Page:CTRL0000034609 - Transcribed Interview of Kashyap Pramod Patel, (December 9, 2021).pdf/90

90 my practice in the Department of Defense when I was engaging with the Acting Secretary and the Chairman, I believe you asked, was we—I would not hand him some random memo order. That is not how the mission works. That is not how the chain of command works. That is actually how you counter the interest of national security. That was not my habit. I don't ever recall giving an inappropriate, random memo to General Milley, the Secretary of the Army—excuse me, Secretary of Defense or anyone else related to this.

Do you have any memory of handing a piece of paper to General Milley concerning the withdrawal of troops from Somalia or Afghanistan—

General Milley and I, Chairman Milley and I had many exchanges in rooms handing pieces of paper back and forth to each other and our teams about Somalia and Afghanistan. We had a ton. He was the Chairman.

Was there ever any discussion about an order, a piece of paper, a memo, whatever, coming from the White House about the withdrawal from Somalia and Afghanistan that had not been vetted by anyone at DOD or anyone at NSC?

So I can't speak for anyone at DOD and anyone at NSC. What I can tell you is that I would never and did not ever present an order or memo, and I'm using huge quote marks for the record, that was not vetted appropriately having been at the National Security Council and the White House. That would be a subversion of the chain of command and that is not something I've done in my tenure, in 16 years.

Okay. Mr. Patel, do you have any independent memory about this incident?

No.


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So, just to be clear, Mr. Patel, I just want to—this is important, because we