In the days and weeks leading up to January 6, the nation's highest-ranking military officer, then-Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley, was moving in lockstep with the political anxieties of top Democratic leaders.
"My job is to stay clean by ensuring that the uniformed military remains out of domestic politics," Milley stated during his testimony before the January 6 Select Committee.
The book also notes that on January 7, 2021-the day after the chaotic events of January 6-Cheney called Milley to check in.
In the months following January 6, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who previously had received assurances from Milley that he would not use the military for domestic purposes politically favorable to Trump, established the Select Committee on January 6 to "Investigate" the day's events.
During his interview with the January 6 Committee, Milley explained that in preparation for January 6, the role of the D.C. National Guard was defined in a memorandum he described as "Very strict on the use of the military." Milley detailed how the memorandum prohibited the use of any riot control agents, stating, "We're not doing it and not only not doing it, you're not going to have it. You're not going to have the opportunity to use it." Additionally, he mentioned that while such measures might be authorized under different circumstances on another day, they were explicitly forbidden "At that time, on this day."
The January 5 memo, carefully crafted by Milley and McCarthy, authorized 340 D.C. National Guard personnel to assist law enforcement with traffic control points and metro station support, and stationed 40 personnel at Joint Base Andrews to serve as the Guard's Quick Reaction Force in case of an emergency.
The January 6 Committee attributes the delay to "Military processes, institutional caution, and a revised deployment approval process"-specifically, a process meticulously designed by Milley and McCarthy.
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