Armed Services Hearing

Heatherg21

Heatherg21

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I am watching the hearings, I don't want to open a political Pandora's Box, but would love to have a polite discussion regarding the hearings today. I have no personal military experience and value the opinions of those of you who have served, are serving, etc. You have a different 'optic' than I do on this and I appreciate that viewpoint.

Ready, set....go
 
This subject and material must be kryptonite based on the lack of commentary.


I was disappointed overall. Didn’t leave the viewing of the hearings feeling confidence in either political or military leadership. Didn’t feel good about our son serving in this climate.
Felt the need to take a shower and vote everyone out of every office and get a do over.
 
Heatherg21 said:
This subject and material must be kryptonite based on the lack of commentary.


I was disappointed overall. Didn’t leave the viewing of the hearings feeling confidence in either political or military leadership. Didn’t feel good about our son serving in this climate.
Felt the need to take a shower and vote everyone out of every office and get a do over.
Click to expand...
It went about like I thought it would. I agree with your thoughts and assessment, but getting out of Afghanistan was going to be messy no matter what.

I wasn't surprised but still disappointed in the comments from Milley and Austin. One needn't be a Phi Beta Kappa to know the Taliban would take over after the U.S. left. The SECDEF's comment about an "intelligence failure" rivaled that of the two general's comment that they all recommended keeping 2,500 troops behind but the CinC denied those recommendations in an interview.

I'm still confused about General Milley's phone call to his Chinese counterpart. I remember hearing it was to tell him he would warn the Chinese if the U.S. was about to attack. He said yesterday he called to assure the Chinese we were NOT about to attack and that the administration knew he was calling. I'm also concerned that the CJCS was giving interviews to Woodward while still in uniform. Also, he denied Pelosi's comment that he agreed with her that President Trump was crazy.
 
Devil Doc said:
I'm still confused about General Milley's phone call to his Chinese counterpart. I remember hearing it was to tell him he would warn the Chinese if the U.S. was about to attack. He said yesterday he called to assure the Chinese we were NOT about to attack and that the administration knew he was calling. I'm also concerned that the CJCS was giving interviews to Woodward while still in uniform. Also, he denied Pelosi's comment that he agreed with her that President Trump was crazy.
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Here's an excerpt about the two China phone calls from the transcript of Milley's testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee. Will the fire-breathers who accused him of treason when news of the calls first came out retract their fulminations?

With respect to the Chinese calls, I routinely communicated with my counterpart General Li with the knowledge and coordination of civilian oversight. I am specifically directed to communicate with the Chinese by Department of Defense guidance, the policy dialogue system. These military-to-military communications at the highest level are critical to the security of the United States in order to de-conflict military actions, manage crisis, and prevent war between great powers that are armed with the world’s most deadliest weapons. The calls on 30 October and 8 January were coordinated before and after with Secretary Esper and Acting Secretary Miller’s staffs and the interagency.

The specific purpose of the October and January calls were generated by concerning intelligence which caused us to believe the Chinese were worried about an attack on them by the United States. I know, I am certain, that President Trump did not intend to attack the Chinese, and it is my directed responsibility, and it was my directed responsibility by the secretary, to convey that intent to the Chinese. My task at that time was to de-escalate. My message, again, was consistent. Stay calm, steady, and de-escalate. We are not going to attack you. At Secretary of Defense Esper’s direction, I made a call to General Li on 30 October. Eight people sat in that call with me, and I read out the call within 30 minutes of the call ending. On 31 December, the Chinese requested another call with me. The deputy assistant secretary of defense for Asia Pacific policy helped coordinate my call, which was then scheduled for 8 January, and he made a preliminary call on 6 January.

11 people attended that call with me, and readouts of this call were distributed to the interagency that same day. Shortly after my call ended with General Li, I personally informed both Secretary of State Pompeo and White House Chief of Staff Meadows about the call, among other topics. Soon after that, I attended a meeting with Acting Secretary Miller, where I briefed him on the call.
 
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Devil Doc said:
One needn't be a Phi Beta Kappa to know the Taliban would take over after the U.S. left.
Click to expand...
You predicted it on July 3rd:

Afghanistan in the rear view mirror...

...but is it? I’m of two minds on our withdrawal. First, we should have been gone long ago. My son was in 8th grade on 9/11 and I was still on active duty. He has since spent a year in the ME as a Marine captain. A common story of military service in this country. Second, some say Kabul will...
www.serviceacademyforums.com

FWIW, my comments on that same day just a couple of posts after yours:

Bottom Line: I do not see a strong likelihood of Afghanistan pulling itself together in the near future and expect it to be a "failed
state" for the mid and long terms. Kabul (the current government) will fall, it is only a question as to when.
 
OldRetSWO said:
You predicted it on July 3rd:

Afghanistan in the rear view mirror...

...but is it? I’m of two minds on our withdrawal. First, we should have been gone long ago. My son was in 8th grade on 9/11 and I was still on active duty. He has since spent a year in the ME as a Marine captain. A common story of military service in this country. Second, some say Kabul will...
www.serviceacademyforums.com

FWIW, my comments on that same day just a couple of posts after yours:

Bottom Line: I do not see a strong likelihood of Afghanistan pulling itself together in the near future and expect it to be a "failed
state" for the mid and long terms. Kabul (the current government) will fall, it is only a question as to when.
Click to expand...
Our crystal ball units were working that day.
 
Speaking of Powerball, when did it switch to three times per week?
 
OldRetSWO said:
Speaking of Powerball, when did it switch to three times per week?
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Towards the end of August. The guys in our fraternity, we all used to throw in $4 a week when the jackpot would get over $200 million, in August it went up to $6 a week, when mega millions is up over $200 million it still costs $4 a week, $10 total weekly. It doesn't look like we'll be buying any tickets again for a few months.
 
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