General Milley, along with close to all of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has been quarantining at home after the coronavirus outbreak that began at the White House two weeks ago. Adm. Charles Ray, the vice commandant of the Coast Guard, tested positive for the virus after attending the event. Mr. Trump has a history of taking to Twitter to announce policy, frequently to the surprise of those involved in formulating that policy or carrying it out. The Pentagon is a place that lives by rules, and Defense Department officials noted on Monday — again — that the military did not really respond to orders that come via Twitter. “That was the decision of the president on a conditions-based withdrawal,” General Milley said.

Source: New York Times October 12, 2020 18:22 UTC