General CQ Brown doesn’t have the luxury of picking his battles. Right now, he’s fighting two at once.
One is in the Middle East, where tensions with Iran are reaching a boiling point. The other is right here in Washington, under the looming shadow of a potential second Trump term.
As the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Brown is the top military advisor in the country. His job is to be ready for the worst-case scenario. But these days, the worst-case scenario isn’t just a missile launch—it’s a political firestorm that could gut the military’s leadership.
A Middle East on the Brink
The situation with Iran isn’t getting any easier. Between drone attacks from proxies and Tehran’s advancing nuclear program, the threat of a direct conflict is the highest it’s been in years.
Brown has to move assets, coordinate with allies, and keep our defense ready for a possible war with Iran. He has to do this while making sure the U.S. doesn’t accidentally stumble into a fight it isn’t ready for. It’s a delicate balance that requires total focus.
The Trump Factor
But it’s hard to focus when your future boss might be your biggest critic. Donald Trump hasn’t been shy about his feelings toward military leadership. He’s spent years calling out what he calls “woke” generals and promising to clean house at the Pentagon.
Brown is trying to stay out of the headlines. He knows that in today’s Washington, being seen as partisan is a quick way to lose influence. He’s sticking to the script: focus on readiness, stay out of the mud, and follow the chain of command.
Walking the Tightrope
So, how does a general prepare for war while dodging political bullets? By staying quiet. Brown has intentionally kept a lower profile than some of his predecessors. He wants the military to stay out of the culture wars, even as politicians try to drag them in.
- Focusing on technology and modernization instead of social debates.
- Keeping communication lines open with both sides of the aisle.
- Ensuring combat readiness is the only metric that matters.
It’s a strategy that might work, but the clock is ticking. The world isn’t getting any safer, and the political temperature in D.C. is only going up. Brown is essentially trying to steer a massive ship through a hurricane without making a sound.
Brown might find that the hardest part of his job isn’t planning a strike or defending a base. It’s convincing a divided country that the military still belongs to everyone, no matter who wins in November.