![]() ![]() General Milley has a deep sense of history. We’ve taken on the pacing challenge of the People’s Republic of China, confronted a once-in-a-generation pandemic, and led the world to help Ukraine fight back after Russia’s imperial invasion. Now, think of everything that our military has done during his tenure as Chairman. And he loved absolutely every minute of it.Īnd then General Milley agreed to serve another four years in an even tougher job. He continued to rapidly climb.Īnd in 2015, he went on to spend four demanding years as Chief of Staff of the Army. There, he learned a ton of skills that would help him later in his career. So following brigade command, I encouraged him to serve on the Joint Staff. This goes back to his earliest days as an infantryman and a Green Beret, including his time commanding a battalion in the famed 506th parachute infantry regiment.Īnd during his brigade command, what I saw was what so many others have also seen: his vigor, his grit, and his tremendous leadership potential. And he’s never hesitated to charge into danger for his troops or his country. Like I said, he was always eager to get into the fight. ![]() And afterward, I asked, “Hey, General, has this happened to you before?”Īnd Mark said, “Oh yes sir-I’ve been blown up about five times now.” I recommend that we get the hell out of here.” I’m angry because we can’t return fire because the guy ran away. And Mark said, “Hey sir, you OK?”Īnd I said, “Mark, we’ve just been hit. It hit my door and shredded the tires on our Humvee. So we took Route Irish in Baghdad, which was known as the most dangerous road in the world. So as we prepared to depart, following detailed rehearsals, I said to General Milley, “You know, Mark, this just doesn’t feel right.” We’ll do it at night when it’s easier and there’s not much activity.” And Mark said, “Hey sir, let’s go into town to the hospital to see our soldier. During one of my visits, one of his troops was wounded. You see, during the Iraq War, I was commanding the 10th Mountain Division, and he was one of my brigade commanders. I’ve seen that firsthand over our long history of working together-including one time when he got me blown up. Without that, he said, “Skill is just potential.”īut General Milley has never let his skill languish as “just potential.” And he has always been eager to get into the fight. Bobby Orr once said that hockey teams win because of hard work and sacrifice. He calls Boston the “holy land.” So to him, Bobby Orr of the Boston Bruins is a patron saint. It’s a little-known fact-unless you’ve ever met the guy. Now, you may not know this, but he grew up in Boston. So today is a celebration of every American who volunteers to wear the cloth of our nation.Īnd it’s a celebration of the distinguished career of General Mark Milley. Every day, that force defends our country, supports our allies and partners, advances our interests, and upholds our founding values. Now, the service members on the field today represent our Joint Force-the troops whom General Milley led with such passion and skill as Chairman. I’m glad to be here with so many of our senior leaders at the Department, including our Service Secretaries, Service Chiefs, the Joint Staff, and our combatant commanders.Īnd again, thanks to you all for joining us today as we salute General Mark Milley for his distinguished tenure as the 20th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.Īnd I am absolutely honored to welcome General Charles Q. Let me also thank the members of Congress, ambassadors, and foreign leaders who are joining us, as well as the former senior military leaders and former secretaries of defense. President Biden, Vice President Harris, it is an absolute honor to have both of you with us today. ![]() Troops and the band, you look magnificent this morning.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |