pcfixer
09-20-2014, 09:42
When should military leaders stand up and say they cannot support direction of the administration?
After discussing what is happening in Syria and what happened in Benghazi, Glenn said that he believes the country could be on a path where the military is put in a position of “just following orders”.
“So what should people in the military do then?” Glenn asked.
Former U.S. Navy SEAL Pete Scobell said, “You know, you have to have principles. You have to stand up for what you believe in. I mean, you take an oath to the Constitution of the United States. You don’t taken an oath to a man. You don’t take an oath to Congress. You take an oath to the Constitution to support and defend it. You have to do what the right thing is every time, and you can’t compromise.”
Lieutenant General Jerry Boykin said, “Harold K. Johnson was the Chief of Staff of the Army, and in his memoirs he said his greatest regret was the day he went to the White House to walk in and lay his stars on Lyndon Johnson’s desk and say I quit, and I’m going to the media because you refused to activate the guard reserve and bring all of America into this unpopular war. He got out of his limo, he had a change of heart, and he went back to his office in the Pentagon. And he said he lived to regret that.”
“Now is the time when there are general officers and admirals that need to walk in and lay their star down and say my country means more than my career. Now’s the time, and that will get people’s attention.”
I wonder is Gen Petraeus or Gen McChrystal would have done this, What would have been the outcome?
After discussing what is happening in Syria and what happened in Benghazi, Glenn said that he believes the country could be on a path where the military is put in a position of “just following orders”.
“So what should people in the military do then?” Glenn asked.
Former U.S. Navy SEAL Pete Scobell said, “You know, you have to have principles. You have to stand up for what you believe in. I mean, you take an oath to the Constitution of the United States. You don’t taken an oath to a man. You don’t take an oath to Congress. You take an oath to the Constitution to support and defend it. You have to do what the right thing is every time, and you can’t compromise.”
Lieutenant General Jerry Boykin said, “Harold K. Johnson was the Chief of Staff of the Army, and in his memoirs he said his greatest regret was the day he went to the White House to walk in and lay his stars on Lyndon Johnson’s desk and say I quit, and I’m going to the media because you refused to activate the guard reserve and bring all of America into this unpopular war. He got out of his limo, he had a change of heart, and he went back to his office in the Pentagon. And he said he lived to regret that.”
“Now is the time when there are general officers and admirals that need to walk in and lay their star down and say my country means more than my career. Now’s the time, and that will get people’s attention.”
I wonder is Gen Petraeus or Gen McChrystal would have done this, What would have been the outcome?