Biden hails Milley as 'uncompromising' patriot as new chairman takes reins

By Michael Hernandez

WASHINGTON (AA) - US President Joe Biden hailed outgoing Joint Chiefs Chairman Mark Milley as an "uncompromising" patriot Friday as the Army general prepares to return to civilian life after serving over four decades in the military.

Milley, 65, is slated to be succeeded by Air Force Gen. CQ Brown, who will become the second Black man to become the most senior military official in the US.

Speaking at a ceremony honoring the general and welcoming Brown to the new role, Biden recognized Milley for his extraordinary military, which included spending roughly five years in war zones from Panama to Iraq, saying Milley has "a chest full of metals to show for it."

Milley, he said, is "a patriot, uncompromising in his duty, unflinching in the face of danger and unwavering in the service of the country."

Biden further commented on their time together after Biden assumed the presidency, saying he "relied on Mark's counsel, because I know he always gives it to me straight, no matter what."

"During his tenure as Chairman, Mark has been a steadying hand guiding our military as we navigate what I would argue is one of the most complex security environments our world has faced in the long time," said Biden.

"He's been critical to strengthening America's existing alliances, from NATO to the Indo-Pacific to building new strategic partnerships like AUKUS, to keeping our force at the cutting edge in the fields of cyber and space," he added, referring to a trilateral security agreement between Australia, the UK and US.

Milley's successor, Brown, was confirmed by the Senate last week following a months-long hold by Sen. Tommy Tuberville over a Pentagon policy that he is seeking to reverse.

Nearly 400 other senior military promotions remain in gridlock due to Tuberville as he seeks to have the Defense Department rescind a policy allowing service members to receive paid time off to travel to a jurisdiction to receive reproductive health care, including abortions.

Biden issued a stern broadside against Tuberville and his fellow Senate Republicans, saying the hold is "an insult" to the hundreds of officers who remain in limbo, and is impact everything from military readiness to the retention of existing troops.

"I've been here a long time. I've never seen anything like this. It’s outrageous, and it must stop. Their promotions, their careers, their families, their future, held hostage for the political agenda of one senator, and the silence of another 47 of them," he said.

Milley will formally retire Saturday evening with the close of the current fiscal year, and with odds increasing that lawmakers will be unable to fund the government, prompting a government-wide shutdown.

Lawmakers have until the end of the day Saturday to pass a bill to fund the government and avoid a potentially catastrophic government shutdown. But intra-Republican quarreling in the House of Representatives over deep spending cuts has added speculation that a closure is a foregone conclusion.

Should that take place, the federal government’s 4 million workers will be furloughed, or forced to remain home without a paycheck, while others deemed to be essential will work without pay. That includes the 1.3 million active-duty service members as well as federal law enforcement and air traffic controllers.

"We can't be playing politics while our troops stand in the breach. It's an absolute dereliction of duty," said Biden.

The president said he chose to nominate Brown, because he is "a seasoned warrior with deep combat experience, an experienced commander of the joint force, a top flight strategist, a leader known throughout the force for his unmatched judgement and unflappable demeanor.

"Like Gen. Milley, Gen. Brown is a patriot through and through, sworn to uphold and defend the Constitution," he said.