A four-star Air Force commander has instructed his subordinates to prepare for conflict with China within the next two years, directing them to train service members “understanding that unrepentant lethality is the most important factor.”
Mike Minihan, chief of the 50,000-member Air Mobility Command, wrote in a disturbing memo on Friday, as reported by NBC News, “I hope I am wrong.” “My gut tells me that in 2025 we will fight.”
The Department of Defense attempted to minimize the significance of the letter. “These comments do not reflect the department’s perspective on China,” a spokeswoman stated.
As tensions between China and Taiwan continue to escalate, Minihan, a 32-year Air Force veteran posted at Scott Air Force Base in Illinois, explained his assumption in terms of geopolitical logic.
The general wrote, “[Chinese President] Xi [Jinping] secured his third term and established his war council in October 2022.” Taiwan’s presidential elections are scheduled for 2024 and will provide Xi with a motive. The 2024 United States presidential election will provide Xi with a distracted America.
Minihan stated, “Xi’s team, reason, and opportunity are all aligned for 2025.”
In February, he instructed all AMC personnel — the Air Force’s primary mobility, evacuation, and refueling branch — to concentrate on target practice: “Fire a clip into a 7-meter target… Target the head.”
In recent weeks, the Chinese military has undertaken almost daily intrusions into Taiwan’s skies and waterways, as Beijing continues to assert its grip over the 1949-separated sovereign democracy.
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