Space Force Officer Relieved After Denouncing CRT/Marxism

[Mirage]

Flags don't have partisan views in their instructions; they write instructions to implement the policies directed by Civilian Leadership.

That is typically true. When I said instructions, I meant instructions, policies, orders, memos, facebook posts, etc. And there is a clear double standard between flags and non-flags, and between extreme views that favor one side of the political spectrum from the other, in my opinion.

Military Officers, regardless of their political stance, are expected to uphold the policy as set by civilian leadership. And in their professional capacity they're expected to remain apolitical. An O5 writing a book that says he disagrees with SECDEF and POTUS's policies is going to find himself in hot water.

Agree completely

This doesn't have anything to do with Patriotism, it has everything to do with the conduct of an officer in a command billet, on title 10 orders.

Ignoring the cynical side of my brain, I give him the benefit of the doubt that he took these actions for patriotic reasons. As I said, he should not have been surprised by the outcome. It was completely against regulation and if I were his boss I'd have fired him too, though I sympathize with his beliefs.

Care to elaborate? Which flag and instruction are you referring to?

Lets start at the top. https://publicappointmentscommissio...cans-protest-more-books-on-navy-reading-list/

There are plenty more examples. Take a look at the Junior Officer Diversity Outreach program, which pulls minority JOs from their sea tours to tour the country, raking in per diem to specifically target other minorities for recruitment. The NAVADMIN that was published for this program, which survived for only about 2 days before being taken down, literally told CO's the program was open to all races but that Blacks and Hispanics were the desired participants. Nevermind the Native Americans, Arabs, or other under-represented races... they just pretend like they don't exist. Imagine if whites become under-represented and they created the same program the other way. Meanwhile, senior leaders brag that minority officers and females are being selected for promotions at higher rates than their white counterparts. While I think that's great, I think it's horrific to set that as some sort of goal. This sort of anti-equality is just the sort of thing promoted by extremist partisan politics these days.

This screams viral marketing for a book that otherwise would probably have been quickly forgotten. My guess is this guy is angling to start his own podcast/coffee/shirt business or break into the commentary sphere with a pension to backstop it.

This may very well be true. That's what the cynical side of my brain suggested. But I have no doubt there are still plenty of people who feel strongly enough that they would do something like this for purely ideological reasons. The fact that he did it while in uniform could be to jumpstart his next career, or it could be because he knows that might be the only way to get his voice heard. Most people who feel like that, though, just resign and grumble on the internet

 

[Brett327]

There are plenty more examples.

I think you’re confusing diversity initiatives with partisan politics. You might believe they are one in the same, but you would be wrong.

 

[HAL Pilot]

I think you’re confusing diversity initiatives with partisan politics. You might believe they are one in the same, but you would be wrong.

Horse shit

 

[Treetop Flyer]

Diversity initiatives and critical race theory aren’t partisan issues yet denouncing them is. Interesting.

 

[wink]

I think you’re confusing diversity initiatives with partisan politics. You might believe they are one in the same, but you would be wrong.

Come now. These days, for several years now actually, you are hard pressed to find what is labeled a diversity initiative that doesn't cross over into partisan politics. The end state of what is downplayed as diversity initiatives IS political change. That is just where we have arrived.

 

[Pags]

Come now. These days, for several years now actually, you are hard pressed to find what is labeled a diversity initiative that doesn't cross over into partisan politics. The end state of what is downplayed as diversity initiatives IS political change. That is just where we have arrived.

Whether the policy started out as partisan politics shouldn't matter to serving military officer. If the civilian leadership has set a specific policy then you enact it, regardless of your personal views on the matter. If your personal views become crosswise with the Civilian leadership so much that you can't serve anymore than you're free to vote with your feet.

There are also folks on the other side of the coin who may not agree with the policies set by a conservative administration. They also need to do their jobs or leave. That's the way it goes.

At the end of the day the service serves the desires of the country as set by the democratic process, not the personal politics of those who volunteered to serve and enforce those policies. And that goes for everyone who comes in with a particular political bent.

 

[wink]

Whether the policy started out as partisan politics shouldn't matter to serving military officer. If the civilian leadership has set a specific policy then you enact it, regardless of your personal views on the matter. If your personal views become crosswise with the Civilian leadership so much that you can't serve anymore than you're free to vote with your feet.

There are also folks on the other side of the coin who may not agree with the policies set by a conservative administration. They also need to do their jobs or leave. That's the way it goes.

At the end of the day the service serves the desires of the country as set by the democratic process, not the personal politics of those who volunteered to serve and enforce those policies. And that goes for everyone who comes in with a particular political bent.

Don't disagree with any of that. Just saying, about anything these days regarding diversity is going to be political. The Navy and flag officers are not immune. Hell, face masks are political. We are in a bad place and, in my opinion, that includes the military.

 

[taxi1]

If your personal views become crosswise with the Civilian leadership so much that you can't serve anymore than you're free to vote with your feet.

Had a guy who refused to serve under a gay OIC. Wanted a transfer to another unit for specifically that reason. There was only one right answer...

 

[picklesuit]

Had a guy who refused to serve under a gay OIC. Wanted a transfer to another unit for specifically that reason. There was only one right answer...

Send him to Submarines?

 

[taxi1]

Submarines?

No, it was reserves. The reserve center’s OIC.

 

[Pags]

Don't disagree with any of that. Just saying, about anything these days regarding diversity is going to be political. The Navy and flag officers are not immune. Hell, face masks are political. We are in a bad place and, in my opinion, that includes the military.

Yeah, I agree that it's hard to have a talk about diversity without getting political. I personally think that recruiting from all cross sections of America is important to make sure you fill all your seats...or put another way the people who want to serve change and we should all want the best and brightest. But often times that gets mired down in politics and the ham-fisted approach that happens with a lot of diversity initiatives (ie, can be seen to exclusive the other way).

 

[Pags]

Had a guy who refused to serve under a gay OIC. Wanted a transfer to another unit for specifically that reason. There was only one right answer...

Or the USA Captain who refused to go to Iraq back when that was the other side of this discussion (that probably predates a lot of current JOs).

 

[Mirage]

Whether the policy started out as partisan politics shouldn't matter to serving military officer. If the civilian leadership has set a specific policy then you enact it, regardless of your personal views on the matter. If your personal views become crosswise with the Civilian leadership so much that you can't serve anymore than you're free to vote with your feet.

There are also folks on the other side of the coin who may not agree with the policies set by a conservative administration. They also need to do their jobs or leave. That's the way it goes.

At the end of the day the service serves the desires of the country as set by the democratic process, not the personal politics of those who volunteered to serve and enforce those policies. And that goes for everyone who comes in with a particular political bent.

Agreed. I'll, add, though, that it is not always civilian leaders that are dictating these things. I find it very hard to believe that anyone forced the CNO to put objectively anti-American works on his reading list. Likewise, the JODO program I mentioned before was created by CNRC. These are active duty officers using their positions to further partisan objectives on their own account, nothing more. The fact that the current party in power doesn't stop them is irrelevant, except that they should be stopping any officer from bringing such divisive and partisan politics into the military realm.

 

[Mirage]

Yeah, I agree that it's hard to have a talk about diversity without getting political. I personally think that recruiting from all cross sections of America is important to make sure you fill all your seats...or put another way the people who want to serve change and we should all want the best and brightest. But often times that gets mired down in politics and the ham-fisted approach that happens with a lot of diversity initiatives (ie, can be seen to exclusive the other way).

Our goal should be to remove anything that favors one race over another, so that everyone has an equal opportunity to join. As one of the supreme court justices said, the best way to treat everyone equal is to treat everyone equal.

 

[taxi1]

I find it very hard to believe that anyone forced the CNO to put objectively anti-American works on his reading list.

Which books? Have you read any of the controversial ones? Googling...

https://media.defense.gov/2021/Feb/23/2002587310/-1/-1/1/210223_NAVY%20READING%20BOOK%20CHECKLIST.PDF