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Soldier Secretary: Warnings from the Battlefield & the Pentagon about America’s Most Dangerous Enemies
"This is an important book for the country." -- Sean Hannity
President Trump's last secretary of defense shares harrowing stories of missions in Iraq and Afghanistan, gives an insider look at the tumultuous final days of the administration, and issues a stark warning about the readiness of the military under President Biden.
If you know one thing about Chris Miller, it's that he was President Donald Trump's final Secretary of Defense, elevated to that position in the days after the 2020 election. If you know a second thing about Chris Miller, it's that he oversaw the U.S. Armed Forces during one of the most controversial and tumultuous periods the military has experienced in decades, culminating in the shocking events at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. Yet Chris Miller is no political partisan. On the contrary, Miller has spent his adult life in the crosshairs of America's most dangerous enemies--from Middle Eastern deserts to the bowels of U.S. intelligence agencies--and emerged as one of the leading national security minds of his generation.
Needless to say, Chris Miller has stories to tell. In Soldier Secretary, he reveals for the first time everything he saw--in a book that is candid, thought-provoking, and like that of no Secretary of Defense before him. This book is not just the inside story of what happened during the Trump administration--it's the inside story of what happened to America, its military, and its institutions during the two decades after September 11, 2001.
Part badass, part iconoclast, Miller is an irreverent, heterodox, and always-fascinating thinker whose personal journey through war and the White House has led him to some shocking conclusions about the state of American power in 2021. With a perspective that will surprise and interest both Republicans and Democrats, Miller argues for a radical rethinking of U.S. national security strategy unlike anything since the creation of the joint armed forces in the 1980s. He offers a roadmap for how the United States can win in the era of unrestricted warfare by shedding the bloated defense bureaucracy, bringing American forces home from endless conflicts, renewing our national unity, and beating China at its own game.
Miller is a true American warrior whose incredible journey from Iowa to Afghanistan to Iraq to the White House endeared him to the troops, prepared him for the unprecedented crisis of January 6, and left him deeply concerned about the future of our military and the future of our nation.
President Trump's last secretary of defense shares harrowing stories of missions in Iraq and Afghanistan, gives an insider look at the tumultuous final days of the administration, and issues a stark warning about the readiness of the military under President Biden.
If you know one thing about Chris Miller, it's that he was President Donald Trump's final Secretary of Defense, elevated to that position in the days after the 2020 election. If you know a second thing about Chris Miller, it's that he oversaw the U.S. Armed Forces during one of the most controversial and tumultuous periods the military has experienced in decades, culminating in the shocking events at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. Yet Chris Miller is no political partisan. On the contrary, Miller has spent his adult life in the crosshairs of America's most dangerous enemies--from Middle Eastern deserts to the bowels of U.S. intelligence agencies--and emerged as one of the leading national security minds of his generation.
Needless to say, Chris Miller has stories to tell. In Soldier Secretary, he reveals for the first time everything he saw--in a book that is candid, thought-provoking, and like that of no Secretary of Defense before him. This book is not just the inside story of what happened during the Trump administration--it's the inside story of what happened to America, its military, and its institutions during the two decades after September 11, 2001.
Part badass, part iconoclast, Miller is an irreverent, heterodox, and always-fascinating thinker whose personal journey through war and the White House has led him to some shocking conclusions about the state of American power in 2021. With a perspective that will surprise and interest both Republicans and Democrats, Miller argues for a radical rethinking of U.S. national security strategy unlike anything since the creation of the joint armed forces in the 1980s. He offers a roadmap for how the United States can win in the era of unrestricted warfare by shedding the bloated defense bureaucracy, bringing American forces home from endless conflicts, renewing our national unity, and beating China at its own game.
Miller is a true American warrior whose incredible journey from Iowa to Afghanistan to Iraq to the White House endeared him to the troops, prepared him for the unprecedented crisis of January 6, and left him deeply concerned about the future of our military and the future of our nation.
304 pages, Hardcover
Published February 7, 2023
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1686 people want to read
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August 29, 2023
I was working in the Secretary of Defense’s office when Chris Miller was named SECDEF to replace Mark Esper. Candidly, I didn’t know what to expect. But after spending the next 73 days with him, I came to respect and admire the man more than any other figure I’ve worked for in my 24-year career in uniform.
Miller is the genuine article, and though he had help writing this book, its prose is exactly the way he speaks. Other reviewers have noted his generous use of profanity, and indeed it is hard to miss. But Miller uses it deliberately to break down listening barriers. While visiting the USS Gerald R. Ford, which has been plagued by cost overruns and problems with the elevators and catapult, we were escorted into the captain’s cabin. Naturally, being a presentation for the SECDEF, the news was all rosy and upbeat from the admirals and captains around the conference table.
Later, as we got on one of the plagued elevators, Secretary Miller walked up to the E4 operating the lift. “Does this fucking thing work?” he asked. The kid stood dumbstruck for a moment, then saw Miller’s smiling face and understood he was talking to a different sort of secretary. His reply was an honest answer: “No sir, it’s a piece of shit.”
Miller accurately captures how our political leaders are cornered and secluded in Washington’s halls of power—and better yet, he gives solid ideas for getting the country out of our current rut.
Miller is the genuine article, and though he had help writing this book, its prose is exactly the way he speaks. Other reviewers have noted his generous use of profanity, and indeed it is hard to miss. But Miller uses it deliberately to break down listening barriers. While visiting the USS Gerald R. Ford, which has been plagued by cost overruns and problems with the elevators and catapult, we were escorted into the captain’s cabin. Naturally, being a presentation for the SECDEF, the news was all rosy and upbeat from the admirals and captains around the conference table.
Later, as we got on one of the plagued elevators, Secretary Miller walked up to the E4 operating the lift. “Does this fucking thing work?” he asked. The kid stood dumbstruck for a moment, then saw Miller’s smiling face and understood he was talking to a different sort of secretary. His reply was an honest answer: “No sir, it’s a piece of shit.”
Miller accurately captures how our political leaders are cornered and secluded in Washington’s halls of power—and better yet, he gives solid ideas for getting the country out of our current rut.
March 10, 2023
The Trump Administration was a strange time in American history. One of the stranger things that happened during it for me personally was when someone I knew as a youth became an important figure in the administration in its waning days.
Chris Miller, the name I knew him by, was two years behind me at my junior high and high school in Iowa City, where his father was the police chief. His sister was a classmate of mine and is still a friend. The author of the memoir, “Soldier Secretary,” calls himself Christopher C. Miller, a more formal name for an Acting Secretary of Defense, which is what he became less than a week after the 2020 U.S. Presidential election, when Trump fired Mark Esper in a tweet and announced Miller’s appointment.
The little more than 10 weeks that Miller served in this role included, of course, January 6, 2021, when the U.S. Capitol was broken into during the certification of Joe Biden’s election victory and Miller was responsible for (some say belatedly) mobilizing the District of Columbia National Guard to restore order. The lead-up to Jan. 6 and the events of the day take up relatively few of the 255 pages (including Acknowledgments) that make up “Solider Secretary,” however. Miller begins the first few pages of his introduction with a description of a histrionic call he received from Congressional leadership on that day, but does not return to it again until about 200 pages later, in chapter 10 of the book.
As would be expected, Miller defends his actions on January 6, expressing concern that deploying military forces against the expressed wishes of the District of Columbia mayor would have sparked perceptions that the Department of Defense was working to keep Trump in power. The mayor’s initial request prior to January 6 was quite limited – a total of less than 500 DC National Guard troops, most of whom would be unarmed and helping with traffic control. He writes that it was only after 3 p.m. on that day – after one of the people who had broken into the Capitol was shot and killed – that Miller was given confirmation that the mayor had requested additional support. National Guard personnel arrived at the Capitol at 5:20 p.m. “To my knowledge,” Miller writes, “it was the fastest National Guard response in American history.”
The title “Soldier Secretary” comes from a nickname that Miller claims rank-and-file troops bestowed upon him during his short tenure, based on the fact that he had been in their shoes during his own Army career. More than half of the book contains a series of stories from the various roles Miller had during his Army service. At times these stories can seem overlong: For example, a training mission Miller planned for and executed with the 12-solider Special Forces Detachment he commanded in Kuwait in the 1990s gets almost as much space in the book as the events of January 6.
Miller writes about being part of an Advanced Special Operations unit (with a couple of paragraphs grayed out and marked as being “redacted by U.S. government”) that sent him to Bosnia for intelligence-gathering. He admits to feeling frustration, though, about not ever having seen actual combat until he was sent to Afghanistan following the September 11 attacks. He also describes his service in Iraq, providing details on activities such as how his Special Forces battalion established a field landing strip behind enemy lines and later set up headquarters in Saddam Hussein’s Radwaniyah Palace Complex. Once he left Iraq, however, he writes, “I couldn’t escape the conclusion that I had been an active participant in an unjust war.” Miller returns to Afghanistan to command a U.S. interagency Afghan Counterterrorism force; the book goes in-depth describing a “snakebit” rescue mission he was involved in with that group.
The war stories certainly have some drama to them and provide a sense of the type of soldier Miller was. His writing contains a generous amount of profanity and considerable disdain for “well-worn military doctrine.” The profanity and disdain for doctrine continue as Miller details his Army life after his combat duty ended in 2007. In 2010 he went to the Pentagon as Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict. Then a Colonel, he was responsible for “Irregular Warfare” planning and policy. Miller describes Irregular Warfare as efforts to “gain legitimacy and influence in the eyes of the people stuck in the war zone” – something most in the military-industrial complex hate, “primarily because there’s no money in it.”
Miller retired from the Army in 2014. His book is silent on what he did career-wise immediately after that. (Wikipedia indicates he worked for a defense contractor.) In a thoughtful section of the book, Miller does, however, write about trying to “regain some spiritual, emotional, and mental fitness” after his Army career, in part by taking up running. The book returns to Miller’s career in 2018, when he was appointed to the National Security Council as Trump’s senior advisor on counterterrorism.
Miller unloads on National Security Advisor John Bolton, who he describes as being like “a loud-mouthed frat boy at the bar, he was quick to talk shit and cause drama, but nowhere to be found when the fists started flying.” If, however, you want to read a book that dishes dirt on Trump, you won’t get much of that from what Miller put together. (Miller’s book was written with Ted Boyer, whose LinkedIn profile identifies him as a Special Assistant to the President and Senior Speechwriter during the Trump Administration.)
In one long section, Miller describe the events in the White House Situation Room in the October 2019 raid to kill ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Miller calls Trump’s decision to order the mission “the definition of courageous presidential decision-making” and describes Trump as being “supremely confident, relaxed, and in control” in person. He even credits Trump, who falsely talked about hearing Baghdadi whimpering before his death when announcing the raid, with “waging psychological warfare against our terrorist enemies” by making that up. In a later passage, Miller describes the process of drafting a tweet for Trump and watching Trump carefully edit it with a black Sharpie – a construction process much different from how one imagines many of Trump’s presidential tweets were written.
Miller acknowledges that he became Acting Secretary of Defense in large part because Trump’s options for selecting a successor to Esper were limited. The law required Trump to select someone who already held a Senate-confirmed position; Miller had been confirmed by the Senate when becoming Director of the National Counterterrorism Center in March 2020. After receiving the appointment, Miller indicates his first focus was on doing all he could to end the war against al-Qaeda and bring home troops from Afghanistan, Iraq, and Somalia.
It is not clear from the book whether Miller would be willing to resume his role as Secretary of Defense if the country were to take the unfortunate turn of electing Trump again. In a final chapter titled “A New Way Forward for America,” Miller does lay out proposals on “critical matters of war and peace” that one imagines won’t endear him to many now at the Pentagon. His proposal headlines include “Cut Military Spending in Half,” “Demolish and Rebuild the Intelligence Community,” “Return the Military to the American People,” and “Fire the Generals.”
If not for the fact that I knew Miller long ago, I probably would not have ever noticed this book was published. Given my rather tangential personal connection with Miller, though, I found it to be a worthwhile read.
Chris Miller, the name I knew him by, was two years behind me at my junior high and high school in Iowa City, where his father was the police chief. His sister was a classmate of mine and is still a friend. The author of the memoir, “Soldier Secretary,” calls himself Christopher C. Miller, a more formal name for an Acting Secretary of Defense, which is what he became less than a week after the 2020 U.S. Presidential election, when Trump fired Mark Esper in a tweet and announced Miller’s appointment.
The little more than 10 weeks that Miller served in this role included, of course, January 6, 2021, when the U.S. Capitol was broken into during the certification of Joe Biden’s election victory and Miller was responsible for (some say belatedly) mobilizing the District of Columbia National Guard to restore order. The lead-up to Jan. 6 and the events of the day take up relatively few of the 255 pages (including Acknowledgments) that make up “Solider Secretary,” however. Miller begins the first few pages of his introduction with a description of a histrionic call he received from Congressional leadership on that day, but does not return to it again until about 200 pages later, in chapter 10 of the book.
As would be expected, Miller defends his actions on January 6, expressing concern that deploying military forces against the expressed wishes of the District of Columbia mayor would have sparked perceptions that the Department of Defense was working to keep Trump in power. The mayor’s initial request prior to January 6 was quite limited – a total of less than 500 DC National Guard troops, most of whom would be unarmed and helping with traffic control. He writes that it was only after 3 p.m. on that day – after one of the people who had broken into the Capitol was shot and killed – that Miller was given confirmation that the mayor had requested additional support. National Guard personnel arrived at the Capitol at 5:20 p.m. “To my knowledge,” Miller writes, “it was the fastest National Guard response in American history.”
The title “Soldier Secretary” comes from a nickname that Miller claims rank-and-file troops bestowed upon him during his short tenure, based on the fact that he had been in their shoes during his own Army career. More than half of the book contains a series of stories from the various roles Miller had during his Army service. At times these stories can seem overlong: For example, a training mission Miller planned for and executed with the 12-solider Special Forces Detachment he commanded in Kuwait in the 1990s gets almost as much space in the book as the events of January 6.
Miller writes about being part of an Advanced Special Operations unit (with a couple of paragraphs grayed out and marked as being “redacted by U.S. government”) that sent him to Bosnia for intelligence-gathering. He admits to feeling frustration, though, about not ever having seen actual combat until he was sent to Afghanistan following the September 11 attacks. He also describes his service in Iraq, providing details on activities such as how his Special Forces battalion established a field landing strip behind enemy lines and later set up headquarters in Saddam Hussein’s Radwaniyah Palace Complex. Once he left Iraq, however, he writes, “I couldn’t escape the conclusion that I had been an active participant in an unjust war.” Miller returns to Afghanistan to command a U.S. interagency Afghan Counterterrorism force; the book goes in-depth describing a “snakebit” rescue mission he was involved in with that group.
The war stories certainly have some drama to them and provide a sense of the type of soldier Miller was. His writing contains a generous amount of profanity and considerable disdain for “well-worn military doctrine.” The profanity and disdain for doctrine continue as Miller details his Army life after his combat duty ended in 2007. In 2010 he went to the Pentagon as Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict. Then a Colonel, he was responsible for “Irregular Warfare” planning and policy. Miller describes Irregular Warfare as efforts to “gain legitimacy and influence in the eyes of the people stuck in the war zone” – something most in the military-industrial complex hate, “primarily because there’s no money in it.”
Miller retired from the Army in 2014. His book is silent on what he did career-wise immediately after that. (Wikipedia indicates he worked for a defense contractor.) In a thoughtful section of the book, Miller does, however, write about trying to “regain some spiritual, emotional, and mental fitness” after his Army career, in part by taking up running. The book returns to Miller’s career in 2018, when he was appointed to the National Security Council as Trump’s senior advisor on counterterrorism.
Miller unloads on National Security Advisor John Bolton, who he describes as being like “a loud-mouthed frat boy at the bar, he was quick to talk shit and cause drama, but nowhere to be found when the fists started flying.” If, however, you want to read a book that dishes dirt on Trump, you won’t get much of that from what Miller put together. (Miller’s book was written with Ted Boyer, whose LinkedIn profile identifies him as a Special Assistant to the President and Senior Speechwriter during the Trump Administration.)
In one long section, Miller describe the events in the White House Situation Room in the October 2019 raid to kill ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Miller calls Trump’s decision to order the mission “the definition of courageous presidential decision-making” and describes Trump as being “supremely confident, relaxed, and in control” in person. He even credits Trump, who falsely talked about hearing Baghdadi whimpering before his death when announcing the raid, with “waging psychological warfare against our terrorist enemies” by making that up. In a later passage, Miller describes the process of drafting a tweet for Trump and watching Trump carefully edit it with a black Sharpie – a construction process much different from how one imagines many of Trump’s presidential tweets were written.
Miller acknowledges that he became Acting Secretary of Defense in large part because Trump’s options for selecting a successor to Esper were limited. The law required Trump to select someone who already held a Senate-confirmed position; Miller had been confirmed by the Senate when becoming Director of the National Counterterrorism Center in March 2020. After receiving the appointment, Miller indicates his first focus was on doing all he could to end the war against al-Qaeda and bring home troops from Afghanistan, Iraq, and Somalia.
It is not clear from the book whether Miller would be willing to resume his role as Secretary of Defense if the country were to take the unfortunate turn of electing Trump again. In a final chapter titled “A New Way Forward for America,” Miller does lay out proposals on “critical matters of war and peace” that one imagines won’t endear him to many now at the Pentagon. His proposal headlines include “Cut Military Spending in Half,” “Demolish and Rebuild the Intelligence Community,” “Return the Military to the American People,” and “Fire the Generals.”
If not for the fact that I knew Miller long ago, I probably would not have ever noticed this book was published. Given my rather tangential personal connection with Miller, though, I found it to be a worthwhile read.
January 14, 2024
It was fine, not bad, but not exactly riveting.
February 15, 2023
Amazing book from an amazing SECDEF.
February 2, 2024
I'm not reviewing based on politics. As someone who actively avoids political arguments, the bias in this memiore stood out. That does not affect me. This genre is not something I typically select, but I felt drawn to this book. I loved the stories within, and it gave me an even deeper appreciation for the American soldier. While some parts were very tragic and graphic, the experiences were thrilling to discover. The photos were a beautiful touch.
June 24, 2024
This is an appropriately irreverent (towards “techno-warriors”) expose on the inner workings of the defense establishment. Miller would have been a simpatico with David Hackworth and his skewering of the Pentagon “lounge-lizards” and the “perfumed princes.” While this book is too light on personal details to qualify as an auto-biography, it is rich in combat and general military examples that formed his very fixed opinions on providing for the general defense of the nation. What immediately catches one’s attention is the fact Miller was Trump’s last Secretary of Defense after Esper. As one reads the entire book you learn a lot. It is a quick read with a healthy amount of infantry warrior language sprinkled throughout. It is real and it provides a serious lessons learned model for anyone in the profession of arms, especially the civilian overseers.
Eventually Miller offers some of the most profound and consequential observations, conclusions, and recommendations for defense policy. I didn’t agree with all of them, namely eliminating all of the military academies. My counter is that a cabal of anti-military or pro-terrorist professors and university administrators could throw ROTC off of their campuses (it’s happened before and is now) and we would have no officer training. That aside, here are some of the best comments:
“I applaud the efforts of those who desire to limit the human waste of war by developing technologies that allow for precise targeting…but they do our nation a disservice by overpromising and creating unachievable expectations [along with unrealistic and restrictive ROE] for the young fighters that are on the front lines.” (p134)
“Adjusting to the brutality and randomness of combat requires every soldier to undergo a psychological and spiritual transformation, and it is only made more difficult when they have false expectations.” (p135). [see also the writings of LTC Dave Grossman on this critical issue]
“…delusions of the techno -warriors…journalists, media personalities, and elected officials.” (p135)
“The think-tank crowd doesn’t have any skin in the game…if they are wrong no one holds them accountable…” (p135) [Here he channels Thomas Sowell I questioning those who suffer no loss for bone-headed policies and decisions.]
[instead of techno-centric war] We should retool our military [sic] to master Human-Centric War.” (p136)
I highly recommend this book to concerned citizens, policy makers and professional warriors.
Eventually Miller offers some of the most profound and consequential observations, conclusions, and recommendations for defense policy. I didn’t agree with all of them, namely eliminating all of the military academies. My counter is that a cabal of anti-military or pro-terrorist professors and university administrators could throw ROTC off of their campuses (it’s happened before and is now) and we would have no officer training. That aside, here are some of the best comments:
“I applaud the efforts of those who desire to limit the human waste of war by developing technologies that allow for precise targeting…but they do our nation a disservice by overpromising and creating unachievable expectations [along with unrealistic and restrictive ROE] for the young fighters that are on the front lines.” (p134)
“Adjusting to the brutality and randomness of combat requires every soldier to undergo a psychological and spiritual transformation, and it is only made more difficult when they have false expectations.” (p135). [see also the writings of LTC Dave Grossman on this critical issue]
“…delusions of the techno -warriors…journalists, media personalities, and elected officials.” (p135)
“The think-tank crowd doesn’t have any skin in the game…if they are wrong no one holds them accountable…” (p135) [Here he channels Thomas Sowell I questioning those who suffer no loss for bone-headed policies and decisions.]
[instead of techno-centric war] We should retool our military [sic] to master Human-Centric War.” (p136)
I highly recommend this book to concerned citizens, policy makers and professional warriors.
May 27, 2023
In his autobiography, Soldier Secretary, Christopher Miller states that except for family and a few close friends, he doesn’t care what others think. Not caring about the opinions of others, including experts in their fields, is a poor trait in a public officeholder Not surprisingly, then, Miller’s analysis is often flawed.
Miller, as acting Secretary of Defense, was responsible for National Guard deployment on January 6. This reviewer believes he was truthful when he indicated that once civilian resources were overwhelmed and with civilian authority, he deployed the National Guard as quickly as possible.
However, Miller doesn’t lead with that information. Instead, he began with how elected leaders, particularly Nancy Pelosi, were highly emotional that day. Miller likely was unaware that Pelosi became mayor of San Francisco when George Moscone and Harvey Milk were assassinated. Pelosi’s fear, and the fear of other elected officials, that they could be shot by the angry mob overtaking the capital is quite understandable.
Miller sees Democrats as two-faced when they asked for National Guard deployment regarding protecting the electoral process but asked for restraint in the deployment of troops in Ferguson and elsewhere. Perhaps the National Guard should have been deployed more quickly in riots triggered by police violence. However, such delay, if any, would have resulted in the destruction of property. Of the two, protecting democracy is more important than the protection of property.
Most of the book concerns Miller’s military career. At one point, some wounded but armed Taliban are holed in a hospital. Miller, as the senior commander on the scene, gives the ok to blow a hospital wall so soldiers can charge in and shoot. Miller acknowledged the actions around the hospital taken under his command could be considered, by some, a war crime.
In his last chapter, Miller offers various suggestions. One suggestion is to upgrade America’s nuclear arsenal. Spending large sums of money upgrading something that (hopefully) will never be used is simply a waste of taxpayers’ money. He also argues for cutting military spending in half. More money for nuclear weapons and less for everything else just seems stupid.
As a book, Soldier Secretary has some good parts. However, this reviewer is pleased that Miller, and his often flawed thinking, is out of his job as Secretary of Defense.
Miller, as acting Secretary of Defense, was responsible for National Guard deployment on January 6. This reviewer believes he was truthful when he indicated that once civilian resources were overwhelmed and with civilian authority, he deployed the National Guard as quickly as possible.
However, Miller doesn’t lead with that information. Instead, he began with how elected leaders, particularly Nancy Pelosi, were highly emotional that day. Miller likely was unaware that Pelosi became mayor of San Francisco when George Moscone and Harvey Milk were assassinated. Pelosi’s fear, and the fear of other elected officials, that they could be shot by the angry mob overtaking the capital is quite understandable.
Miller sees Democrats as two-faced when they asked for National Guard deployment regarding protecting the electoral process but asked for restraint in the deployment of troops in Ferguson and elsewhere. Perhaps the National Guard should have been deployed more quickly in riots triggered by police violence. However, such delay, if any, would have resulted in the destruction of property. Of the two, protecting democracy is more important than the protection of property.
Most of the book concerns Miller’s military career. At one point, some wounded but armed Taliban are holed in a hospital. Miller, as the senior commander on the scene, gives the ok to blow a hospital wall so soldiers can charge in and shoot. Miller acknowledged the actions around the hospital taken under his command could be considered, by some, a war crime.
In his last chapter, Miller offers various suggestions. One suggestion is to upgrade America’s nuclear arsenal. Spending large sums of money upgrading something that (hopefully) will never be used is simply a waste of taxpayers’ money. He also argues for cutting military spending in half. More money for nuclear weapons and less for everything else just seems stupid.
As a book, Soldier Secretary has some good parts. However, this reviewer is pleased that Miller, and his often flawed thinking, is out of his job as Secretary of Defense.
June 16, 2024
I thoroughly enjoyed this memoir but it is not a beach read. Nor is it for everyone unless you are a history buff, are skeptical of public policy especially concerning war making and its funding, or you question the recent tilt toward globalization. I became aware of former acting Secretary of Defense Col. Christopher Miller in the final days of the Trump administration. Together with his scrappy and efficient Chief of Staff Kash Patel, he worked to put the long thwarted "America First" policy into effect. The duo also confronted the Jan. 6 riot, an event which remains unsettled as to its REAL participants and the refusal of support offered by the administration. Influenced by military stories of his father and uncles and his dismay at the failed 1979 Iranian hostage rescue attempt, Miller enlisted in the army reserve at age 17 with the consent of his family. His journey through basic training, qualification for the Green Berets, and rise to commander, this ultimate combat soldier describes grueling battles in both Afghanistan and Iraq wars including the harrowing rescue of Navy SEAL Marcus Luttrell and the termination of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. While these "war chronicles" are a compelling read, it is the final chapter of the book which truly resonates. In "A New Way Forward for America", Miller poses 10 action items to prevent the "collapse of our empire of ideas". Items include universal service through a variety of venues (from the military to National Park); reinvigoration of the American brand through economic strength; rebuilding the intelligence community; cutting military spending including firing the generals; creating a smaller but more "nimble force" and "irregular warfare" (IW); SECURING THE BORDER and ultimately returning the military to we the people. Christopher Miller speaks with the wisdom of 36 years of proud service in the military and government (Pentagon) but with the humility of one who realizes the folly of our country's international overextension, our embrace of unjust wars (Iraq), and the outdated policies designed to fight enemies which no longer exist. He concludes by stating that of all the swamps in Washington, DC, the most dangerous of all and the one in need of draining is the PENTAGON. Despite his most proud achievement in service to his country as a Green Beret, Miller offers a grace note to the Navy SEALS as being the bravest, most disciplined of our teams.
April 11, 2023
"I accept total responsibility for everything that happened in the United States military and DOD while I was the Acting Secretary of Defense. That's the essence of leadership. As a leader in the military, you are responsible for everything that does or doesn't happen in the organization you lead. You don't shirk responsibility and accountability; you own it. That's what the American people pay you for. I absolutely wish that, like the western movies of yore, the citizen-soldiers of the National Guard rescued the Capitol Hill and Metropolitan Police from being overrun by violent protesters and put an inviolate barrier around the Capitol precluding their storming of the building. But this isn't Hollywood, and conflict and fighting don't lend themselves to clarity and happy endings."
Most people probably don't know anything about Trump's last Secretary of Defense. Miller is not exactly the kind of person you would expect to end up directing the world's largest military. He enlisted in the infantry and retired as a Green Beret colonel. Miller detested the politics of military bureaucracy and looked for opportunities to command troops in the field. He frequently curses in his writing and is not afraid to tell you what he thinks. That being said, I found myself really enjoying this memoir. Very different than anything else you'll find by a departing senior cabinet official.
Miller has some very radical ideas to change U.S. foreign policy. He advocates for cutting the defense budget by 40-50 percent, firing generals, consolidating the combatant commands, shrinking the size of the intelligence community, mandatory 18-month periods of national public service, etc. While these ideas probably aren't within the Overton Window of change, it's refreshing to see someone propose a total reset of U.S. policy. His memoirs and ideas are worth reading and pondering.
Most people probably don't know anything about Trump's last Secretary of Defense. Miller is not exactly the kind of person you would expect to end up directing the world's largest military. He enlisted in the infantry and retired as a Green Beret colonel. Miller detested the politics of military bureaucracy and looked for opportunities to command troops in the field. He frequently curses in his writing and is not afraid to tell you what he thinks. That being said, I found myself really enjoying this memoir. Very different than anything else you'll find by a departing senior cabinet official.
Miller has some very radical ideas to change U.S. foreign policy. He advocates for cutting the defense budget by 40-50 percent, firing generals, consolidating the combatant commands, shrinking the size of the intelligence community, mandatory 18-month periods of national public service, etc. While these ideas probably aren't within the Overton Window of change, it's refreshing to see someone propose a total reset of U.S. policy. His memoirs and ideas are worth reading and pondering.
June 14, 2024
This is a 2023 autobiography of Christopher C. Miller, who came to our attention in late 2020 (after the rigged election) as President Trump’s Acting Secretary of Defense. This is a wonderful story of how Miller went from enlisting as a Private in the Army right after graduating from high school to commanding the entire DOD through a very turbulent time in our history. Miller is a genuine leader of warriors, perhaps this is why Trump chose him. His nickname others gave to him: Soldier Secretary.
I admit I read the book because I was trying to get a hint of where The Plan was going. Naturally, nothing operational was revealed but the end of the book (Chapter 11, A New Way Forward for America) gave what might be the most eloquent set of solutions ever presented. An example is Action Item 1, Restoring National Unity with Universal Service. This took only a page to summarize and it blew my doors off. Miller scored high on the Army IQ test for a reason-- this man is intelligent, thoughtful, and patriotic-- all of us should hope and pray he has a prominent role in a future Trump administration.
This is a book of high integrity and authenticity that yields pure enjoyment. I highly recommend it to you with no reservations whatsoever.
I admit I read the book because I was trying to get a hint of where The Plan was going. Naturally, nothing operational was revealed but the end of the book (Chapter 11, A New Way Forward for America) gave what might be the most eloquent set of solutions ever presented. An example is Action Item 1, Restoring National Unity with Universal Service. This took only a page to summarize and it blew my doors off. Miller scored high on the Army IQ test for a reason-- this man is intelligent, thoughtful, and patriotic-- all of us should hope and pray he has a prominent role in a future Trump administration.
This is a book of high integrity and authenticity that yields pure enjoyment. I highly recommend it to you with no reservations whatsoever.
March 13, 2023
Started kind of slow for me but turned out to be a great read. COL (ret) Miller is a national treasure. Selfless, committed and competent service both on active duty and as our nation's highest ranking civilian leading the Department of Defense. An antidote which best describes Miller (I offer this without ever having met him but having served the Army on active duty and as a civilian for 41 years) are the steps he took to ensure that the valor demonstrated on the battlefield in Vietnam by Colonel Paris Davis was not forgotten. Recommendations that COL Davis be submitted for the Medal of Honor were twice 'lost'. Thanks to Miller, and others, COL Davis was finally recognized on 3 March 2023 for selfless devotion beyond the call to duty on 18 Jun 1965 when ignoring a direct order to vacate the battlefield, Davis, under fire and despite multiple personal wounds, returned to extract wounded Americans incapable of moving themselves. Miller's story is about the American fighting spirit of which he is an unrivaled example.
January 24, 2023
READ THIS especially if you live outside the Washington Beltway. Christopher Miller has written a fast moving combat memoir from a soldier who started at the bottom (loved the Military Police Private photos at Fort McClellan) and ended up as the Secretary of Defense. This is not a biography - it covers a military career that had more than it's fair share of n0n-traditional Army assignments. It was loaded with Special Operations and other types of operations that won't be mentioned here. It has a distinct Special Operations slant. Leadership gems applicable to military and civilian work are sprinkled throughout. There is a full chapter on specific action items that could correct (fix) the polarized nature of America today. If you want to know what happened in Washington, DC on 6 Jan 2021 from the Sec Def's perspective - that's in here too. Miller's conclusion will be a surprise to many. Be advised - names are named.
November 15, 2024
The first part of the book was about how the author viewed military duty and him describing or perhaps bragging about his part in military campaigns. He expressed that his job was to carry out orders without thinking. I guess this is the military way. But his blind adherence to authoritarian idealism turned me off and his callous attitude towards soldiers and civilians endangerment did not endear him to me. His praise of Trump and his later handling of Jan 6 didn’t seem consistent with his last chapter on steps to take to modernize military and defense budgets. I liked some of these suggestions but the last chapter seems totally inconsistent with the rest of the book. Overall I found him to be unlikeable and the information offered to be deeply impacted by his values based on war stories he heard from his family. I would not recommend this book except for the last chapter.
June 3, 2025
Intriguing Perspective
Chris Miller is one of the most intelligent and funny leaders I had the honor to serve with......not to mention he was a true warrior! I have been wanting to read his book for quite some time and finally downloaded it. Glad I did! Funny thing is, I could just him saying some of that stuff. I was also super curious about his time as Acting SecDef. It was an easy read and kept me interested from cover to cover. I especially enjoyed his thoughts on our current situation our country finds itself in and his recommendations on what we can do to make it better. RLTW and DOL Sir!
Chris Miller is one of the most intelligent and funny leaders I had the honor to serve with......not to mention he was a true warrior! I have been wanting to read his book for quite some time and finally downloaded it. Glad I did! Funny thing is, I could just him saying some of that stuff. I was also super curious about his time as Acting SecDef. It was an easy read and kept me interested from cover to cover. I especially enjoyed his thoughts on our current situation our country finds itself in and his recommendations on what we can do to make it better. RLTW and DOL Sir!
April 12, 2023
At first very frank and honest. At the end when recommendations are made to cut the military by half, stop building expensive aircraft carriers/planes/tanks whatever and purge the military of ‘unfit or unqualified’ yes men I see a problem. Who decides who isn’t fit to do their job?
Government should take that approach. Less is better and term limits for positions should be enforced.
Overall a good book to bring up questions about our own idea of what is enough.
Definitely read.
Government should take that approach. Less is better and term limits for positions should be enforced.
Overall a good book to bring up questions about our own idea of what is enough.
Definitely read.
September 18, 2023
Miller is a neoisolationist but he doesn’t mention the shambolic withdrawal from Afghanistan or the Russian invasion of Ukraine. He doesn’t like that James Mattis and Lloyd Austin were secretaries of defense who are retired career military officers but he is one too. He has good suggestions about draining the part of the swamp known as the military industrial complex but partisan gridlock may not make their implementation realistic.
December 16, 2024
Some of the ideas presented within these pages are contradictory at best, unsafe for sure and downright criminal at worst. How can one reconcile a fifty percent military budget cut in one breath and in the very next breath say we need to use our military as a border guard. I am not sure how that works. Just for the debate fodder alone this book is a must read.
April 30, 2025
I gave five stars because I found the book informative, entertaining and well written. Chris Miller is an example of those great Americans who do their job because it needs to be done and that is what they signed up to do. Chris's military training, discipline I think constrained any heart felt commentary on the CINC. A good read.
March 2, 2024
good book and good recount of the J6 events. I can't say that I agree with his action items in the end of the book, but then I'm not in a position to know if his suggestions are as good as he certainly believes they are
July 17, 2025
ɪ ᴀꜱᴋᴇᴅ ᴛʜɪꜱ ᴛᴇᴀᴍ ᴛᴏ ᴜɴʟᴏᴄᴋ 2 ꜰɪʟᴇꜱ ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇʏ ᴅɪᴅ ɪᴛ ɪɴ 24 ʜᴏᴜʀꜱ. ᴛʜᴇ ᴏɴʟʏ ɪꜱꜱᴜᴇ ɪ ꜰᴀᴄᴇᴅ ᴡᴀꜱ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴛʜᴇʏ ᴅɪᴅ ɴᴏᴛ ᴀᴄᴄᴇᴘᴛ ᴄʜᴇᴄᴋ ᴘᴀʏᴍᴇɴᴛ. ʏᴏᴜ ᴄᴀɴ ꜱᴇɴᴅ ᴊʙᴇᴇ ꜱᴘʏ ᴛᴇᴀᴍ ᴀ ᴅᴍ ᴏɴ ᴇᴍᴀɪʟ ᴄᴏɴʟᴇʏᴊʙᴇᴇꜱᴘʏ606@ɢᴍᴀɪʟ.ᴄᴏᴍ
March 1, 2023
Thoughtful insights from a career soldier that was promoted through the ranks to a cabinet level member.
March 6, 2023
The final two chapters are gold and eye opening. We need more leaders like Chris in high places.
March 7, 2023
This was a good book. There was no new information it. He was just parroting back what was in the news already.
May 16, 2023
Nice first-person insight from the battlefield to the Presidential war room, but as far as policy prescriptions, eh.
July 8, 2023
Great read.
Great insight into our current state of affairs. Miller tells his life story in a relatable way that many will relate to. I recommend this book wholeheartedly.
Great insight into our current state of affairs. Miller tells his life story in a relatable way that many will relate to. I recommend this book wholeheartedly.
November 24, 2023
A great story about service to the nation, but beyond that the insight into the final days of the trump administration is very interesting. I especially appreciate the action items for the future.
August 19, 2024
This book is outstanding and if Trump reads this, he needs to implement the recommendations in the back of the book.
May 8, 2023
"Fascism is a false revolution. It makes a revolutionary appeal without making an actual revolution. It propagates the widely proclaimed New Order while serving the same old moneyed interests." - Michael Parenti
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