Ex-Military: Your Political Comments "Not Useful"

[Dave70968]

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/201...y-anti-obama-campaign-by-ex-military-members/

The United States' top military official criticized a group of former military and intelligence operatives for its aggressive campaign against President Obama, telling Fox News that he is "disappointed" by such political activity, which he called "not useful."

The group of former CIA agents, Navy SEALs and other military members recently released a long-form political ad blasting Obama for security leaks on his watch, as well as suggesting he has taken too much credit for the SEALs raid in Pakistan that killed Usama bin Laden.

“If someone uses the uniform, whatever uniform, for partisan politics, I am disappointed because I think it does erode that bond of trust we have with the American people,” Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Martin Dempsey said in an interview with Fox News while flying back from a trip to Afghanistan and Iraq.

Dempsey is the most senior military officer to publicly condemn the group, which calls itself Special Operations OPSEC Education Fund, which some opponents have compared to the "Swift Boat" group that attacked John Kerry in the 2004 presidential race.

“Is their criticism valid? I won’t comment on that,” Dempsey said onboard a C17 military aircraft en route back from the Middle East. “Is it useful? No, it’s not useful. It’s not useful to me.”

There's what your national command authority thinks of you. Even after you leave the service, your purpose is to be "useful" to the political establishment, not to think for yourself and express your own opinions.

 

[loudshirt]

“Is their criticism valid? I won’t comment on that,” Dempsey said onboard a C17 military aircraft en route back from the Middle East. “Is it useful? No, it’s not useful. It’s not useful to me.”

I cant completely fault a guy for wanting to look good for his boss. In the military once you get to the General/Admiral level you are basically a political appointee. The Secretary of Defense can have him replaced and retired at anytime. .

 

[bigcountryok]

I cant completely fault a guy for wanting to look good for his boss. In the military once you get to the General/Admiral level you are basically a political appointee. The Secretary of Defense can have him replaced and retired at anytime. .

Correct. He has to fall in lock step with the administration or risk his career. If he speaks out against his chain of command he could face charges under the UCMJ. Any political comments from anyone in his position have no value at all, because they are not free to voice their opinion if in offends anyone in their chain of command.

 

[Glocktogo]

Yep. He's a political hack who happens to wear a uniform. I find it rather disingenuous of him to talk about eroding a bond of trust. Does that include the bond of trust regarding the lives of our troops that've been routinely wasted in battle, by politicians in pursuit of global hegemony? When my military contract expires, I regain my 1st Amendment rights. The same goes for those SEALS and intel personnel in the video. Perhaps he forgot that inconvenient truth?


Methinks the general doth protest too much.

 

[angsniper]

Correct. He has to fall in lock step with the administration or risk his career. If he speaks out against his chain of command he could face charges under the UCMJ. Any political comments from anyone in his position have no value at all, because they are not free to voice their opinion if in offends anyone in their chain of command.

^^^^This

 

[Lurker66]

Eisenhower frequently gets credit for winning WW2, Grant for winning the Civil war, I have no problem with Obama getting credit for killing bin laden. As long as he's dead i dont care.

If the CIA and Seals or some PAC want credit for killing bin laden then give credit to the ONE seal who actually killed him.

Other than that i agree with JB's post.

 

[Glocktogo]

Eisenhower frequently gets credit for winning WW2, Grant for winning the Civil war, I have no problem with Obama getting credit for killing bin laden. As long as he's dead i dont care.

If the CIA and Seals or some PAC want credit for killing bin laden then give credit to the ONE seal who actually killed him.Other than that i agree with JB's post.

Sorry, that's not how it works. I can understand your lack of comprehension on that point, but it doesn't negate your wrongness.

 

[10Seconds]

Eisenhower frequently gets credit for winning WW2, Grant for winning the Civil war, I have no problem with Obama getting credit for killing bin laden. As long as he's dead i dont care.

If the CIA and Seals or some PAC want credit for killing bin laden then give credit to the ONE seal who actually killed him.

Other than that i agree with JB's post.

Really? Just the ONE? I guess he didnt need the rest of his team? IMO all those guys risked everything going in there. Who pulled the trigger makes little difference.

 

[Dave70968]

He has to fall in lock step with the administration or risk his career. If he speaks out against his chain of command he could face charges under the UCMJ.

I'm pretty sure the UCMJ would allow him to keep his trap shut, rather than telling people who are no longer under his command that they shouldn't exercise their rights.

 

[Lurker66]

Really? Just the ONE? I guess he didnt need the rest of his team? IMO all those guys risked everything going in there. Who pulled the trigger makes little difference.

if your passing out credit for killing bin laden, credit ought to be spead from the shooter to the guy who gave the command, from top to bottom, or bottom to top.

The ex CIA/Seals who are bitching about security leaks or getting the details wrong are right to bring it out publicly, but if the motives are political then they are nothing more than "swiftboaters".