\nThe U.S. military should never be used as a tool in partisan politics\njust like servicemembers must remain objectively neutral in public discourse. Nevertheless, in recent years, specifically\nunder President Trump, Republicans have become astonishingly\nanti-military. Upon reflection,\nRepublican military support was never really about concern for military members\nand families, but rather focused on financial relationships with powerful private\ndefense contractors and the large donations they make to their campaign\ncoffers. Congressional Republicans\nlargely remained silent when Trump abused soldiers as an obvious campaign stunt,\nunjustifiably sending them to the border and away from their families during\nthe holidays when they were supposed to be resetting between deployments. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nHouse Republicans and their media champions reprehensibly attacked LTC\nAlex Vindman simple because he dared testify truthfully as compelled to do by\nCongress. The Vindman family received so\nmany threats from Trump supporters that the Army had to move them onto a\nmilitary installation and provide security. \nAll for simply doing his duty and obeying the law. Vindman volunteered to serve and in over 20\nyears in the U.S. Army built a record of exemplary service, including\ndeployment to Iraq and a Purple Heart. Anyone is free to disagree with his\nconclusions, but the vicious, baseless character attacks are beyond appalling. Republican questioners, including Devin\nNunes, Jim Jordan, and John Ratcliff shamefully did a dishonest smear job on\nVindman, who deserved to be treated with respect. Republicans did not even appreciate the protocol\nto refer to him by the rank he earned \u2013 and they did not earn! They asserted blatant falsehoods just to\nplant an idea that he was disloyal. \nDisloyal? Like the House Republicans\nwho support Russia over our own country\u2019s interests? <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nThe recent pardoning of three war criminals was an astonishing affront\nto the millions of patriotic Americans currently serving and who served with\ndignity and honor over the years. Trump\npretends to support the military, but that is not possible while completely disrespecting\nthe law, due process, the military justice system, the strong culture and\ntraditions, and ignoring the career professionals and leaders. Leaders across the Pentagon as well as the\nrank and file throughout the services were united in shocked opposition to\nthese unprecedented, atrocious pardons. \nThe military undergoes significant training in war crimes and other\nissues. Preventing war crimes is steeped\nin the culture and everyone in uniform understands the paramount concern to\nprevent war crimes, not reward them. \nTrump ignored the strength of the individual cases, the emphatic\nrecommendations of military leaders, and the law. He willfully disrespected every single\nAmerican in uniform and shirked his primary responsibility as\ncommander-in-chief. Trump\u2019s actions make\nus less safe in the world and result in all nations losing confidence in us as\na valued partner and trusted ally. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nOn a related note, the New York Times recently published a piece on the impeachment\nhearings by Tom Friedman, well worth reading. \nHe surmised that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, a West Point graduate\nwho served briefly on active duty, must have been last in his class when it came\nto integrity. Although there are\nmultiple bases for such a conclusion, in this case it was because Pompeo has\nroutinely violated a sacred rule of leadership \u2013 protect your people. At this point it seems as if President Trump\nhas denigrated the entire diplomatic corps. \nMost recently, Trump and his enablers engaged in undeserved and highly inaccurate\npersonal attacks on career public servants such as Ambassador Marie Yovanovich,\nwho served with integrity and devotion to duty. \nTrump, et al, lie, smear, condemn, etc., all without an ounce of truth,\nsimply because these career professionals dared to tell the truth. Yovanovich was the most egregious case,\nincluding Rudy Giuliani\u2019s disgusting and false smear campaign against her on\nTrump\u2019s behalf, but Trump blasted many other loyal professionals at State. Pompeo was cowardly silent while his team was\ngrossly mistreated and mischaracterized. \nPompeo was also substantiated to have blatantly lied to the American\npeople recently on multiple occasions. Shame\non you! You are a disgrace to West Point\nand the uniform you once wore. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nPresident Trump and Congressional Republicans have debased the career\nmilitary professionals throughout the Pentagon and intelligence community. They have openly embraced Putin\u2019s Russia and\nsupported Russia\u2019s interests over our own national security. There could be no worse affront to those who\nserve, put their lives on the line, and sacrifice for this country than to offer\nsupport and comfort to our adversaries. \nThe continued unconscionable subjugation of U.S. interests to support\nPutin\u2019s quest for dominance threatens the fabric of our democracy and future. Thankfully we have a professional military to\nhold the line and protect us. They\ndeserve far better from the President and House Republican leaders. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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