Generals, Politics, and Stupidity

A century after cavalry became obsolete, the Joint Chiefs of Staff have found a use for at least one end of the horse. US military chief General Martin Dempsey denounced veterans for speaking against President Barack Obama. He said soldiers had a duty to stay above the political fray. The military has a unique role that requires political neutrality, said Dempsey, to reporters after visiting Afghanistan and Iraq.

A group of former Navy SEALs and other former military members have expressed genuine concerns about national security leaks. They have charged the Obama administration with endangering the United States and our soldiers’ safety by possibly politicizing secrets about special operations, such as the mission that killed Osama bin Laden. Tons of information was publicly released soon after the Abbottabad raid, probably compromising its utility in rolling up other terrorist leaders

General Dempsey, do you not understand that once you retire or separate from military service, you are simply a citizen with all the same rights as anyone else? One of the great issues we’ve had recently is that there is a dearth of military experience among decision makers in Washington. The veterans on both sides of the aisle bring a corrective to that. Using Marty logic, doctors need to get out of the discussion about how to treat cancer.

Any person on active duty who steps into a political debate is wrong to do so. They are in violation of the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Perhaps a bi-partisan congressional committee including John McCain, Daniel Inouye, Charlie Rangel, and Steve Stivers should call Marty Dempsey to explain himself. This group of decorated veterans probably has an opinion on the rights of “ex-soldiers” to speak on political matters. Perhaps Senator McCain and Tammy Duckworth, a combat-disabled vet running for Congress, should speak to the future Mr. Dempsey on their role as former military members now involved in politics. Short of that, perhaps Marty should just open a history book. Names like Eisenhower, Grant, and Taylor might be familiar to him as generals who were elected president. Or maybe he should just look closely at a dollar bill: George Washington was elected the first president largely on the strength of his noble service leading the Continental Army in the Revolution and he is the senior ranking officer in the United States Army’s history, having been elevated to the rank of “General of the Armies of the United States” in 1976. Then General Dempsey can tell us again if veterans have a right to be active in politics.