Military Leaders in a Civilian Cabinet
Retired Army Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, former director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, is Mr. Trump’s pick for National Security Advisor. (Olivier Douliery/Abaca Press/MCT)
Recently, President-elect Donald Trump announced that retired Marine Corps General James “Mad Dog” Mattis would be nominated for the Secretary of Defense position. Mattis is a well-respected marine, with a career spanning from the Persian Gulf War to leading the U.S. Central Command.
Many veterans are unsurprisingly pleased to see military leaders in the administration. In addition to Mattis, Trump has nominated General John Kelly, another marine to lead the Department of Homeland Security.
Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, Ret. is Trump’s pick for National Security Advisor. Flynn’s selection has generated a storm of controversy, as some of his former colleagues have described him as “volatile” and “arrogant.”
Despite disagreement over incorporation of military leaders in Trump’s civilian administration, Trump supporters agree with the President-elect’s view that these leaders bring a unique perspective to their respective positions.
Stay tuned for more.
Barbara Ranson • Dec 20, 2016 at 7:23 pm
Just a quick note. The author of this article did not note Gen. John Kelly is also retired. Furthermore, the text, “Michael Flynn, a retired United States Army lieutenant general” is also, I believe incorrect. I believe this should be noted as Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, Ret. I have searched and found a link which might explain this best is http://writingexplained.org/ap-style/ap-style-military-titles.
I realize this is tricky business, there are different rules for retired personnel and veterans, and even the Dept. of Defense is unclear when the specifics include medically retired, men and women who served but did not retire and so on. (And, the appropriate wearing of a uniform after retirement is another matter entirely.) I consider these details to be relevant to both your article and the respect we owe members of our military who gave so much in their service to our country, regardless of their political affiliations or post-service employment.
One more thought…perhaps the idea that the standard for retired military personnel to have at least seven years of separation is a relevant fact as well as information of which many are unaware. A good start for researching and understanding this information can be found at http://www.dod.mil/dodgc/defense_ethics/resource_library/pgser_senior.pdf.
I hope you find this beneficial.
Regards, Mrs. Ranson