Top general fired by Trump administration criticizes use of military for political missions

Key Points:

• Former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Charles Q. Brown criticized the use of the military for politically contentious domestic missions, such as addressing crime in cities, arguing it distracts from the military’s primary combat focus and risks overburdening the armed forces.
• Brown, who was fired in February 2025 along with Navy Admiral Lisa Franchetti amid an administration ban on diversity and inclusion efforts, expressed concerns about the impact of recent Pentagon firings on career advancement and merit-based promotions within the military.
• The op-ed, co-authored with Duke professor Peter Feaver and lawyer Andrew Kragie, highlighted that both the Trump and Biden administrations have relied on the military for non-traditional roles like responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, but specifically noted Trump’s expanded use of troops to crack down on crime in major cities.
• Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth defended the deployment of National Guard troops during protests, framing it as a non-political effort to maintain law and order, contrasting with Brown’s caution about politicizing military missions.
• The authors also reflected on patriotism during America’s 250th anniversary, emphasizing service to a cause greater than oneself and encouraging national unity and interdependence beyond military service.