{"id":72257,"date":"2019-06-06T18:23:58","date_gmt":"2019-06-06T18:23:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/uncategorized\/2019\/06\/06\/the-commander-of-us-forces-in-afghanistan-rocks-a-1911-as-his-personal-sidearm\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T07:33:32","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T07:33:32","slug":"the-commander-of-us-forces-in-afghanistan-rocks-a-1911-as-his-personal-sidearm","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/off-duty\/2019\/06\/06\/the-commander-of-us-forces-in-afghanistan-rocks-a-1911-as-his-personal-sidearm\/","title":{"rendered":"The commander of US forces in Afghanistan rocks a 1911 as his issued sidearm"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

UPDATE:<\/b> According to Task & Purpose<\/a>, Miller was issued his 1911 in 1992 and it officially became his general officer sidearm in 2009. Let the .45 versus 9mm debate resume!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

General Austin \u201cScott\u201d Miller currently serves as the commanding officer of both NATO\u2019s Resolute Support Mission and US Forces – Afghanistan, making him the top general in Afghanistan after having been appointed to that position late last year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Being a 4-star general comes with a lot of perks, and apparently one of them is being able to select what you\u2019d like to carry as your personal sidearm in-country, even if it\u2019s non-standard. Case in point, an Afghan news network recently published images<\/a> of Miller carrying none other than the granddaddy of badass pistols \u2014 the legendary 1911 \u2014 as his piece.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The manufacturer and specific product name of the 1911 in Miller\u2019s holster is pretty unclear, though the design does sport a fairly prominent beavertail and a dark matte finish. To tote around the gun, Miller seems to be using a sweet Kydex holster, also of indeterminate brand\/type.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While definitely an incredibly unique choice of sidearm, especially for an officer in such a lofty billet, the 1911 is a weapon that Miller, a former pipe hitter, would in fact be extremely familiar with.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A West Point graduate and a former platoon leader with the 82nd Airborne, Miller went on to serve with the 75th Ranger Regiment before eventually passing selection and the insanely difficult Operator Training Course to become a full-fledged member of the Army\u2019s elite special missions unit, more commonly known as Delta Force or simply \u201cThe Unit.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Candidates passing through the Delta Force pipeline in the 1980s and 1990s were known to have made thorough use of the M1911 pistol, firing the weapons for hours on end every day, according to former Delta operator Eric Haney, in his book Inside Delta Force<\/i>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A popular rumor still exists that you can identify a member of The Unit simply by looking for a telltale callus formed on his dominant hand from endless hours and millions of rounds of practice with the 1911.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The end result of the constant practice was near-complete accuracy with the 1911 and an expert-like proficiency at instinctive shooting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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In this photograph, Miller’s 1911 is clearly visible on his right side in a belt holster (Photo TOLONews)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The 1911 is still used by the Unit today, custom manufactured by civilian contractors <\/a>and modified to suit the needs of the operator, including standard tritium sights, ambidextrous safeties and enhanced parts to ensure the guns were at 100-percent reliability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Miller would have likely deployed multiple times as a Unit operator with the pistol, including to Somalia in 1993, where he was the ground force commander during Operation Gothic Serpent, more popularly remembered as the Black Hawk Down incident.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He eventually went on to serve as the commanding officer of Delta Force before being assigned to key special operations leadership roles as well as a stint helming the Army\u2019s Maneuver Center of Excellence in Georgia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prior to his current role, he led Joint Special Operations Command.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This wouldn\u2019t be the first time Miller has made waves on the internet on the topic of wielding small arms in-theater. Just last year, he drew attention <\/a>for carrying an M4 carbine while on official visits around Afghanistan, a highly unusual loadout for a 4-star general.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A month prior to pictures surfacing of him with the carbine, Miller drew his weapon<\/a> and helped secure the area after an insider attack in southern Kandahar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Lieut. Gen. Zia, Deputy Minister of Defense, Brig. Gen. Koshal Sadat, Deputy Minister of Interior for Security and Gen. Scott Miller Resolute Support Commander visited Uruzgan and Kandahar provinces on Tuesday to assess the security situation and meet with leaders and troops. pic.twitter.com\/FxUYrKt7Jy<\/a><\/p>— TOLOnews (@TOLOnews) May 28, 2019<\/a><\/blockquote>