Folks are free to challenge the accuracy of my recall... but the Military I grew up in, that of the '50's and '60's, seemed staunchly private about politics. [we're talking career Military, not draftees or one-time enlistees] The adults would discuss candidates but seemed to distance themselves from the hoopla. Admittedly, many were voting absentee Stateside, and all were voting absentee overseas, so outside of Prez & VP there could often be different ballots altogether. Most considered themselves "independent." The candidate was always more important than the party, and voting "straight ticket" was considered as not a very thoughtful way to vote. I remember hearing that members of Congress "outranked" the Military. And no matter how junior, or what reputation, that official had to be treated as a "superior" [if I'm remembering right, then situations like that photo where an officer is supposedly signaling insincerity when posing with Sen. Clinton would have resulted in that officer getting disciplined if he was truly doing so... at least 40 years ago]. If our Military is going to show differing loyalties to a commander based on politics, religion, race or gender then we're in deep trouble as a country.
Great point. I'd love to do some research on when we started having "voting officers" in the force whose job it is to push voter registration, and try to correlate that with national party trends. Absolutely agree on your last sentence, and I think ADM Mullen does too.
I have to agree with BWF27. It was the same for me when I was in the army back in the sixties. We were encouraged to vote and all but to keep it to ourself. I know in this day and age peoples out look have changed , idolatry, religion, the flag, even allegiance to this country. But even with an all volunteer force, some, but not all are just a bunch of whimps. We had a way of handleing these guys when I was in. You just kept your mouth shut and tried to get along the best you could with everyone and did your job.
Originally posted by 16608388: I have to agree with BWF27. It was the same for me when I was in the army back in the sixties. We were encouraged to vote and all but to keep it to ourself. I know in this day and age peoples out look have changed , idolatry, religion, the flag, even allegiance to this country. But even with an all volunteer force, some, but not all are just a bunch of whimps. We had a way of handleing these guys when I was in. You just kept your mouth shut and tried to get along the best you could with everyone and did your job.
Thanks for filling in one of the gaps in my recall. I could only assume the value of "vote but keep it to yourself" was for more than just the career folks. As to "handling"...? Does that have anything to do with the secret world I heard about called "behind the barracks?"
This is one of the few nations in whose history the citizens did not have to worry about a coup occuring while they were sleeping. I am a staunch believer in seperation of church and state and that the military MUST remain apolitical in all its dealings.
Too bad our retired Generals, Admirals, and other "professional" officers are too damn interested in being political monkeys and using their RETIRED ranks when backing some candidate. They seem to forget they still send a message to the troops, though in this instance it is a bad one.
I am not retired military just a simple Vietnam Grunt vet. I totally agree that it is not a good thing when past or especially present commanders speak publicly on candidates. I remember my first Presidential election. I voted but I can't remember any of my "grunt" buddies ever telling me who they voted for or asking who I voted for. Who we favored in an election had nothing to do with the faith and loyalty we had in each other.
This issue is complicated as one point of view is by an active army officer, a Col.McMaster, who wrote a book as a major, "Dereliction of Duty", regarding how not one admiral or general confronted either Pres. LB Johnson or SecDefense McNamara about the mission of the Vietnam War. An army general almost did, but I think his wife and family talked him out of calling for a press conference and resigning his commission in 1966. Colonel David Hackworth did resign in 1970 over the conduct of the war.
When I was in the Corps they wouldnt even let us have enough time to go vote they would actually make it so that we were in the Field during the elections I guess that was one of slick willies was of staying in office so that the military vote couldnt kick his sorry butt out of office
I think we have been ignoring the 300 pound gorilla standing in our kitchen.
In reality, the Pentagon has been stacked with Republican party operatives for 7 years with our top officers retiring out of disgust, being passed over or pushed out.
Now we find outselves in the condition we see.
When the Pentagon spends money intended for national defense and the welfare of our troops to pay "retired officers" who openly campaign for Republican candidates, we have lost all sensibility.
It isn't our military overthrowing our government that is the problem, but rather special interest groups operating thru the Whitehouse who have taken control of our military which is now used as a "political press gang" for theiving oil companies, crooked contractors and a defense industry that has done far more to destroy this country than defend it.
