Past Pentagon leaders warn of strains on civilian-military relations

The Pentagon’s former defense secretaries and top generals warned Tuesday that political polarization and other societal strains are creating an “exceptionally challenging” environment for maintaining the traditional relationship between the military and civilian worlds.

The assessment is the basis of an extraordinary open letter signed by eight former defense secretaries and five former chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Adhering to the military’s tradition of nonpartisanship, the leaders do not blame any political leader or party for the situation, but note that the last presidential election was the first in more than a century to have the peaceful transfer of power disrupted.

The former Pentagon leaders said the current environment is challenging for a variety of reasons, including deep political divisions and the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic, and say they fear that the situation could worsen.

At the same time, the U.S. military has ended wars in Iraq and Afghanistan “without all the goals satisfactorily accomplished” and is preparing for “more daunting competition” with other nations, the leaders write.

“Looking ahead, all of these factors could well get worse before they get better,” the letter states. “In such an environment, it is helpful to review the core principles and best practices by which civilian and military professionals have conducted healthy American civil-military relations in the past — and can continue to do so, if vigilant and mindful.”

The signatories of the letter, to be published Tuesday morning by War on the Rocks, include former president Donald Trump’s two confirmed defense secretaries, Jim Mattis and Mark T. Esper, both of whom clashed with the president and were removed from their positions. Mattis, after leaving office, denounced Trump as a threat to the U.S. Constitution who tried to turn Americans against one another, while Esper resisted Trump’s desire to use active-duty troops against people protesting the police killing of George Floyd and later said Trump was unfit for office.

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About the Author: Patriotman

Patriotman currently ekes out a survivalist lifestyle in a suburban northeastern state as best as he can. He has varied experience in political science, public policy, biological sciences, and higher education. Proudly Catholic and an Eagle Scout, he has no military experience and thus offers a relatable perspective for the average suburban prepper who is preparing for troubled times on the horizon with less than ideal teams and in less than ideal locations. Brushbeater Store Page: http://bit.ly/BrushbeaterStore

5 Comments

  1. Überdeplorable Psychedelic Cat Grass September 6, 2022 at 09:57

    “ but note that the last presidential election was the first in more than a century to have the peaceful transfer of power disrupted.”

    Well, given that it’s the first election to be stolen since LBJ, and given that the Deep State did its utmost to entrap Trump supporters, don’t be surprised that the public does not have much trust in the military.

    Esper openly violated a direct order which was constitutional. The military was used to put down riots in New Jersey and Detroit back in the 60s. A sniper from the second one shot a looter dead in New Jersey.

    More recently although it had essentially no media coverage that I am aware of, they did something similar in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. A friend of my dad‘s was on reserved deployment down there shot a bunch of looters from their Blackhawk.

    Further down in the article, several of the former SECDEFs whine about how our democracy is at risk of being lost. They are unfit for office if they do not know that we are a constitutional republic and all that that entails.

    With people like Milley at the helm of JCS openly calling his equipment in China and telling him that he would let him know if we were going to strike first maybe they should be introspective and ask, “What if we are to blame?”

    • vagabond September 6, 2022 at 10:52

      Solid points. Pray for the future, that We and Ours may have one.

      And they sound like a bunch of jungle tucans: ” KWWAAAK! Our Democracy! KWWAAAK! Our Democracy!!” KWAAAK!!”

      Can’t stand the phrase any more.

  2. vagabond September 6, 2022 at 10:05

    This foreshadows a new Praetorian Guard loyal only to its paymasters, Or the separation of the military from society to become a faction unto itself, e.g., Pakistan, historical Argentina, etc.

    Is there NO ONE of any rank with any power in any branch of the military who is a Traditionalist? Not one?? Was the Obama purge just that successful?

    Or if it is a very few pulling the strings (such as Hannity touting the 99% or ‘good people’ in the FBI) how do those problematic ‘few’ controls almost everything?

    Second question I wish Ya’ll would cover: if the US and its interests are ever ‘attacked’ by China, would anyone actually lift a finger to fight? The assumption is that everyone in charge is either on board, bought off, or compromised.

    In 2008 when the stock market crashed much prepper fiction started to become a ‘thing,’ Would it be germs? EMP? But apparently, it’s worst-case – ourselves.

    • Scott September 6, 2022 at 22:07

      Nobody promotes into a command position without playing politics, once you play that game it’s very hard not to be compromised. The purge was very effective in making sure that people of principles had a very hard time promoting.
      As for your second question I still believe most of the rank and file Sgts and below aren’t completely corrupted and would fight an invasion, but then again they have been conditioned to follow all orders without question instead of weighing if the order was lawful or not. Maybe a large percentage would stand down if Milly gave that order because his friend in charge of the CCP army promised that they were only here as peace keepers not as invaders. The only way to be sure would be to find out what the Sgts in combat units mindsets were on this type of scenario as nothing gets accomplished without the NCO corps.

  3. Paulo September 6, 2022 at 16:07

    This cannot, I repeat, this cannot be unintentional.
    The way the EU and here “leaders” continue to destroy the people,
    falling right into enemies hands, all in wealth, health, crime
    and enviroment, cannot be a coinsidence.
    https://theconservativetreehouse.com/blog/2022/09/06/russia-shuts-down-nord-stream-1-gas-pipeline-gasprom-sends-out-eerie-video-winter-is-coming/#more-237405

    “For if they do these things in a green tree, what shall be done in the dry?”
    Luke 23 : 31

    “Every man to his family and possessions”

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