CDR Salamander: The “Don’t Care” Caucus Would Like to Make a Statement

/ Constitutional Insurgent

Source: CDR Salamander: The “Don’t Care” Caucus Would Like to Make a Statement

I have not a thing against Mr. Fanning or his resume, and support his nomination to be the next Secretary of the Army. He has a track record within DoD as solid as most of his peers and predecessors. So why does the Administration feel the need to pander for popularity?

4 thoughts on “CDR Salamander: The “Don’t Care” Caucus Would Like to Make a Statement”

  1. To be honest, I’ve been a little worried about the sanctioned culture of the military these days. We’ve seen quite a few crazy commanders outed in recent years. We have to be careful to make soldiery compatible with civil and society. They should never think of themselves a separate or apart, better or worse, entitled or guilt-ridden. If anything, the military should be at the cutting edge of social amalgamation. We don’t want them to form their own little tribe, because that’s really, really, really dangerous.

    JMJ

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    • I too, regret the idolization of the military, and it’s use in pursuit of mindless and political faux-patriotism. Part of the burden of correcting this lies within the military….the other part lying within the civilian populace and our elected representatives. With this issue, the White House could have simply announced their nominee, provided his resume….and let the process run its course. Fanning is eminently qualified for the position. Letting [with willful intention] the narrative be about him being potentially, the first openly gay Service Secretary….does a disservice to the military and to Fanning himself.

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    • Jersey: My first reaction to our comment was, “Oh shut the hell up.”

      You have no idea what you’re talking about. I agree with CI that the hero worship of anyone wearing any kind of uniform handed to them by the federal government needs to stop, but that is not where your comment was directed.

      The only useful part of your comment addresses how some uniformed members, unfortunately, do seem to enjoy lapping up the bennies lavished upon them by society. I don’t like that either. I hateed seeing the ridiculous sight of an overweight Airman in a non-deployable billet stopping at Walmart on the way home to his/her family and receiving accolades from the citizenry while combat troops are sweating, bleeding and dying on battlefields in Iraq and Afghanistan.

      Having said that, the US military is its own culture (actually a distinct culture made up of many distinct sub-sub cultures), and that is a natural consequence of human behavior. I’m sure you and the girls at the HR office of your company have your own sub-culture as well. Being in the military is not like having a job in a restaurant or an office. It is a distinct tribe, and it will always be. Not better, not worse, as you say, but they are not the same as civilian society. You can decide to sleep in without being prosecuted. You can tell your boss no. Not so in the military.

      Finally, the purpose of the military is not to be the vanguard of social experiments dreamed up by progressives with Mao-like dreams and schemes, but you will find that veterans are the least racist, least sexist among all Americans, but they will also tell you some very politically-incorrect stories from the real world, and that includes women and minorities who have served.

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  2. CI: I agree with you on Fanning, and the issue in general. He’s qualified. A Lockheed Martin senior executive is Sec of the AF, for pete’s sake!

    Fanning’s resume is impressive, he’s qualified, end of story.

    I still like Uncle Jimbo’s comment best (I paraphrase):

    “If I’m laying on the side of the road bleeding out, I don’t care if the medic is gay. I just hope he’s one of those buff gay guys who works out at the gym all the time so he can carry my ass to safety.”

    And that sums up the military mindset. If it works, it works. If it don’t, throw it out.

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