Trump and the Navy

Americans have become accustomed to knowing that our military is the best trained, equipped and disciplined in the world. The admirable discipline displayed by our forces is due, in part, to the independence, integrity and quality of our Military Justice System.

Service members know that if they violate the Uniform Code of Military Justice they will be dealt with but they also know that they will be treated fairly and impartially. That is, until the past few months.

President Donald Trump prides himself on shattering institutions and the latest victim is the Military Justice System. He apparently believes that he can curry favor with veterans and military personnel by granting pardons to military members who have been accused of and/or convicted of war crimes. I believe that nothing can be further from the truth. Most veterans and service members will have no truck with those who bring dishonor upon the uniform.

Further, Trump’s ouster of the Secretary of the Navy for opposing his insistence that a convicted Navy SEAL be allowed to retire with his SEAL status intact sends a dangerous message to our forces. His reverence for “tough guys” belies his juvenile understanding of the military ethos and appears based on cartoons, comic books and Rambo movies; bearing no credible resemblance to reality.

I know a little bit about this. I am a former Judge Advocate General officer with numerous courts martial under my belt. I also served as a deputy assistant secretary of Defense and signed off on deployment orders sending our service members to dangerous places. I always did so with the confidence of knowing that our people would do the right thing because their training and doctrine were grounded in the principles of good order and discipline.

I fear that the person fulfilling my former role during these tumultuous days may no longer have that luxury.