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Consider This from NPR

The Chair Of the Joint Chiefs Is Retiring. What's His Legacy?

Consider This from NPR

NPR

News, Daily News, Society & Culture, News Commentary

4.26.2K Ratings

🗓️ 2 October 2023

⏱️ 12 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Army General Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, had a tenure marked by a relentless series of challenges. He served through the U.S. withdrawal of forces from Afghanistan, Russia's invasion of Ukraine and rising tensions with China.

He also served under an American president with little regard for the norms that have historically separated politics from the U.S. military: Donald Trump.

In an interview shortly before his retirement last weekend, NPR's Mary Louise Kelly asked Milley about the relationship between the military and the executive branch — and how it was tested under Trump.

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Transcript

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0:00.0

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0:10.5

Learn more at Honeywell.com slash NPR.

0:20.8

Over the course of within four decades in uniform, Mark Milley has risen from newly minted

0:26.1

army officer to seasoned commander of troops in combat to the nation's top-ranking military

0:32.7

officer and advisor to the president.

0:35.2

But when we caught up with him the other day, he was occupied with less weighty matters,

0:40.0

like cleaning out his desk.

0:41.7

We just finished cleaning it out a few minutes ago and I've got a, I just count up 16 things

0:48.5

that I got assigned here real quick.

0:51.5

You're actually taking like pictures off the walls and all that?

0:54.5

Yeah, all that's been done.

0:55.5

The only thing left in here is furniture and flags.

0:58.4

Milley turned over his post as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff over the weekend.

1:03.5

His four years in that role were defined by a seemingly non-stop series of challenges.

1:09.8

There was the end of the 20-year-long U.S. campaign in Afghanistan, rising tensions with

1:14.9

China, Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

1:18.0

There was also an American president with little regard for the norms that have historically

1:23.2

separated politics from the U.S. military.

1:26.0

I have generals that are great generals.

1:28.1

These are great fighters.

...

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