END OF DISCUSSION: President Trump has slammed the door shut on the nascent discussion of whether black soldiers should be serving at bases named for military officers who fought to maintain a system that oppressed and enslaved their ancestors.
The death of George Floyd has prompted new and searing questions about racial prejudice in the ranks of the U.S. military and a reexamination of hurtful symbols of the Civil War that have been an accepted part of military culture.
Secretary of the Army Ryan McCarthy let it be known through a spokesman that he was “open to a bipartisan discussion” about renaming bases, such as Fort Gordon, honoring Lt. Gen. John Brown Gordon, reputed to have been head of the Ku Klux Klan in Georgia, and Fort Lee, Virginia, named for Gen. Robert E. Lee, the commander of the Confederate Army.
NOT ON MY WATCH: On the same day NASCAR announced it would ban the Confederate battle flag from its events and properties, Trump took to Twitter to foreclose any consideration of exorcizing the ghosts of the Confederacy.
“It has been suggested that we should rename as many as 10 of our Legendary Military Bases, such as Fort Bragg in North Carolina, Fort Hood in Texas, Fort Benning in Georgia, etc. These Monumental and very Powerful Bases have become part of a Great American Heritage, and a history of Winning, Victory, and Freedom,” he tweeted.
TAMPERING WITH HISTORY: Trump portrayed the debate over whether it was time to reconsider decisions about base names as something that would show a lack of respect for today’s military and an attempt to erase history.
“The United States of America trained and deployed our HEROES on these Hallowed Grounds, and won two World Wars. Therefore, my Administration will not even consider the renaming of these Magnificent and Fabled Military Installations,” he said. “Our history as the Greatest Nation in the World will not be tampered with. Respect our Military!”
IT’S ALL ABOUT THE BASE: At the White House, press secretary Kayleigh McEnany echoed the argument that renaming 10 Southern bases would break faith with soldiers who trained at them before departing for wars from which they never returned.
“To suggest these forts are somehow inherently racist and their names need to be changed is a complete disrespect to the men and women, who the last bit of American land they saw before they went overseas and lost their lives were these forts,” she said.
The statement was immediately mocked on Twitter and lampooned by the popular military satirical site Duffel Blog.
“Those of us who were stationed at those bases and deployed from them are the ones asking for change!” tweeted retired Army Lt. Col. Fred Wellman, a former military spokesman and West Point graduate. “I am not okay with asking black soldiers to serve at bases named after failed men who fought to keep their ancestors in chains.”
PETRAEUS, ‘THE MOMENT FOR US TO PAY SUCH ATTENTION’: Many Americans (myself included) have never given a second thought to the people behind the base names. Count retired Army Gen. David Petraeus among the people now thinking more about the issue.
“It would be years before I reflected on the individuals for whom these posts were named. While on active duty, in fact, I never thought much about these men — about the nature of their service during the Civil War,” wrote Petraeus in an essay published a day before Trump’s decree. “Nor did I think about the messages those names sent to the many African Americans serving on these installations — messages that should have been noted by all of us. … The irony of training at bases named for those who took up arms against the United States, and for the right to enslave others, is inescapable to anyone paying attention. Now, belatedly, is the moment for us to pay such attention.”
“We do not live in a country to which Braxton Bragg, Henry L. Benning, or Robert E. Lee can serve as an inspiration,” he added. “Acknowledging this fact is imperative. Should it fail to do so, the Army, which prides itself on leading the way in perilous times, will be left to fight a rearguard action against a more inclusive American future, one that fulfills the nation’s founding promise.”
Good Thursday morning and welcome to Jamie McIntyre’s Daily on Defense, written and compiled by Washington Examiner National Security Senior Writer Jamie McIntyre (@jamiejmcintyre) and edited by David Sivak and Tyler Van Dyke. Email here with tips, suggestions, calendar items, and anything else. Sign up or read current and back issues at DailyonDefense.com. If signing up doesn’t work, shoot us an email and we’ll add you to our list. And be sure to follow us on Twitter: @dailyondefense.
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HAPPENING TODAY: Ellen Lord, the Pentagon’s undersecretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment, participates in a virtual fireside chat, “National Defense in the Age of COVID-19,” sponsored by the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute, at noon. Register at reaganfoundation.org.
STIFF-ARMED: House Armed Services Committee Chairman Rep. Adam Smith, a Democrat from Washington state, has fired off another angry letter to Defense Secretary Mark Esper expressing dismay that he has so far not agreed to appear before the committee to answer questions about the military response to protesters who were cleared from the park across from the White House on June 1.
“It is unacceptable that, except for staff communication, you have not responded to our formal written request that you and Chairman Milley appear before the committee for a hearing on the Department’s roles and authorities in civilian law enforcement,” Smith wrote.
“We understand that the White House may be preventing you from testifying, obstructing Congress’ ability to conduct its constitutionally charged oversight responsibility,” he continued. “Therefore, I ask that you coordinate with the committee to provide your and Chairman Milley’s availability no later than June 11, 2020 so that we can schedule a hearing.”
So far, the Pentagon has sent McCarthy to the Hill to answer Smith’s questions and sent a letter, which has been obtained by the Washington Post.
In their letter to Smith, Esper and Mark Milley said that active-duty forces “are not currently present and were not ever in the District for purposes of civilian law enforcement,” but according to the Post, they confirmed that Trump could, if he chooses to invoke the 1807 Insurrection Act, use military forces for law enforcement purposes anywhere in the country.
“In the event that a president makes such a decision, he may do so without approval from the state government in which the forces are to be used,” they said.
CENTCOM SITREP: The head of the U.S. Central Command gave a wide-ranging overview of the challenges he’s facing in his area of responsibility. Marine Corps Gen. Frank McKenzie spoke for an hour in a Zoom session with the Middle East Institute.
Here are some highlights:
IRAN, ‘ROUGH FORM OF DETERRENCE’: “From where I sit today, the greatest threat to stability and security in a region is Iran. With their funding of terrorism and terrorist organizations, their propping up the murderous Assad regime, providing advanced weapons to the Houthis in Yemen, their direct attack on international oil tankers and the Strait of Hormuz, refineries in Saudi Arabia and U.S. troops in Iraq, Iran actively stokes instability and is intent on degrading security all over the region,” McKenzie said.
But McKenzie said the muscular response to Iran’s recent provocations, including the drone strike that killed Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani in January and Trump’s threat to blow Iranian patrol boats out of the water, has changed Iran’s behavior.
“They’re having to recalculate just what we’re willing to do and what we’re not willing to do. And I think that has had a significant effect in establishing and reestablishing a rough form of deterrence,” he said.
“It is possible that Iran can control the early steps of escalation in the theater. It is also clear that we will control the final steps of escalation,” he said. “They have doubted that we would actually have the will to act. They now see that we actually do have the will to act.”
TALIBAN, NOT FULLY EMBRACED PEACE PROCESS: “We don’t have to like the Taliban, and we don’t have to believe the Taliban. What we need to do is watch the Taliban and see what they do,” McKenzie said, noting that he’s not convinced the Taliban have fully embraced the agreement they signed in return for a promise of an American troop withdrawal, which will reduce U.S. troops levels in Afghanistan to 8,500 by mid-summer.
“In May of 2021, if conditions will allow, we’re prepared to go to zero,” McKenzie said. “However, the important phrase there is ‘if conditions will allow.’ Those conditions would be, can we be assured that attacks against us will not be generated there? And as of right now, frankly, if asked my opinion, those conditions have not been fully met.”
“The threat to the United States is not the Taliban. It’s never been the Taliban. It’s the entities that they allow to live in Afghanistan that threaten us, and really, we’re talking about ISIS and we’re talking about al Qaeda,” he said. “We believe the Taliban actually are no friends of ISIS and will work against them. It is less clear to me that they will take the same action against al Qaeda. Only time will tell.”
RUSSIA, NO ‘MASTER CHESS PLAYER’: “I am not one of those people who thinks the Russians are master chess players and see four or five or six moves ahead and therefore they know what to do,” McKenzie said, noting Russia does have the economic clout that China does not in the Middle East.
“I think going into Syria was opportunism. I think staying in Syria is opportunism, and it brings together a certain number of very predictable threads in Russian foreign policy,” he said. “They want a warm water port. They want to maintain a relationship with one of their painfully few foreign client states.”
“It also gives them an opportunity for our sand and our gears and to make it harder for us,” he added. “And it gives them at a fairly low cost of entry — the opportunity to at least appear to be a player on the global stage when it comes, when it comes to Middle Eastern issues.”
WHAT KEEPS HIM UP AT NIGHT? SWARMS OF DRONES: “I argue all the time with my Air Force friends that the future of flight is vertical and it’s unmanned. And I believe we are seeing it now,” McKenzie said when asked what keeps him up at night.
“I’m not talking about the large, unmanned platforms, which are the size of a conventional fighter jet that we can see and deal with as we would any other platform,” he said. “I’m talking about one that you can go out and buy at Costco right now in the United States for $1,000, you know, a four-quad rotorcraft that can be launched and flown and with very easily, very simple modifications, can be made into something that can drop a weapon like a hand grenade or something else.”
“Right now, the fact of the matter is we’re on the wrong side of that equation,” he added. “We’re working very hard to fix it. It concerns me.”
INDUSTRY WATCH: Former U.S. Air Force Deputy Chief Information Officer William E. Marion has joined Accenture Federal Services as managing director of growth and strategy in its defense and intelligence practice.
“In his new role, Marion will provide strategic insight and perspective on information technology innovation initiatives,” the company said in a statement.
The Rundown
Washington Examiner: Biden: Military will escort Trump out of White House if he loses election and refuses to leave
Washington Examiner: Leader of US Central Command predicts future war-fighting challenges
Washington Examiner: Pompeo accuses watchdog he ousted of failing to investigate leaks from his own office
Washington Examiner: ‘Takeover’: Michael Flynn team and DOJ clash with federal judge, asking appeals court to dismiss case
Washington Examiner: White House informs Bolton his tell-all still contains classified information
Politico: Pentagon Blindsided By Trump Tweet On Confederate Bases
Politico: Trump Taps Retired General And Fox News Regular As Pentagon Policy Chief
AP: Troubled Iran struggles to maintain sway over Iraq militias
Washington Post: In letter, Pentagon leaders outline military role in recent unrest
Military.com: National Guard COVID-19 Diagnoses After Protests Are ‘Disturbing’ Sign, Fauci Says
USNI News: USS Kidd Heading Back to SOUTHCOM for Interdiction Mission After COVID-19 Outbreak
Los Angeles Times: U.S. Seeks To House Missiles In The Pacific. Some Allies Don’t Want Them
Stars and Stripes: Russian Bombers Fly Within 8 Miles Of U.S. Airspace Off Alaska, Are Intercepted By US F-22s
Breaking Defense: Roper Pushes Moving Project Maven To Air Force
Air Force Magazine: Air National Guard to Fall Short of Fiscal 2020 End Strength Goal
Stars and Stripes: Senate Panel Supports 3% Pay Boost For Troops In 2021
Breaking Defense: Army Ponders What To Cut If Budget Drops: Gen. Murray
Calendar
THURSDAY | JUNE 11
10 a.m. — George Washington University Project for Media and National Security Defense Writers Group conference call conversation with Thomas McCaffery, assistant secretary of defense for health affairs. https://nationalsecuritymedia.gwu.edu
10 a.m. — Mitchell Institute Aerospace Nation Nuclear Deterrence Forum webcast with Gordon Chang, author and China expert; and Rick Fisher, senior sellow on Asian military affairs at the International Assessment and Strategy Center. Invitation only. A recording will be posted afterward at https://www.mitchellaerospacepower.org.
1 p.m. — American Enterprise Institute webinar: “Advancing the Women, Peace and Security Strategy in 2020,” with Stephanie Hammond, acting deputy assistant secretary of defense for stability and humanitarian affairs. Livestream at https://www.aei.org/events/webinar.
5 p.m. — George Mason University National Security Institute “NatSec Nightcap,” with former Sen. Saxby Chambliss, former vice chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence; and Jamill Jaffer, founder and executive director, NSI. https://nationalsecurity.gmu.edu/natsec-nightcap
FRIDAY | JUNE 12
10 a.m. — Center for Strategic and International Studies book discussion via webcast, on “The Kill Chain: Defending America in the Future of High-Tech Warfare,” with author Chris Brose, senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace; and Jude Blanchette, chair in China studies at CSIS. https://www.csis.org/events/online-event
2 p.m. — Cato Institute webinar: “Terrible Twos? Taking Stock of U.S.-North Korea Relations Two Years After Singapore,” with Victor Cha, Korea chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies; Suzanne DiMaggio, senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace; David Kang, director of the University of Southern California’s Korean Studies Institute; and Doug Bandow, senior fellow at Cato. https://www.cato.org/events
MONDAY | JUNE 15
10 a.m. — Association of the United States Army “Thought Leaders” livestream, with retired Army Gen. Martin Dempsey, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and author of No Time for Spectators. https://www.bigmarker.com/ausaorg
TUESDAY | JUNE 16
5 a.m. EDT/11 a.m. CET — NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg briefs reporters ahead of the meetings of the NATO Defense Ministers taking place via teleconference June 17-18. https://www.nato.int
11 a.m. — Nextgov and Defense One webcast: “Genius Machines: AI on the Frontlines.” https://govexec.webex.com
MONDAY | JUNE 22
11 a.m. Rayburn 2118 and Cisco Webex — House Armed Services Subcommittee on Intelligence and Emerging Threats and Capabilities markup of National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2021. https://armedservices.house.gov/hearings
1 p.m. Rayburn 2118 and Cisco Webex — House Armed Services Subcommittee on Strategic Forces markup of National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2021. https://armedservices.house.gov/hearings
TUESDAY | JUNE 23
11 a.m. Rayburn 2118 and Cisco Webex — House Armed Services Subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land Forces markup of National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2021. https://armedservices.house.gov/hearings
1 p.m. Rayburn 2118 and Cisco Webex — Subcommittee on Military Personnel markup of National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2021. https://armedservices.house.gov/hearings
3 p.m. Rayburn 2118 and Cisco Webex — Subcommittee on Readiness markup of National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2021. https://armedservices.house.gov/hearings
4:30 p.m. Rayburn 2118 and Cisco Webex — Subcommittee on Seapower and Projection Forces markup of National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2021. https://armedservices.house.gov/hearings
WEDNESDAY | JULY 1
10 a.m. Longworth 1100 and Cisco Webex — Full House Armed Services markup of National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2021. https://armedservices.house.gov/hearings
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“When you’re running for your life up and down the Euphrates River Valley, listening to the noise of an MQ-9 [Reaper drone] overhead, it’s hard to think about conducting attack planning against Detroit. So, you know, if you don’t know where your next meal is coming from, it’s hard to hold an organized meeting of the board of directors to talk about global planning.”
Commander of U.S. Central Command Gen. Frank McKenzie, on how the U.S. is keeping ISIS and al Qaeda on their back feet.
