“You don’t just throw in the towel just because you don’t like it,” chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley told an audience at Duke in November 2021 in response to a question about why he did not resign over President Biden’s decision to withdraw troops from Afghanistan.
Gen. Milley emphasized what civilian control of the military means for those who serve and the limitations of the chairman’s advisory role to the president. “I don’t make decisions,” Gen. Milley said. “And you have to be very careful about that.”
AWC director at Duke Peter Feaver questioned Gen. Milley about global security threats and U.S. foreign policy decisions related to China and Afghanistan, and also recent controversy surrounding his actions during the Trump administration.
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This event is part of the Ambassador Dave and Kay Phillips Family International Lecture Series presented by Duke Program in American Grand Strategy.