Retired Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. CQ Brown Jr. is criticizing aspects of President Donald Trump's military policies, warning that using troops for domestic law enforcement missions and removing senior officers could have lasting consequences for the armed forces.

Brown, who was dismissed as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in February 2025, outlined his concerns in a Foreign Affairs essay published Friday and expanded on them during an Aspen Institute discussion last week.

Without naming Trump or War Secretary Pete Hegseth, Brown argued that deploying troops to American cities for politically charged missions risks pulling the military away from its core mission of national defense.

"In the face of a genuine national disaster, the public will readily embrace the military’s help," Brown wrote. "But when presidents use the armed forces for more politically contentious missions, such as addressing domestic crime in cities, the work of the military becomes more fraught."

He added: "Resorting to a military solution rather than fixing the underlying incapacity or dysfunction in civilian institutions diverts the military from focusing on its primary combat mission. And as [George] Washington knew, it is not the military’s job to save the republic from political impasses. Indeed if you ask too much of the military, you risk the entire enterprise."

The comments come after the Trump administration deployed thousands of troops early in the president's second term to Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., Chicago, and other cities, saying the deployments were necessary to restore law and order.

Court challenges later ended National Guard deployments in Chicago, Los Angeles, and Portland, Oregon, although Guard members remain on duty in Washington.

Brown also questioned the Pentagon's recent shake-up of senior military leadership, saying merit should remain the standard for promotions and assignments.

"What is starting to happen now, it is not about merit," Brown said during the Aspen Institute discussion, according to The Wall Street Journal. "All of these people who are being removed are very well experienced."

He said his greatest concern is the effect on the officers and enlisted personnel who remain in uniform.

"My concern is the impact it has on those who are still continuing to serve. Are they going to have a fair opportunity to advance in their career going forward?" Brown said. "Anecdotally, I know some folks that have some concerns about that, whether they are going to have a fair shot."

Brown's remarks come as Hegseth continues overhauling the Pentagon's senior leadership. Among those affected was Gen. Chris Donahue, who relinquished command Thursday as the Army's top officer in Europe after the Pentagon downgraded his command.

Brown, a former fighter pilot, was nominated by Trump in 2020 to become Air Force chief of staff, making him the first Black officer to lead a U.S. military branch. Former President Joe Biden later selected him to serve as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Hegseth questioned Brown's elevation to the nation's top military post in his 2024 book, The War on Warriors. Brown was removed as Joint Chiefs chairman in February 2025 after Hegseth informed him of the decision while he was in Texas reviewing the administration's border mission, with Trump later announcing the move on social media.