Commentary In the Trump administration the Pentagon vociferously opposed President Donald Trump’s plans to pull out of Afghanistan and Syria. In the Biden administration the Pentagon did not oppose President Joe Biden’s early withdrawal. Instead, the Pentagon, apparently confidently, arranged to pull out U.S. personnel and some Afghans associated with the U.S. mission in the country. Why did the Pentagon change direction? While the Secretary of Defense had changed (twice since the Trump-era interventions) and the new Defense Secretary was a Biden man, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff was the same man, and any Defense Secretary, even one who was a General before, would need to consult with the Joint Chiefs and other commanders, especially Central Command (CENTCOM), which has responsibility for both Afghanistan and the Middle East. Assuming consultations took place, it would appear that the Pentagon brass was satisfied that the Biden administration had worked …