Essay About Army Officer And President Clinton

Respect in the Military
Respect in the Military
Respect in the Military
It has been said that military standards are higher than the country demands
of its president. And that is true. President Clinton lied under oath.
Perhaps that is not perjury, but an army officer could not do that. Nor
could army personnel have extramarital affairs. Kelly Flynn found that out
when she lost her position in the Air Force and years of pilot training went
down the drain. But for the Commander in Chief, it is another story.
While it is true that the Commander in Chief is able to get away with
misbehavior, military personnel have been warned not to criticize him. In
fact, the various branches have been reminding troops that they can be
prosecuted for publicly condemning the Commander in Chief and in fact there
are cases pending on this very matter ( Komarow 04A). AT the same time, the
Clinton-Lewinsky affair was the talk of the nation. Even school children
have hinted that they knew something about the cigar story. Yet, the
military is considered to be different. They are not allowed to discuss or
tell Clinton jokes in public. In a way, that seems unfair and there is a
debate as to whether or not they should be allowed to criticize the
president. But that debate is only among civilians who do not understand
military life.
What should be emphasized is that speaking ones mind is not an option in the
military. When one joins, they do so voluntarily and give up first amendment
rights. They know this when they join. Just as a police officer is on duty
24 hours a day and is expected to exhibit conduct in accordance with the
badge, the military officer similarly gives up certain civilian privileges.
And violation is more than just a slap on the wrist. Martha Raddatz reports
that a violation can lead to a court martial under the Code of Military
Justice, Article 88 (Stiegel and Raddatz PG). That law says “any
commissioned officer who uses contemptuous words against the president, vice
president” — and on down — “shall be punished as a court martial may
direct” (PG). Also, the truth of the statement is immaterial (PG). Thus,
just because Clinton admitted to doing the misdeeds, he cannot be criticized
by military members. In other words, one cannot accurately talk about
President Clinton without getting into serious trouble.
The military may seem unnecessarily restrictive or antiquated but there is a
reason for the mandate. Officers must respect their superiors. It is simple
as that. The reasoning behind that is that routines and orders must be
obeyed. After all, soldiers are being trained and must be ready to go into
combat at any time. The reason that the personnel cannot criticize their
leader should be obvious. If a war or conflict were to break out, it would
significantly affect performance as well as the worlds perception about the
United States. Thus, no matter how one feels, there must be respect given to
every single officer all the way up the line to the commander in chief. The
fact that Clinton himself has not been in compliance is immaterial. While he
is the Commander in Chief he is still considered to be a civilian.
While it is important to give the president respect, respect to Military
Superior Commanding Officers and Non Commission