“You are obviously unfamiliar with the NCA”
I was a TACAMO crewman/radio operator.
I am INTIMATELY familiar with the NCA.
The OFFICE of Secdef is in the chain, not necessarily the SECDEF. And launch orders bypass secdef altogether and go from POTUS to JCS/Crystal Palace/Cheyenne Ops Center.
Kash Patel was the Chief of Staff to Trumps SecDef.
And long experienced in NSC and legal advising to the military.
I trust his analysis of how Austins AWOL impacted the NCA…
So….think some staff bureaucrat not elected nor confirmed by the Senate for cabinet office, “ in the SecDefs office” can sign off on authorizing military orders issued at the national strategic level. Biden’s orders only.