As the end of September approaches, Gen. Mark Milley, the current chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is preparing for his impending retirement.
However, he has made it clear that he has no intention of pursuing a career in politics post-retirement.
During a June event, when queried about his plans following his departure from the U.S. military and the possibility of running for public office, Milley was quick to quash any such speculation. "First of all, in all honesty, absolutely not to the second question, zero. Im a soldier, he stated emphatically.
He further elaborated, I can make contributions to my country after I retire in many, many different ways. Public office is not one of them for me. I respect people who do that, but its not for me.
As for his post-retirement plans, Milley admitted that the demanding nature of his current role as the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff has left him with little time to contemplate his future.
He explained, Ive got a job to do, which is to protect and defend the Constitution, protect the American people, and it is a very, very challenging environment every single day, day in and day out, 24/7, weekends included and the whole nine yards. No matter where I go, Ive got communication teams with me and always wired in, so I literally have not had time to kind of figure all that out.
In June, when asked about his retirement plans, Milley stated that he would only begin to consider his next steps after his official retirement date. I retire at midnight, by law, on Sept. 30, he said, adding that on the first day of October, he and his wife would turn the chapter and decide their future course. But right now, we dont even know where were gonna live, he concluded.
Following Milley's departure on September 30, Air Force Gen. Charles Brown Jr., who was confirmed by the Senate last Wednesday, is set to take over as the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
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