Why Military Leaders Like Me Are Speaking Out
A retired four-star admiral explains how a troubling trend is becoming a constitutional crisis.
Civil-military relations.
Photographer: Brendan Smialowski /AFP/Getty Images
The demonstrations set off by the death of George Floyd are creating remarkable crosscurrents in American society, from new ideas about police reform to an increased focus on the disparate health and economic damage African-Americans have suffered from Covid-19. There is increasing turmoil in terms of the use of the military as well.
A number of retired generals and admirals have spoken out with alarm over the last week about adding active-duty military to law enforcement, and using the Insurrection Act to do so. The appearance of National Guard troops to make the area around the White House safe for a presidential photo-op was very troubling as well.