
Before this social media incident, I had already read some news about General Milley's service as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during Trump's time in office; it was all good news about honorable service and his efforts to protect the USA and the rest of us. I decided to prepare information about General Milley that would document the contrast between what Donald Trump has said, versus the man General Milley actually is.
FACTS about General Mark Milley, an Officer of the Army of the United States of America, and additional related information:
1. Information from Wikipedia, page title Mark Milley: "He was born on June 20, 1958, in Winchester, Massachusetts...of Irish descent, and was raised Roman Catholic. His paternal Grandfather, Peter (1897-1976) was from Newfoundland and served with the Royal Newfoundland Regiment during the Gallipoli campaign in World War I. His father, Alexander (1924-2015), enlisted in the U.S. Navy in March 1943 as a naval corpsman. He was assigned to the 4th Marine Division and [in WWII] landed at Kwajalein, Saipan, Tinian and Iwo Jima. After the war, He worked as a restaurateur and food broker. He was a member of the Knights of Columbus, whose membership is limited to practicing Catholic men. Milley's mother, Mary Elizabeth (nèe Murphy), was a nurse who served with the Navy's WAVES in World War II and is described by Milley as a "break-the-glass-ceiling" type of woman." An important fact of General Milley that is emphasized in this quote is the military service history of his immediate family, in particular those who raised him. General Milley's personal life has been lived in military service, and his attitudes and approach to living his life have particularly included his own decisions to serve his country, to defend and protect the Constitution, and defend and protect the rest of us.
1a. "Milley attended Catholic grammar school where he played hockey. Good grades and hockey led to him being recruited to Belmont Hill School and afterwards to Princeton University where he played varsity ice hockey. ¶There, he joined the Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) and in 1980 graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in politics after completing a 185-page-long senior thesis titled "A Critical Analysis of Revolutionary Guerrilla Organization in Theory and Practice". Milley also holds a Master of International Affairs degree from the School of International & Public Affairs (SIPA) at Columbia University and another Master of Arts degree in national security and strategic studies from the Naval War College. He is also an attendee of the MIT [Massachusetts Institute of Technology] Center for International Studies Seminar XXI National Studies Program." ....WOW. A lot of things to unpack here to understand what this means.
2. Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC), from Wikipedia, "...is a group of college-and-university-based officer-training programs for training commissioned officers of the United States Armed Forces." In other words, those who participate in ROTC programs are already considering or planning to enter military service and enter ROTC programs to prepare for military service. So, the younger Mark Milley was already thinking about a military career.
2a. What is military? From Wikipedia, Military: "A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct military uniform. It may consist of one or more military branches such as an army, navy, air force, space force, marines, or coast guard. The main task of the military is usually defined as defence of the state and its interests against external threats." Further, from the same page, subsection, In Combat: "The primary reason for the existence of the military is to engage in combat, should it be required to do so by the national defence policy, and to win. This represents an organisational goal of any military, and the primary focus for military thought through military history. How victory is achieved, and what shape it assumes, is studied by most, if not all, military groups..." A standing military, or standing armed forces, is a military force comprised of those whose full-time, dedicated job is to be a member of the military force in which they work, and to be prepared to enter combat on behalf of their nation at a moment’s notice. Due to the types of problems Humanity has been faced with, and the nature of these problems, maintaining social and national security and safety by a standing national military is, for most nations, an essential necessity. In order to maintain a standing military, there must be members of society of the nation in question that either volunteer to a long-term commitment to serve in the military, or are drafted for a period of time, sometimes completing their service and moving on to other work, and sometimes deciding to re-enlist. General Milley is a volunteer long-term career member of the standing military of the Armed Forces of the United States of America.
2ai. The oath of office for members of the Armed Forces of the USA, from Military.com: The oath of enlistment (for enlisted): "I [the oath swearer's name] do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign or domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform code of Military Justice. So, help me God." Further: It is important to note that this oath of office DOES NOT require any member of the military to swear an oath of allegiance TO the President, or TO any officer, or TO any person, but to swear an oath to support and defend the Constitution; and to swear an oath to follow orders ACCORDING TO standards, rules, regulations and ethics already established. THAT IS AS IT SHOULD BE. As enlisted members of the USA Armed Forces have carried out their service, the purpose is to defend and protection our nation, and the People of our nation (i.e., the rest of us).
2aii. The oath of office for members of the Armed Forces of the USA, from Military.com: The oath for officers: "I [the oath swearer's name] having been appointed an officer in the [Military Branch] of the United States, as indicated above in the grade of [the oath swearer's military rank] do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic, that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office upon which I am about to enter; So help me God." Again, this oath is sworn to support and defend the Constitution and IS NOT to the President or any other person. THAT IS AS IT SHOULD BE. The entire point and purpose of this oath is to honorably serve, to defend and protect the United States of America (aka the United States), our nation, and the People of our nation (i.e., the rest of us).
2aiii. Since Donald Trump brought it up... What would happen in a country with a standing military that had to swear an oath to only one person, and was obligated to only one person, and had no obligation to honorably serve, and no obligation to anyone else in the country? The entire point and purpose of every single Human Being in the standing military, the weapons, the training, the capacity and ability to engage in combat or to carry out violence generally, the possibilities of events, impacts and aftermaths resulting from combat or violence generally, would be focused on only one person and that one person's state of mind, that one person's thoughts, temperament, attitudes, opinions, day to day decisions, personal desires, personal tendencies, likes or dislikes, and any other matters focused only on that one person. That means if that one person decided to use the military to start a violent incident of any type, a war or a domestic attack or something else, for any reason at all no matter how trivial or self-centered, with that one person the only one that the military was sworn to, all of the capacity, strength, weapons, skill and ability to kill of the military would be launched against others who could be targeted for violence or killing for trivialities, possibly thousands or millions of others at home or abroad, based only on what that one person wanted for themselves.
2aiv. A primary issue that persistently came up during Donald Trump’s time in office was Donald Trump’s insistence that public officers and public officials had to swear fealty and loyalty to Donald Trump. That issue existed before Trump was in office, continued when Trump was in office, and has never stopped. To this day, Trump complains about people who have worked with him or around him and were not “loyal” to him personally; as he has expressed these complaints pertaining to him time in office, it was as though he was viewing the office of the President of the United States of America, a public service job he was elected to in 2016 for a four-year term, as somehow having become his personal possession. Contradictions? The crucial, established facts of the Constitution, the legally required elections every four years, the legally required peaceful transfer of power when the candidate who is not the incumbent is elected or when two legally elected terms have been served, the legal requirements about how to manage one’s self pertaining to public services and public property (i.e., property that includes documents that are owned by the government, paid for by taxpayer funds), and the rights of each other American (i.e., the rest of us). And, there are the well-known facts that the USA is a democracy (specifically a democratic republic) and is NOT an autocracy or dictatorship; the USA is governed by rule of law and a national system of governing that includes checks and balances between three branches of the federal government; the USA is NOT governed by autocratic, dictatorial personal demands, likes, dislikes, and preferences of Donald Trump.
2av. Why would Donald Trump accuse such an exemplary military leader of treason because this leader had a calming conversation with a counterpart in another country, for whom there was an apparent reason to worry about a possible attack by the U.S.? Apparently, Trump decided it was personally disloyal to Trump, for one reason or another. HUGE contradicting fact: General Milley was not obligated in fealty or sworn oath to Donald Trump and only to Donald Trump, and Donald Trump has NO RIGHTS to accuse General Milley of treason. General Milley maintained his actual sworn oath to the Constitution and protected national security by doing his job. As MOST Americans are aware, if Donald Trump did not like the way General Milley handled it, that is NOT “treason”.
2avi. But then the next matter that arises is the question, how will some of Trump’s followers that idolize Trump interpret the horrific statements Trump made? These problems of false idolization of Trump from some of Trump’s followers is one aspect of some of the hardcore Trump following; it is false idolization, unhealthy, a cult-like mindset that accepts and believes regardless of facts that prove otherwise. Instead of working to stop these problems, Donald Trump has not viewed these problems as problems, and has been using it to pursue what he wants for himself. This man, Donald Trump, has now gone so far into this cult-like mindset on his end of these problems that he actually carried out a public, completely unjustified, life-threatening statement against an exemplary, highly educated, and highly experienced and skilled leader of our military, a man who volunteered to serve, and has served honorably in peacetime and in combat.
2b. What is service? Selections from wordhippo.com: 1. The armed forces. Synonyms: Military, services, troops, army, navy, marines, air force, special forces, soldiery, defense force, servicepeople. 2. Time in military operation. Synonyms: Active duty, duty, action, combat. 3. Work performed by someone, typically as part of their profession. Synonyms: Effort, work, labor, endeavor, duty, occupation, activity, diligence, elbow grease, hard work, gruntwork, value, and blood, sweat and tears. 4. An act of being of assistance to someone. Synonyms: Contribution, help, aid, assistance, boon, benevolence, courtesy, good turn, grace, support, ministration, good deed.
2bi. Military service is active duty or reserve duty (i.e., being reserved, or on call, for duty and called to duty when necessary) in which the active and reserve members of the military engage in the work, labor, effort, occupation, and hard work necessary to perform the job they have in the military. There are a wide variety of jobs in the military, but the most prominent part of military service is the possibility and actuality of serving in combat. What is combat? In the context of this information, which is military service, combat is fighting by one group/nationality of armed forces against another group/nationality of armed forces. The nature of armed forces means that the fighting is by arms, aka weapons--e.g. various types of guns (rifle, pistol, machine gun), cannon, grenades, bayonets and knives, artillery (mortars, howitzers, rockets, air defenses), mines (explosive devices planted on the ground, in the ground, or in bodies of water), and ordnance (bullets of various sizes, missiles, rockets, torpedoes); weaponized vehicles such as tanks, fighting vehicles for infantry (soldiers), armored personnel carriers, mine-resistant and ambush-protected vehicles; non-weaponized military vehicles for logistics, combat engineering, and other travel; aircraft for transporting troops and supplies, attack helicopters, unmanned aerial vehicles, fighter jets, and bombers; and military boats and ships, such as attack submarines, aircraft carriers, cruisers, destroyers and frigates, each Navy, as well as Coast Guard cutters and boats.
2c. Since military service requires preparation to enter combat, that means those who serve in the military must be prepared to engage in combat and use the weapons against the other side. It also means that military service members must accept the fact that, in order to engage in combat, they will be in front of and targeted by the weapons of the other side. Everyone in the military, including those with non-combat jobs, are trained in use of weapons, with training details depending on their specific job. Since bullets and bombs are common military weapons, that means that those who serve in the military, particularly those with positions in which engagement in combat is their primary job or their only job, must deal with and accept the fact that they could be injured or killed by the weapons that are part of military combat. Those who are officers have authority and management responsibilities for the others who are under their command. This authority and these duties are of significant importance and responsibility and include making decisions for how to manage combat operations being carried out by others who are under their command.
2d. A military career in the Armed Forces of the United States is the professional career that General Mark Milley prepared for and chose to pursue with his life. That is a service decision, i.e. a decision made with self-less, thoughtful consideration for protecting others, in other words, a big deal and blessed decision. Please note that General Milley comes from a family of people who served in the military. His Grandfather served in WWI, and both of his Parents served in WWII. As Milley decided to pursue a military career, he also decided to pursue a higher education, discussed in part 3.
3. Princeton University; quoted from Wikipedia: "Princeton University is a private Ivy League research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and one of the nine colonial colleges chartered before the American Revolution. The institution moved to Newark in 1747, and then to the current site nine years later. It officially became a university in 1896 and was subsequently renamed Princeton University...As of October 2021, 75 Nobel laureates, 16 Field medalists and 16 Turing Award laureates have been affiliated with Princeton University as alumni, faculty members, or researchers. In addition, Princeton has been associated with 21 National Medal of Science awardees, 5 Abel Prize awardees, 11 National Humanities Medal recipients, 217 Rhodes Scholars, 137 Marshall Scholars, and 62 Gates Cambridge Scholars. Two U.S. Presidents, twelve U.S. Supreme Court Justices (three of whom currently serve on the court) and numerous living industry and media tycoons and foreign heads of state are all counted among Princeton alumni body. Princeton has graduated many members of the U.S. Congress and the U.S. Cabinet, including eight Secretaries of State, three Secretaries of Defense, and two Chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff [one of whom is General Mark Milley]...Princeton follows a liberal arts curriculum, and offers two bachelor's degrees to students: a Bachelor of Arts (A.B.) and a Bachelor of Science in Engineering (B.S.E). Typically, A.B. students choose a major (called a concentration) at the end of sophomore year, while B.S.E. students declare at the end of their freshman year. Students must complete distribution requirements, departmental requirements, and independent work to graduate with either degree...A.B. majors must complete 31 courses, whereas B.S.E. majors must complete 36 courses."
3a. Columbia University; quoted from Wikipedia: "Columbia University, officially titled as Columbia University in the City of New York, is a private Ivy League research University in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhattan, it is the oldest institution of higher education in New York and the fifth-oldest in the United States...Columbia is organized into twenty schools, including four undergraduate schools and 16 graduate schools...As of December 2021, its alumni, faculty, and staff have included seven Founding Fathers of the United States; four U.S. Presidents; 33 foreign heads of state; two secretaries-general of the United Nations; ten justices of the United States Supreme Court; 102 Nobel laureates; 125 National Academy of Sciences members; 53 living billionaires; 23 Olympic medalists; 33 Academy Award winners; and 125 Pulitzer Prize recipients."
3ai. Naval War College, from usnwc.edu: "U.S. Naval War College, Est. 1884, Newport, Rhode Island..."The War College is a place of original research on all questions relating to war and to statesmanship connected with war, or the prevention of war...Research & War gaming at the U.S. Naval War College: Founded, in the words of Rear Admiral Stephen B. Luce, United States Navy, as "a place of original research," one of the primary functions of the U.S. Naval War College (NWC) is to conduct research, analysis, and gaming to support the requirements of the Secretary of the Navy and others. The Center for Naval Warfare Studies (CNWS) at NWC complements our educational curriculum by serving as a home for original research, innovative thinking, and creative problem solving." In addition, the NWC has a partnership with Brown University, one of the Ivy League universities.
3b. Ivy League, quoted from Wikipedia: "The Ivy League is an American collegiate athletic conference, which comprises eight private research universities in the Northeastern United States...The term Ivy League is typically used beyond the sports context to refer to the eight schools as a group of elite colleges with connotations of academic excellence [and] selectivity in admissions...Its members are Brown University, Columbia University, Cornell University, Dartmouth College, Harvard University, Princeton University, University of Pennsylvania, and Yale University."
3c. Part of the entire point to attend an Ivy League college is the academic excellence; these schools have high academic standards and in order for a student to graduate, they must be able to successfully manage the difficult and rigorous levels of academic requirements. General Milley attended these universities, and successfully completed his degree programs.
3ci. General Milley attended two Ivy League universities, and received a Bachelor of Arts degree and a Masters of International Affairs degree; and additionally attended one of the United States military universities at which he earned another Masters degree. Impressive. Smart guy, and one of our leaders in our military. Personally, I am really glad about and grateful for his service for our country.
4. From Wikipedia, Mark Milley: "Milley earned his commission as an armor officer through Princeton's Army Reserve Officer's Training Corps program in 1980. ¶Milley's career has included assignments with the 82nd Airborne Division, 5th Special Forces Group, 7th Infantry Division, 2nd Infantry Division, Joint Readiness Training Center, 25th Infantry Division, Operations Staff of the Joint Staff, and a posting as Military Assistant to the Secretary of Defense. ¶Milley has held multiple command and staff positions in eight divisions and special forces throughout his military career. He commanded 1st Battalion, 506th Infantry, 2nd Infantry Division, in South Korea from 1996 to 1998. He served as commander of 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light)) from December 2033 to July 2005; deputy commanding general for operations of the 101st Airborne Division from July 2007 to April 2008, and as commanding general of the 10th Mountain Division from November 2011 to December 2012. Milley commanded III Corps, based at Fort Hood, Texas, from December 2012 to August 2014, and concurrently the International Security Assistance Force Joint Command from May 2013 to February 2014. He served as the commanding general of the United States Army Forces Command at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, from August 2014 to August 2015....¶Milley was appointed Chief of Staff of the Army on August 14, 2015. In his initial message to the U.S. Army, General Milley laid out his priorities on readiness, the future Army, and taking care of troops. "We must ensure the Army remains ready as the world's premier combat force, Readiness for ground combat is--and will remain--the U.S. Army's #1 priority. We will do what it takes to build an agile, adaptive Army of the future." " Further: The Wikipedia information goes on to discuss General Milley having been nominated by Donald Trump to serve as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, a nomination that was confirmed by the Senate on July 25, 2019; General Milley was sworn in on September 30, 2019. As Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, at different times, General Milley effectively communicated with his counterparts in Russia and China to reduce risks of conflicts, to prevent conflicts, and to maintain peaceful security. General Milley continued to serve as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff under President Biden, "relinquishing his post as chairman to General Charles Q. Brown Jr. on September 29, 2023."
4a. Regarding 82nd Airborne Division; from Wikipedia: "The 82nd Airborne Division is an airborne infantry division of the United States Army specializing in parachute assault operations into denied areas with a U.S. Department of Defense requirement to "respond to crisis contingencies anywhere in the world within 18 hours." In other words, General Milley voluntarily jumped out of airplanes for combat operations and was skilled at preparing for such events on short notice. Wow. Gratitude.
4b. Regarding 5th Special Forces Group, United States, from Wikipedia: "The 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne) (5th SFG (A), 5th Group) is one of the most decorated active duty United States Army Special Forces groups...5th Group is designed to deploy and execute nine doctrinal missions: unconventional warfare, foreign internal defense, direct action, counter-insurgency, special reconnaissance, counter-terrorism, information operations, counter proliferation of weapon of mass destruction, and security force assistance." In other words, these guys, that included General Milley, have to be really, really good at their job. More gratitude.
4c. Regarding 7th Infantry Division, United States; from Wikipedia: "The 7th Infantry Division is an active duty infantry division of the United States Army based at Joint Base Lewis-McChord charged with sustaining the combat readiness of two Stryker brigade combat teams (BCT), a combat aviation brigade, and a Division Artillery Unit, as well as participating in several yearly partnered exercises and operations in support of the U.S. Army Pacific and the Indo-Pacific region. The 7th Infantry Division is the only active-duty multi-component division headquarters in the Army. The 7th Infantry Division is also home to two of the Army's newest enabling battlefield capabilities, the Multi-Domain Task Force and the Intelligence, Information, Cyber, Electronic Warfare and Space Capabilities, or I2CEWS battalion." Another very important job for the defense and protection of the USA, and, these guys, that included General Milley, are really good at their job too. More gratitude.
4d. Regarding 2nd Infantry Division, United States; from Wikipedia: "The 2nd Infantry Division (2ID, 2nd ID) ("Indianhead") is a formation of the United States Army. Its current primary mission is the pre-emptive defense of South Korea in the event of an invasion from North Korea...The 2nd Infantry Division is unique in that it is the only U.S. Army division that is made up partially of South Korean soldiers, called KATUSAs (Korean Augmentation to the U.S. Army). This program began in 1950 by agreement with the first South Korean president, Syngman Rhee..." Some of General Milley's international defense experience....
4e. Regarding the Joint Readiness Training Center; from Wikipedia, Fort Johnson: "Fort Johnson, formerly Fort Polk, is a United States Army installation located in Vernon Parish, Louisiana...Fort Johnson began as a base for the Louisiana Maneuvers in the 1940's. It served the 1st Armored Division in the 1950's, and became a basic training post during Vietnam War years of the 1960's and 70's. It hosted the 5th Infantry Division (Mechanized) in the 1970's-1980's, and the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment in the 1990's and the 1st Maneuver Enhancement Brigade, and the 162nd Infantry Brigade in the 2000's. Fort John is now home to the Joint Readiness Training Center (JRTC), the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, 115th Combat Support Hospital, U.S. Army Garrison and Bayne-Jones Army Community Hospital." General Milley's experience working with other branches of the military....
4f. Regarding the 25th Infantry Division; from Wikipedia: "The 25th Infantry Division (nicknamed "Tropic Lightening) is a United States Army division based at Schofield Barracks in Hawaii. The division, which was activated on 1 October 1941 in Hawaii, conducts military operations primarily in the Asia-Pacific region...Tropic Lightening soldiers regularly train with other U.S. military branches to practice and maintain joint operations capabilities. The climate and terrain of the Pacific region demands Tropic Lightening soldiers be able to operate in physically demanding and harsh environments." General Milley's additional experience working with other branches of the military, added to the fact that in this job, Milley had to be able to physically deal with the most difficult terrain and environmental circumstances while also being prepared for combat....
4g. Regarding the Joint Staff: The Joint Staff is a staff consisting of members from the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, National Guard, and the Space Force. From jcs.mil, Joint Chiefs of Staff web site, the Joint Staff page: “The Joint Chiefs of Staff consist of the Chairman, the Vice Chairman, the Chief of Staff of the Army, the Chief of Staff of Naval Operations, the Chief of Staff of the Air Force, the Commandant of the Marine Corps, the Chief of the National Guard Bureau and the Chief of Space Operations. ¶The collective body of the JCS is headed by the Chairman (or the Vice Chairman in the Chairman's absence), who sets the agenda and presides over the JCS meetings. Responsibilities as members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff take precedence over duties as the Chiefs of Military Services. The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is the principal military adviser to the President, Secretary of Defense, and the National Security Council (NSC), however, all JCS members are by law military advisers, and they may respond to a request or voluntarily submit, through the Chairman, advice or opinions to the President, the Secretary of Defense, or NSC." These are top level positions with the most significant responsibilities for protecting our nation (i.e. the rest of us) and advising our other leaders. I have lived most of my life reading about the Joint Chiefs of Staff in news articles from time to time, and not spending a lot of time thinking about the JCS, and what these members of our military do. One of the reasons I was able to do that? These experienced defense and combat leaders are on the job, they are good at their job, they do their job honorably with adherence to their oath (to the Constitution), they abide by our rule of law that includes civilian leadership at the top, and they provide essential protections for our democratic republic. So, as I've been going about my day to day living, I have been protected and defended by everyone at the JCS, awesome Americans. I have not had to think about it all of the time because they are on the job, good at it, and taking care of their job as they should be. This excellent service includes General Milley. So, more gratitude.
5. All of this lifelong learning, the examples of his family, top levels of education, and high-quality experience and skill is what General Milley brought to the job as a member of the Joint Staff, and as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Donald Trump should have been grateful that General Milley was the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs during Trump’s term in office, and grateful for General Milley's perception, intuition, professionalism and skill at handling the stressful situations he managed as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, including the phone call to General Milley's Chinese counterpart, and everything else General Milley did to fulfill his oath of office... to the Constitution.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE, General Mark Milley.
Carol Etta Kelso
Prophet, Charging Complainant (against the betrayer), the Petitioner, author of the charging document
🙏👩💻🙏✍👉♾⏳👑⚛🧬🪔💝🛡