AMAC Exclusive – By Andrew Shirley
Three months into his tenure as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Charles Q. Brown, Jr., is off to a rocky start. With open conflict in Ukraine and Gaza and looming threats from Iran, North Korea, and China, things aren’t going to get any easier for the former Air Force fighter pilot, whom conservative groups and some Senate Republicans warned was more concerned with left-wing policy priorities than warfighting.
Biden tapped Brown to replace outgoing General Mark Milley, who announced his retirement earlier this year and officially stepped down in September. Although once a highly-respected general, Milley drew intense scrutiny late in his career for his seeming submission to the woke left.
In 2020, for instance, while Chairman of the Joint Chiefs under Trump, Milley drafted a resignation letter, which was subsequently leaked to the media, stating that Trump was “doing great and irreparable harm” to the nation. Following the nationwide riots over the death of George Floyd, Milley also infamously stated that he “wants to understand white rage” and appeared to defend the inclusion of radical left-wing ideologies like Critical Race Theory in instructional materials for cadets.
Milley also admitted during a congressional hearing in 2021 that he would have given his Chinese counterpart advanced warning if Trump had chosen to launch an attack on China – a seeming admission that Milley would’ve committed treason by undermining the President’s constitutional role as Commander-in-Chief of the military. As military historian and political commentator Victor Davis Hanson noted on X, it’s worth considering what Milley would have done had someone under his command similarly decided to go rogue and undermine the chain of command.
Under Milley’s tenure, morale among the ranks declined, the military experienced severe recruiting shortfalls, and, following Trump’s departure from the White House, America’s enemies grew bolder and more aggressive. Moreover, public confidence in the military hit a two-decade low just months before Milley left office.
After all this controversy, many Americans were likely hopeful that the next Chairman of the Joint Chiefs – the nation’s highest ranking military officer – would focus more on winning wars than wading into divisive political issues. But those hopes were soon dashed when Biden nominated Brown for the post.
As Fox News reported shortly after Brown’s nomination, the general had on multiple occasions stated that he “hires for diversity” and places diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives at the top of his priorities list. Brown opened the first DEI office in the Air Force in 2021 and launched an investigation into “racial equity” in Air Force hiring practices – a major red flag for Americans who would prefer that the nation’s fighter pilots be selected on the basis of merit rather than race.
In another sign of his commitment to woke ideology, Brown also said that he wants to take a “hard look” at Air Force patches and coins to ensure they are “inclusive.” Following the January 6, 2021 riot at the U.S. Capitol, Brown suggested that the rioters were treated “too leniently” because they “were white.” But following the widespread riots that led to billions of dollars in destruction after the death of George Floyd in 2020, Brown only accused white airmen of being “empathetic” to racism and lamented how few black Air Force generals there were.
Brown’s controversial history was so concerning that many groups, including AMAC Action, mobilized their members to oppose the nomination. In less than 36 hours, the AMAC community sent over 25,000 messages to senators urging them to vote against the confirmation – an effort that was initially successful, as the vote was scuttled just before the August recess.
Some Republican senators likewise voiced their strong opposition to Brown’s confirmation. Mike Braun of Indiana said that Brown “made woke policy initiatives the central part of his leadership while Air Force flight proficiency and safety standards diminished under his command,” while Ron Johnson of Wisconsin said Brown “would prioritize the woke DEI priorities of the Biden administration over merit-based criteria.”
But, as AMAC Action reported, “When the Senate returned in September, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer covertly and quickly called for a vote to confirm General Brown. The General was confirmed, and it should be noted that this tactic used by Senator Schumer was deliberately employed to stop groups like AMAC Action from organizing a united opposition.”
Since then, AMAC members and other conservatives have been proven correct in their belief that Brown’s tenure would prove disastrous. Late last month, Brown ruffled feathers on both sides of the political aisle by suggesting that Israel was not up to the task of defeating Hamas in Gaza and said he was “very much” concerned that Israel’s military operations would only create more terrorists.
Although they are no official numbers yet, anecdotal evidence also suggests that the military’s recruiting crisis isn’t getting any better. Brown has not yet offered any assurances about how the country will address the many foreign threats it faces, and he has continued to stress the importance of DEI initiatives.
After Mark Milley’s tumultuous tenure, the military desperately needed a change of direction. But instead, Biden’s new top general has so far continued to double down on what isn’t working.
Andrew Shirley is a veteran speechwriter and AMAC Newsline columnist. His commentary can be found on X at @AA_Shirley.
This is what you get when you let someone like Gen Mark Milley get off scott free after admitting he planned on committing treason should an occasion arise that he was not comfortable with. Once again Wokeness equals Weakness and Gen Brown displayed all the qualities of being Woke prior to being considered for the position. That’s probably why he was considered in the first place.
Our military’s sole purpose should be preparing to fight and win wars. I’m sure China’s military could give a sh%# less if someone in their ranks was not using the correct pronoun…God help us.
Trump 2024
Another appointment not based on qualifications.
Another example of the kind of people being installed in prime appointed positions with the help of GOP members of the Senate. And you might wonder why the country is going to hell in a hand basket.
Q: How do you stop Houti drone-missiles hitting commercial shipping?
A: Take out Houti missile bases.
Gee. I’m not a general and I know that. Why don’t they?
Warriors are needed…not snowflakes
Affirmative Action, need I say more??
WOKE IDIOTOLOGY ISN’T LEARNED, THEY’RE JUST BORN STUPID!
If there is anything above treason this is it
Affirmative action strikes again!
Brown is most definitely a RACIST.
Sure, this guy is just another laughable failure, but hey, he’s black!
Though we have never faced a true threat to our nation and have never had to defend ourselves from a foreign invader and are apparently going to ignore the invaders streaming in from the south, we have no base on which to establish a good military structure. Unlike countries like Russia for example,none of our officer corps received instruction from former generals and other command officers that, when returning home following a war to defend their homeland had to first bury dead family members, often after chasing feral dogs away from their corpses. We have no real military officers. We have lard asses like Milley and Austin that have never heard the whine of a passing bullet nor seen combat against a peer enemy. They lack the discipline to just occasionally push themselves away from a dining table and whose sole taste of “combat” was against illiterate sandal wearing irregular forces armed with 65 year old Kalshnikovs,,,,,,,,,,,and even still managed to lose.
So no, this token negro will not succeed but will blindly kick the can further down the road for a couple of years and then retire to a board seat for one of the many defense contractors who are the sole beneficiaries of our almost 1 trillion dollar annual military budget.
The dems have built a shadow government that is now the most powerful political entity in the country. To call it woke is like calling a rabid dog ‘spot’. I used to think the left had a comprehensive plan for rebuilding after they destroy every institution but now im thinking they dont. They exist to destroy because theyre animated by hate. Hate never builds. It only tears down.
well of course all of joe bidens’ hired are failures. biden doe snot hire for skills he hires based on race and sexaul preference.
“Following the January 6, 2021 riot at the U.S. Capitol. . . ”
Why does the author call that event a riot?
another DEI hire, there were probably a hundred individuals more qualified , but being black and liberal he fit all of the boxes.
General Brown is totally missing the mark by making woke goals his goals. He has a duty to motivate and strengthen our armed forces to be ready to defend our country from possible enemy attack. Brown’s emphases on advancing social justice and equity warriors at the expense of keeping our armed forces military ready proves that our military is being decimated by the Biden administration. Good soldiers pride themselves on being rough and ready, not soft and sensitive. Many young people who would make the military proud are scared away from becoming part of the active armed forces, because they know they would have to live a life of dishonesty and political correctness. They would have to sell their souls to the Marxist traitors who are actually helping our enemies destroy the United States of America.
No surprise. One size fits all. Dumb and a lot dumber. Milley I would have dropped from a bomber, first I thought without a parachute into Afghanistan. Then I thought about it, parachute would be better. He would be alive when he hit the gound.He could have called the Chinese after he got there since he is on such good terms with them.
This should come as no surprise. What did people expect from a corrupt left-wing Biden administration?
Another promotion based on color and the boxes he checks!
We shouldn’t expect anything better than DEI hires in any position as long as the Biden administration is in the white house. 2024 can’t go by fast enough, and hope we get a more conservative administration.
We need a someone in charge who’s main focus is to protect this country. Stop worrying about people’s feeling and pronouns and the gender bullsh*t. The Armed Forces job is protect this country. Period.
Milley should have been charged with treason and Brown with sedition.
How about having a US Army that’s prepared, trained and ready to defend our borders and nation instead of trying to fit one of several social agendas into its ranks!
An Army leader who is more concerned with bowing to social pressures among various sectors of our nation seems more concerned with politics than performing his duty to protect and defend our citizens.
Having spent 3 years with NATO’s Supreme Headquarters during my “impressionable youth”, I was honored to have served with some of the finest officers and men and women the U.S. (and 13 other countries) had to offer. I can’t think of too many other places where an OR-5 (E-5) could have one-on-one conversations with many O-6’s (in fact was talked into reenlisting by an Army “Full Bird”) and be asked for their opinion. In fact I also had several interesting conversations with the Supreme Allied Commander Europe who was, at that time a military General…I found that there were also “political” Generals, those who got promoted to their rank by firmly planting their lips of the backside of one politician or other. Alexander Haig comes to mind, especially since he replaced my SACEUR. Evidently Haig led the way for many others to emulate so now we have few capable of actually leading in the military in war but are fully supporting DEI. It’s a sad time for the U.S.and if forced to confront an oppressor, I fear for the future.
Disgusting! Race seems to have everything to do with this guy, but nothing to do with combat readiness, which is his job!
Just confirms my belief that the majority of those wearing stars in today’s military should be reduced in rank to O-4 and forcefully retired!
I happen to know a black guy whose a retired USAF O-5 pilot who would make a fine Chief of Staff! Thankfully, he’s running for political office.
It’s a sad world we’re living in right now. Unfortunately. The Woke mob seems to have taken over our country. A sad day for the greatest nation on earth, the United States of America!!!
It shows what Biden picks another wrong pick that will not do any good for this country any one knows why he picked this guy not because he can do the job. This is why this country is going downhill we have Biden and Harris and other White House Dems to thank for that.
I am a civilian contractor for the Air Force. This is why any emails at work I get from the higher up military or civilians goes straight to the junk folder.
My heart aches for my beloved Air Force. Born in blood in WWI. Baptized by fire in WWII. Stood against evil in the Cold War. Birthed the Space Force. Now politicized by those very same lies we stood against. Now critically peppered by socialist political policies so many gave their all to defend us against. Nothing less than national suicide.
Col Charles A. Orr, Colonel, USAF (ret)
.
Why do we have a U.S. Army?
I do not ask in order to impugn anyone below the rank of O6 – but – what am I getting for the $175 Billion annual budget? The Navy, Coast Guard, and Air Force combine to make large scale attack by a peer competitor invasion fleet impossible. The Army, however, cannot seem to be used to stop a land-based invasion.
In my lifetime (I’m 70) the Army has mostly lost wars that they shouldn’t have been involved in, in the first place. The Army has become a politicians toy, deployed when someone gets pissed, then forgotten when the going gets tough.
I will trust NO ONE Biden wants in his administration. Milley should have been at least investigated for treason before he retired!!! The qualification Biden looks for is: Are they gay, preferably black female, do they hate America, are they corrupt enough to help or ignore his “business” dealings and are the YES people. QUALIFICATION are not a consideration or requirement. If a patriot is somehow a “left over” they are quickly eliminated. I read in a post yesterday that Jan6th people who “talked” are being admitted to medical/insane hospitals. How much more is this rotten administration going to be allowed??? They money being spent/given away is mind boggling but ever article comes with a request for money. Just $15,$20,$50,$100. What the politicians do not seem to understand, we the seniors who are so concerned live on such tight budgets, any donation must be made at the expense of another responsibility (utilities, food,rent or mortgage,dr or even drugs). I think they have lost sight of the position of 50%+ of WE THE PEOPLE are trying to survive under.
While inside the military looking out I was keenly aware of the quiet quotas to increase leadership by minorities. Using that tactic robbed hard working and successful minorities since they were also viewed as “less qualified” along with those individuals who were not deserving of promotion.
Seems that a more appropriate program would be a hand-up approach. Additional training and mentoring for those disadvantaged candidates who also showed promised would be a potential winner. The best CO I served under was a black man who truly lead without bias. He had to deal with some low brow biased white subordinates; which he did with a true leader style.
Now to promote the top military leader who acts with bias is going to have opposite impact on race relations in the military. The low brow will claim “I-told-you-so” and the struggling minority seeking parity will be tarnished. Poor leadership at the top!
When a 110 million dollar fighter jet and the life of the pilot is lost will they hold DEI or General Charles Q. Brown, Jr. accountable. Only the best and most qualified should ever be selected and entrusted with this responsibility. ‘I don’t know’, is not an acceptable answer, even though it is becoming a more inclusive term in today’s government.
Affirmative action appointment.
He obliterated the USAF now he can work on the Army, Navy and Marine Corps. And they wonder why recruitment and retention is down.
I think we are at crossroads where the DEI soldiers will face combat. I wonder the outcome.
I don’t know why any straight White male, especially a Southerner, would want to fight for a country whose leaders hate them and want to annihilate them.
Biden only appoints perverts, Marxists, criminals, and Islamist terrorists. I wonder what combination of the above this guy is.
I pray every day that it’s Gods will to get Biden and ALL of his historical bad and immoral administration out of office!!!
Useful idiot puppets one and all. Thanks Deep State.
It is difficult to believe anyone can trust our military leaders have the knowledge or the guts to take on a war against our country. All of our enemies eyes are on our country due to its’ weakness. China, N. Korea, Russia, Iran are probably wetting their pants laughing .
“Political Correctness”, long-term, may be an honorable goal, but short-term it is ruining the USA. IMHO.
affirmative action hires rarely works and the ones who do well rarely get promoted over the politically connected
Another diversity appointee not quite up to tbe task: surprise, surprise.
No problem, he won’t be their much longer.
DEI promotion.
I’ll share with friends and family !