Gen. Mark Milley deserves to be rewarded: conservative
While some believe General Mark Milley should have been removed from his position sometime ago, others believe he should be rewarded if for nothing else, his ability to maintain peace with China.
According to USA Today, Milley has made many efforts to prevent war with China. In the last days of former President Donald Trump's one term, tension was very high as the embattled president reached a new level of unpredictability. That, along with his growing desperation to overturn the election that concerned Milley, only made things worse.
In fact, Chinese Gen. Li Zuocheng of the People's Liberation Army was also concerned and ready to strike back if Trump went off the deep end. However, Milley was able to cool the growing tension.
In recent days, reports have also surfaced about the oath Milley required military to officials to take to prohibit former President Donald Trump from impulsively launching nuclear codes.
The general's longterm relationship with Li has proven to be beneficial. In Bob Woodward and Robert Costa's new book, "Peril," one of Milley's conversations with Li was detailed. At one point during the discussion, Milley said, “General Li, you and I have known each other for now five years. If we’re going to attack, I’m going to call you ahead of time. It’s not going to be a surprise."
Some have considered the comment to be treasonious while others believe Milley's tactful communication skills may have kept millions of Americans from potentially being in harms way.
Despite the criticism, some former military officials have spoken out to defend Milley. James Stavridis, retired Navy admiral and former NATO Supreme Allied Commander, also weighed in.
"From all I can see today," said Stavridis, retired Navy. "Milley's actions were within his Navy remit to maintain open lines of communication with friends and foes alike, avoid potential miscalculation, and maintain military-to-military stability during a very tense period."
