If Gen. Milley Were A Traitor, What Would He Have Done Differently?

General Mark Milley is the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the highest ranking military officer in the United States. As the debacle of the US withdrawal from Afghanistan now morphs into a hostage crisis for the Americans left behind, it’s fair for those of us who love our country and support our troops to ask this question: If General Mark Milley were a traitor to our country, what – if anything – would he have done differently?

The most famous traitor in American history was Benedict Arnold. His treasonous act during the Revolutionary War was his attempted surrender of the military fort at West Point to the British. Fortunately, his efforts were not successful. By contrast, General Milley ensured that Bagram Air Force Base fell into enemy hands by simply abandoning it in the middle of the night, without even handing it over to our putative Afghan allies, and while thousands of Americans were still in Kabul.

He then moved evacuation efforts to a poorly secured commercial airport not designed for military use. Milley was passionate about Bagram’s closing although he could never articulate why it must be closed.

While testifying to Congress in June he stated, “So, a couple of quick comments here. On Bagram, it’s not necessary tactically, operationally, for what we’re gonna try to do here with Afghanistan. Consolidate on Kabul, with, in support of their government.” That was simply not true. Bagram was critically needed both tactically and operationally, even more so because everyone knew the Afghan government would fall sooner or later - most likely sooner. Yet General Milley desperately wanted us not to have Bagram when we needed it most.

You know what Benedict Arnold didn’t do? He didn’t give billions of dollars of military equipment to the British. But that is exactly what Gen. Milley gave to the Taliban. He handed the Taliban over 64,000 Humvees and other vehicles, plus almost 500,000 guns! If an enlisted man loses his gun while on patrol, the men in his platoon might have to risk their lives to go find that one gun so it doesn’t end up in enemy hands. Yet the arsenal below is what General Milley chose not to remove from theater, allowing it instead to become property of the Taliban.

My wife noted in disgust the incompetence of our military leadership in not being able to remove the aircraft, when they had several months to simply fly the aircraft out. She’s actually being charitable in assuming that Milley and the brass wanted to remove the aircraft, hindered only by their own incompetence. It’s just my observation and opinion, but turning over as much military equipment as possible to the Taliban almost seemed to be part of the mission.

Per a recent USA Today article, “Marine Gen. Kenneth McKenzie, head of U.S. Central Command, said some of the equipment had been ‘demilitarized,’ essentially rendered inoperable” and per a Defense consultant named Loren Thompson, "The helicopters are the most expensive item, but the ability of the Taliban to operate and maintain them without outside help is modest."

No one seems to know how much of the equipment in the chart above was decommissioned, but just this week the Taliban appeared to put at least one of those Blackhawks to use as a flying gallows.

And how about all those “decommissioned” military vehicles the Taliban is driving in their victory parade?

If a General wanted to sabotage the effectiveness of his fighting force, what else might he do? Perhaps try to divide his troops into hostile sub-groups?

Gen. Milley is leading the charge on Critical Race Theory, pushing the troops to explore the idea that the United States is an illegitimate country, plagued with systemic racism and “white rage.” He seemingly wants white troops to confess their racism and profess shame for their skin color while teaching minority troops that they are all victims, and that their fellow white troops are actually their oppressors. Yeah, that’ll further the esprit de corps necessary for the troops to fight as one unit. Fortunately, the troops are much better Americans than General Milley is. Despite his efforts to divide and demoralize our troops, they remain unified and they are the pride of US citizens.

Speaking of Gen. Milley’s efforts to demoralize the troops, why would he condone Drag Queen Shows for young, testosterone-filled men? Maybe General Milley is simply trying to groom those young men to fulfill a fetish of his. Alternatively, compelling young fighting men to engage in cross-dressing and teaching them that drag queen shows are part of the military lifestyle could be an effective way to take the military spirit out of them.

I don’t know what has made General Milley choose to aggressively sabotage our military while at the same time provide our enemy with a mind-boggling arsenal. Incompetence is his best defense. But if the intent was to aid and abet the enemy while sabotaging the military operation he led, there could not be a better playbook than the one that General Milley followed.

Whether for incompetence or for betraying his country, a court martial is warranted.

(buck.throckmorton at protonmail.com)

posted by Buck Throckmorton at 02:56 PM

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