The top-most serving military generals of the US, in an unprecedented statement released on Tuesday, while condemning the “seditious” act of “invasion” of the US Capitol on 6 January by the supporters of President Donald Trump, have reminded the American forces of their “oath to defend the Constitution”.
The letter, signed by America’s most senior general, Mark Milley, and the entire Joint Chiefs of Staff, which is comprised of the heads of each military branch, was addressed to the joint force, which is made up of about 13 lakh active members and more than 8 lakh National Guardsmen and reservists. The chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Mark Milley, was appointed by President Trump in December 2018.
“The violent riot in Washington, D.C. on 6 January 2021 was a direct assault on the U.S. Congress, the Capitol building, and our Constitutional process,” the statement said. “We witnessed actions inside the Capitol building that were inconsistent with the rule of law. The rights of freedom of speech and assembly do not give anyone the right to resort to violence, sedition and insurrection.”
The generals further went on to state that the armed forces will uphold their duty and that President-elect Joe Biden will be inaugurated on 20 January becoming the 46th commander in chief.
“The American people have trusted the Armed Forces of the United States to protect them and our Constitution for almost 250 years. As we have done throughout our history, the US military will obey lawful orders from civilian leadership, support civil authorities to protect lives and property, ensure public safety in accordance with the law, and remain fully committed to protecting and defending the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic,” the memo reads.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff is made up of the top eight military officials in the country. It includes the chair and vice chair, the commandant of the Marine Corps, the chiefs of staff of the Army and Air Force, and the chiefs of the National Guard Bureau, naval operations and space operations. The Joint Chiefs of Staff serve as the president’s chief military advisers, and generally remain apolitical. Even though the statement has stayed away from giving any political messaging it is being termed as ‘remarkable’ as the chiefs felt that they needed to remind their men of their ‘duty’ and ‘allegiance’.
Multiple US agencies are tracking several threats of violence by supporters of the President in the days ahead of the inauguration and more than 10,000 National Guard troops have been deployed in Washington D.C. to prevent any repeat of what happened on 6 January. The US Defense Department is already investigating whether any US service members played a role in the violence in the Capitol which resulted in the death of five individuals.