Such frank talk about the possible impact on a community around an American military base, in the event of a war with China over Taiwan, is rare.
Commentary
Last month, the commander of Edwards Air Force Base, California, talked openly about the need for local leaders to prepare for a Pearl Harbor-like strike on his base and others inside the United States.
Brig. Gen. Doug Wickert delivered “a sobering assessment of China’s growing military capabilities” in a briefing to community leaders, according to an Air Force press release. Wickert, the 412th Test Wing commander, spoke at Antelope Valley College on May 7.
Edwards Air Force Base is located in the Mojave desert about 100 miles northeast of Los Angeles.
Wickert referenced the 1941 Pearl Harbor attack in his briefing, the press release said, drawing parallels to warnings about Pearl Harbor’s vulnerability prior to the attack.
Such frank talk about the possible impact on a community around an American military base, in the event of a war with China over Taiwan, is rare.
Notably, Wickert’s comments appear to be fully endorsed and approved by the Department of Defense, signaling a changing attitude.
In January 2023, Gen. Mike Minihan, Commander of Air Mobility Command, which controls much of the air transport and air refueling capacity of the Department of Defense, said in a letter to his command, “My gut tells me we will fight in 2025. [Chinese leader Xi Jinping] secured his third term and set his war council in October 2022. Taiwan’s presidential elections are in 2024 and will offer Xi a reason. United States’ presidential elections are in 2024 and will offer Xi a distracted America. Xi’s team, reason, and opportunity are all aligned for 2025.”
Minihan wrote the letter to prepare his command for conflict. The Department of Defense quickly replied at the time, “These comments are not representative of the department’s view on China.”
By John Mills
