Army Officer Denounces Commander-In-Chief's Policy In Scathing Op-Ed

[SkyChief]

Trump signed an executive order banning transgender Americans from enlisting or serving in the U.S. military. And in early June, the U.S. DoD notified transgender Americans already serving in the military that they can either voluntarily or involuntarily leave.

Per the U.C.M.J., no military officer may ever disparage his superior officers or Commander-In-Chief. Doing so may be punishable by dismissal, loss of pay and confinement.

U.S. Army Major Anthony Guerrero, wrote this scathing op-ed published in today's NY Times:

"The president issued the order in January, and the Supreme Court last month allowed the [Trump] Administration to start enforcing it. The order may be legally sound, but it is neither moral nor ethical. I believe that it is my duty as an officer to dissent when faced with such an order. I may not be the sort of person you would expect to oppose a ban on transgender troops. I am a conservative evangelical Christian and a Republican. Though I have deep compassion for people who feel they are in the wrong body, I do not think that transitioning - as opposed to learning to love and accept the body God gave you - is the right thing to do in that predicament. But my views are irrelevant to the issue of transgender troops.

The executive order barring transgender troops is a legal command that provides cover for bigotry. It delivers hate in the guise of a national security issue, dressed up in medicalized language. The meek compliance of military leadership with the ban sends a chilling message to all service members - namely, that our ranks are open only to those who fit a specific ideological mold, regardless of their ability to serve.

Disobeying an order from a superior officer is punishable under the Uniform Code of Military Justice by dismissal, loss of pay and confinement, but this issue is too important to me. I cannot remain quiet while the Army that I love ignores lessons that it should have learned long ago."
- U.S. Army Major Anthony Guerrero
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
I thank Major Anthony Guerrero for his service, but PUBLICLY disparaging his Commander-In-Chief is unthinkable and unforgiveable, in my opinion. I think that the Major should be disciplined.

 

[Mycroft]

- Ex - U.S. Army Major Anthony Guerrero
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
I thank Major Anthony Guerrero for his service, but PUBLICLY disparaging his Commander-In-Chief is unthinkable and unforgiveable, in my opinion. I think that the Major should be disciplined.

There...I fixed that.

 

[iliveonramen]

That's called putting your money where your mouth is. Knowing the Trump DOD, they are going to go after him hard.

 

[ASHES]

He didn't disparage Trump. He says he thinks that the order he recieved was unethical and immoral. That's all he said about Trump. How ****ing thin skinned are Trump supporters if they think this is disparaging their pumpkin?

 

[SkyChief]

That's called putting your money where your mouth is.

Agreed.

Knowing the Trump DOD, they are going to go after him hard.

I disagree. It would be horrible optics for the DoD to come down hard on Major Guerrero.

 

[Rogue Valley]

What is the next Trump social-engineering order to the DoD? "Due to my DEI concerns only white males may now serve in the US military."

I applaud Major Anthony Guerrero, as I also applauded Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman who helped expose the Trump-Ukraine scandal.

 

[Checkerboard Strangler]

Agreed.

I disagree. It would be horrible optics for the DoD to come down hard on Major Guerrero.

You appear to be contradicting yourself.

 

[Captain Adverse]

Trump signed an executive order banning transgender Americans from enlisting or serving in the U.S. military. And in early June, the U.S. DoD notified transgender Americans already serving in the military that they can either voluntarily or involuntarily leave.

Per the U.C.M.J., no military officer may ever disparage his superior officers or Commander-In-Chief. Doing so may be punishable by dismissal, loss of pay and confinement.

U.S. Army Major Anthony Guerrero, wrote this scathing op-ed published in today's NY Times:

"The president issued the order in January, and the Supreme Court last month allowed the [Trump] Administration to start enforcing it. The order may be legally sound, but it is neither moral nor ethical. I believe that it is my duty as an officer to dissent when faced with such an order. I may not be the sort of person you would expect to oppose a ban on transgender troops. I am a conservative evangelical Christian and a Republican. Though I have deep compassion for people who feel they are in the wrong body, I do not think that transitioning - as opposed to learning to love and accept the body God gave you - is the right thing to do in that predicament. But my views are irrelevant to the issue of transgender troops.

The executive order barring transgender troops is a legal command that provides cover for bigotry. It delivers hate in the guise of a national security issue, dressed up in medicalized language. The meek compliance of military leadership with the ban sends a chilling message to all service members - namely, that our ranks are open only to those who fit a specific ideological mold, regardless of their ability to serve.

Disobeying an order from a superior officer is punishable under the Uniform Code of Military Justice by dismissal, loss of pay and confinement, but this issue is too important to me. I cannot remain quiet while the Army that I love ignores lessons that it should have learned long ago."
- U.S. Army Major Anthony Guerrero
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
I thank Major Anthony Guerrero for his service, but PUBLICLY disparaging his Commander-In-Chief is unthinkable and unforgiveable, in my opinion. I think that the Major should be disciplined.

I can understand ex-Major, now "Mr." Guerrero's anger at being dismissed from the military due to his/her(?) transgender status, but IMO the Obama Administration should never have made this change in the first place.

Aside from the issues with morale, trust in fellow servicemen's capabilities, and mental health, the order allowed transgender personnel to use Military medical resources to "transition." It then tied up further medical and mental-health services dealing with such physical changes thereafter.

If a person is transgender, then leave them to deal with this condition along with the mental health, medical, and other services necessary to support this "issue" to their own resources.

Meanwhile, as stated by the current Secretary of Defense, the Department of Defense and its resources should be dedicated to the war fighters. IMO not to people seeking to use those services to engage in costly "cosmetic surgery" requiring constant medical support followed by officially required affirmation of what is likely a mental illness.

 

[RF667799]

He says transgenderism is an ideological issue.

 

[Anagram]

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
I thank Major Anthony Guerrero for his service, but PUBLICLY disparaging his Commander-In-Chief is unthinkable and unforgiveable, in my opinion. I think that the Major should be disciplined.

I don’t think he disparaged Trump in this piece more than he publicly disagreed with Trump’s military policy. Is that something that one can be disciplined for? I tried searching and I was able to find this guidance that suggests that writing a letter to an editor or sharing political views while not in uniform and making clear that they are not the views of the military in general are allowed activities. This op-ed appears to apply to me as protected speech under those guidelines.

But I have never served, nor do I have any expertise in this area so if there is additonal information that contradicts this, I am open to that.

 

[Anagram]

I can understand ex-Major, now "Mr." Guerrero's anger at being dismissed from the military due to his/her(?) transgender status, but IMO the Obama Administration should never have made this change in the first place.

Is Major Guerrerro trans himself? My understanding from this is he is still a Major and not actually trans, but just offering his view on the matter.

 

[Rexedgar]

I can understand ex-Major, now "Mr." Guerrero's anger at being dismissed from the military due to his/her(?) transgender status, but IMO the Obama Administration should never have made this change in the first place.

Where did you get this from?

Aside from the issues with morale, trust in fellow servicemen's capabilities, and mental health, the order allowed transgender personnel to use Military medical resources to "transition." It then tied up further medical and mental-health services dealing with such physical changes thereafter.

If a person is transgender, then leave them to deal with this condition along with the mental health, medical, and other services necessary to support this "issue" to their own resources.

Meanwhile, as stated by the current Secretary of Defense, the Department of Defense and its resources should be dedicated to the war fighters. IMO not to people seeking to use those services to engage in costly "cosmetic surgery" requiring constant medical support followed by officially required affirmation of what is likely a mental illness.

 

[Bum]

I don’t think he disparaged Trump in this piece more than he publicly disagreed with Trump’s military policy. Is that something that one can be disciplined for? I tried searching and I was able to find this guidance that suggests that writing a letter to an editor or sharing political views while not in uniform and making clear that they are not the views of the military in general are allowed activities. This op-ed appears to apply to me as protected speech under those guidelines.

But I have never served, nor do I have any expertise in this area so if there is additonal information that contradicts this, I am open to that.

Article 88 is very broad and vague...intentionally so I think.
That being said, I think it could potentially be a problem for the Major with the current administration.

 

[Rexedgar]

I don’t think he disparaged Trump in this piece more than he publicly disagreed with Trump’s military policy. Is that something that one can be disciplined for? I tried searching and I was able to find this guidance that suggests that writing a letter to an editor or sharing political views while not in uniform and making clear that they are not the views of the military in general are allowed activities. This op-ed appears to apply to me as protected speech under those guidelines.

But I have never served, nor do I have any expertise in this area so if there is additonal information that contradicts this, I am open to that.

I can’t quote the U.C.M.J. code, but whether the opinion piece runs afoul of the code or not, this isn’t a good career move.

 

[Bok Tuklo]

I found this bit the harshest:

The meek compliance of military leadership with the ban sends a chilling message to all service members - namely, that our ranks are open only to those who fit a specific ideological mold, regardless of their ability to serve.

 

[Rexedgar]

I found this bit the harshest:

The meek compliance of military leadership with the ban sends a chilling message to all service members - namely, that our ranks are open only to those who fit a specific ideological mold, regardless of their ability to serve.

“military leadership” means to keep their heads down, there is a pension at the finish line.

 

[Quag]

I can understand ex-Major, now "Mr." Guerrero's anger at being dismissed from the military due to his/her(?) transgender status, but IMO the Obama Administration should never have made this change in the first place.

Aside from the issues with morale, trust in fellow servicemen's capabilities, and mental health, the order allowed transgender personnel to use Military medical resources to "transition." It then tied up further medical and mental-health services dealing with such physical changes thereafter.

If a person is transgender, then leave them to deal with this condition along with the mental health, medical, and other services necessary to support this "issue" to their own resources.

Meanwhile, as stated by the current Secretary of Defense, the Department of Defense and its resources should be dedicated to the war fighters. IMO not to people seeking to use those services to engage in costly "cosmetic surgery" requiring constant medical support followed by officially required affirmation of what is likely a mental illness.

Tell me you didnt read the whole Op without saying you didnt read the whole OP

 

[Tigerace117]

Trump signed an executive order banning transgender Americans from enlisting or serving in the U.S. military. And in early June, the U.S. DoD notified transgender Americans already serving in the military that they can either voluntarily or involuntarily leave.

Per the U.C.M.J., no military officer may ever disparage his superior officers or Commander-In-Chief. Doing so may be punishable by dismissal, loss of pay and confinement.

U.S. Army Major Anthony Guerrero, wrote this scathing op-ed published in today's NY Times:

"The president issued the order in January, and the Supreme Court last month allowed the [Trump] Administration to start enforcing it. The order may be legally sound, but it is neither moral nor ethical. I believe that it is my duty as an officer to dissent when faced with such an order. I may not be the sort of person you would expect to oppose a ban on transgender troops. I am a conservative evangelical Christian and a Republican. Though I have deep compassion for people who feel they are in the wrong body, I do not think that transitioning - as opposed to learning to love and accept the body God gave you - is the right thing to do in that predicament. But my views are irrelevant to the issue of transgender troops.

The executive order barring transgender troops is a legal command that provides cover for bigotry. It delivers hate in the guise of a national security issue, dressed up in medicalized language. The meek compliance of military leadership with the ban sends a chilling message to all service members - namely, that our ranks are open only to those who fit a specific ideological mold, regardless of their ability to serve.

Disobeying an order from a superior officer is punishable under the Uniform Code of Military Justice by dismissal, loss of pay and confinement, but this issue is too important to me. I cannot remain quiet while the Army that I love ignores lessons that it should have learned long ago."
- U.S. Army Major Anthony Guerrero
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
I thank Major Anthony Guerrero for his service, but PUBLICLY disparaging his Commander-In-Chief is unthinkable and unforgiveable, in my opinion. I think that the Major should be disciplined.

The idea that his words are either “unthinkable” or “unforgivable” is utterly laughable. Trump’s decision was utterly idiotic.

 

[mrjurrs]

There...I fixed that.

So, like most other R's, you are not really interested in their military abilities, you're concerned on how they look in a parade.

 

[Captain Adverse]

Is Major Guerrerro trans himself? My understanding from this is he is still a Major and not actually trans, but just offering his view on the matter.

Good question. I don't know. Nothing I've found indicates one way or the other.

However, if he was trans, then it is likely he/she was separated, in which case he/she has no restrictions on speech.

However, if he is an active duty service member then "his(?)" speaking out politically in opposition to the Commander-in-Chief could be considered insubordinate. Service Members are subject to the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Questions would be, 1. Did he use his military rank and service connection to make this statement, 2. When published did he clearly state this was his own opinion and NOT offered as a representative of Army policy?

 

[SNOWFLAKE]

I thank Major Anthony Guerrero for his service, but PUBLICLY disparaging his Commander-In-Chief is unthinkable and unforgiveable, in my opinion. I think that the Major should be disciplined.

Of course YOU would think that. Never mind his message, or whether you agree or disagree with it, since his target was your God and Idol, HOW DARE HE SPEAK HIS MIND!!

 

[SNOWFLAKE]

How ****ing thin skinned are Trump supporters if they think this is disparaging their pumpkin?

You have to ask?

 

[Tangmo]

The active duty Major Guerrero early this month began processing his voluntary resignation of his commission as an officer in the US Army, which means he is voluntarily leaving the Army if the SecArmy approves his request. The processing remains underway at this time. I think the Major just gave it a push.

Guerrero is not trans. In his NYT op-ed the Major Guerrero says "I am a conservative evangelical Christian and Republican. I do not think that transitioning — as opposed to learning to love and accept the body God gave you — is the right thing to do in that predicament." He says he opposed repealing Don't Ask, Don't Tell in 2011.

Maj. Guerrero is known as a Soldier who has gone "Green To Gold." Meaning after enlisting in 2006 he qualified to become an officer, in 2013 in his instance, a 2nd LT aka a "butterbar." Maj. Guerrero is currently an instructor at the USMA West Point.

The guy is Army all the way. It's Trump and MAGAs who are not.

 

[ASHES]

You have to ask?

It's rhetorical.

 

[CaughtInThe]

I'm pretty sure that MAGA men wear yoga pants.

No disrespect to anyone who wears yoga pants who isn't a wuss.