A General Warned of an Impending War with China. Airmen Under His Command Say it Was 'Inappropriate'

[daftandbarmy]

No one likes a keener in the Log Branch

A General Warned of an Impending War with China. Airmen Under His Command Say it Was 'Inappropriate'​

When the email inboxes of every airman with Air Mobility Command pinged on Thursday afternoon with a lengthy memo from their commanding officer, Gen. Mike Minihan, many recipients thought it was sent as a mistake.

"I hope I am wrong. My gut tells me we will fight in 2025," one part of Minihan's memo, dated Feb. 1, read. Another section instructed airmen with weapons qualifications to "fire a clip into a 7-meter target with the full understanding that unrepentant lethality matters most. Aim for the head." He also advised airmen to update their virtual Record of Emergency Data, essentially their dependents' contact information and wills.

A General Warned of an Impending War with China. Airmen Under His Command Say it Was 'Inappropriate'

Mike Minihan, a four-star general who has led Air Mobility Command since 2021, has been known for his loud, proud and high-energy public persona.

www.military.com

 

[Halifax Tar]

Gen. Mike Minihan

He's a Herc pilot.

 

[daftandbarmy]

He's a Herc pilot.

 

[Booter]

I like cut of this guys jib:

One Air Force C-17 Globemaster III pilot under Air Mobility Command, or AMC, who spoke to Military.com under condition of anonymity because they're not authorized to speak to the media, said Minihan's comments were unrealistic.

"I am not aware of a single incident where an aircrew member has shot someone in the head," the pilot told Military.com. "His direction completely misses the mark. AMC moves cargo; we are not SEAL Team 6."

someone proud of their position and aware of how they fit into the map, instead of trying to be Patton firing “clips” as the general said.

 

[Halifax Tar]

I like cut of this guys jib:


someone proud of their position and aware of how they fit into the map, instead of trying to be Patton firing “clips” as the general said.

We need more of that.

 

[CBH99]

I took his comments to be ‘somewhat sarcastic metaphors’ rather than serious, direct instructions.

I took his comments to be more about a mindset. In that there is war on the horizon, and everybody knows it.



Maybe it develops further into the cold war 2.0 it has already become, or maybe China decides 15+ years of planning is enough & it kicks off over Taiwan — either way, I think he’s arguing there needs to be a mindset shift within AMC to start thinking about how to do things in a truly hostile environment.

Where their jets won’t come up to buzz them, or give them the bird while freaking them out with insanely unsafe maneuvers because the PRC Air Force will be too busy shooting them down.

 

[OldSolduer]

He's a Herc pilot.

Dr Strangelove enters the chat...

 

[FormerHorseGuard]

the average person on the street, will only see the General and his 4 stars.

They will see some one who is suppose to be an expert and has inside knowledge of events and actions. DOD says he misspoke

Generals can be wrong but who knows this might actually happen

 

[Blackadder1916]

I took his comments to be ‘somewhat sarcastic metaphors’ rather than serious, direct instructions.

No, it was a direct order (SUBJECT: February 2023 Orders in Preparation for — The Next Fight) and the "clip into a 7-meter target" is to be scheduled into the February training activity for all AMC aligned units.

Read for Yourself: The Full Memo from AMC Gen. Mike Minihan | Air & Space Forces Magazine

Air Mobility Command Gen. Mike Minihan released a memo warning of a war with China and offering direction to Airmen. Read the full text.

www.airandspaceforces.com

6. FEBRUARY.
(a) All AMC aligned personnel with weapons qualifications will fire a clip into a 7-meter target with the full understanding that unrepentant lethality matters most. Aim for the head.
(b) All AMC personnel will update vRED [virtual Record of Emergency Data].
(c) All commanders will acknowledge this order directly to me immediately. Then, report all 2022 accomplishments preparing for the China fight, and forecast major efforts in 2023 through command chains by COB 28 February 2023.

 

[medicineman]

Dr Strangelove enters the chat...

 

[Kirkhill]

OTOH

The reaction from the General's Command seems to suggest that many of them are not prepared to be deployed forwards.

The Indo-Pacific could see Herc drivers flying in HIMARS and lifting them off quickly, or deployed to Guam, the Phillipines, Japan or Taiwan and dealing with incoming rounds - or even having to defend their runways and workshops.

Ill advised rhetoric? Or the proverbial 2x4 between the eyes?

 

[Spencer100]

Hey its his job and others GOFOs to think about, plan and train for the unthinkable so I don't have to. It's literally their job. So it's over top. I don't care.

 

[Booter]

Setting the priority of high readiness through a series of benchmarks and expectations isnt the same as what that memo says. You could expect high readiness and the maintenance of specific high consequence skills without looking like a lunatic. And that may inspire your people instead of making them less confident in their chain of command.