Image: Wikimedia Commons (Donald Trump Signs 2018 EO)
Rather than focusing on building better soldiers and leaders for warfighting, some commanders of the U.S. Army are using their time to attack conservatives and Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump.
The Gateway Pundit spoke to Army officer Justin Williamson (a pseudonym) who reached out to the author to disclose “the highly partisan and leftist ideology that has become prevalent in the past four years.”
In recent years, Williamson witnessed “the behind-the-scenes workings of political bias being exercised by senior leaders.” He said, “There are significant examples as they relate to the leadership professional development (LPD) process, which is supposed to mentor and train junior soldiers to be effective leaders, but is instead used to push social and political agendas.”
Rather than addressing fundamental issues of Army leadership or matters that are of concern to a military professional, Williamson disclosed, “The process is being abused, and it’s being used to push very, very partisan issues.”
He explained, “Soldiers were directly questioned on their beliefs, [and] it felt very much like a loyalty test.”
“After leadership left,” he said, “many soldiers expressed their objections but said that they could not say anything due to their sex or race.”
Dr. Chase Spears, who served for 20 years as an Army public affairs officer, was not surprised. He told TGP, “Military culture has evolved over the last decade from discouraging all forms of political expression to taking an observable side in favor of left-wing ideology.”
He explained that “while in the Army, I felt the pressure to keep my mouth shut when confronted with political doctrines that are antithetical to the alleged Army Values.” He went on to note that “this reality also showed up through research interviews I conducted with veterans last year as well.” He learned that “if you speak truth, you’re castigated as some ‘phob’ or ‘ist.’”
While service members rarely speak out against it, military culture is being changed through what’s being forced upon those who serve. For example, after former Defense Secretary James Mattis resigned in 2018, he went on to describe then-president Donald Trump as “a threat to the constitution” in 2020, according to The Atlantic.
Williamson said an Army brigade commander followed suit, making Mattis’ remarks and other anti-Trump media articles more of a focus than military or leadership topics. According to him, the brigade commander implied, “an oath of office obligated military officers to oppose President Trump for becoming a dictator, for being authoritarian.”
“While this kind of training was conducted at the discretion of the unit and leaders who put it together,” he said, “it’s pretty clear that this was disrespectful and contemptuous of the chain of command considering the Hatch Act.”
The 1939 Act prohibits military personnel from engaging in some forms of political activity, and according to Williamson, “it should have applied here.”
In 2024, the anti-Trump rhetoric continues. “There are definitely similar remarks being made by those in command,” he shared.
Dr. Spears also observed that the Army stepped up its opposition to Trump last week when it attempted to block the former commander-in-chief from attending a wreath laying, as a guest of the 13 Gold Star families who lost their loved ones during the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.
“The Army’s attempts to block President Trump from attending this event was halted, so top service officials retaliated by condemning his visit after the fact with a press release that made false accusations of campaign activities,” Dr. Spears explained.
Image: Army statement on Arlington Cemetary (Screenshot courtesy of Dr. Chase Spears)
In a piece published at The American Mind, Dr. Spears shared how Army officials broke regulations to stamp down active duty military members from sharing their thoughts during the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Kabul:
“That attitude was one of indifference to the palpable sense of mourning across the Army. ‘Your grief be damned’ could have been a poster hung across the halls by many senior officials. It seemed that their sole concern was to tamp down any potential embarrassment for the political figures who ordered a reckless and hasty American withdrawal that left the Taliban in a stronger position than it had been at the beginning of the war.”
Dr. Spears has also observed a notable trend in which the Pentagon actively worked against Trump throughout his administration, beginning with his order to halt implementing changes to accommodate those claiming a transgender identity, up to Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley attempting to take control of the military from the Commander-in-Chief in 2020.
“Yet,” he said, “the Defense Department has moved with lightning speed to enthusiastically implement every directive issued by the Biden White House.”
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