One of the highest-ranked Army vets believes Dennis Rodman can help make peace with North Korea ... saying Donald Trump should seriously consider meeting with the ex-NBA star to smooth things out with Kim Jong-un.
TMZ Sports spoke with Retired U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Russel Honoré -- who most people remember as the guy who famously led the military recovery efforts during Hurricane Katrina.
He also spent 3 years as the commander of the 2nd Infantry division in South Korea -- and he thinks a sit-down between POTUS and Rodman could go a long way.
General Honoré admits "Dennis says and does some unusual things," but when it comes to a potential nuclear war ... "we don't have the luxury to turn down any option that might work."
Trump is currently on a 2-week long trip in Asia, and Rodman recently told us he can help out ... if he's up for it.