Colonel (Retired) Isaiah "Ike" Wilson has penned an excellent warning to U.S. military personnel as they serve under a president who violates laws, norms of democracy, and norms for maintaining a non-partisan military "like no one has ever seen before."
I recommend that all Americans read it: "Crossing the Rubicon in Uniform"
From my foxhole, I can tell you this: Trump political appointees at the Pentagon have threatened senior military leaders not to question questionable orders. "I don't want to hear about what you think is moral or ethical," they are saying. "The American people decided last November 5th what they think is moral and ethical. Your only concern should be what is legal. And you have a legal obligation to obey the orders of the President of the United States."
"It sounded pretty Nazi," one person told me.
Remarkably, Wilson published his warning on the same day that Trump delivered a very partisan speech to troops at Ft. Bragg. It was the most egregious violation of the norms (and laws) of civilian-military relations that I have ever observed or heard of. See "The Silence of the Generals" by Tom Nichols.
I want to point out, contrary to the statements of Administration appointees, that ethics is comprised of morality and law, and that an action must be both moral and legal for it to be ethical. Service members' foremost ethical duty is to support and defend the Constitution, even if that entails disobeying orders that they deem to be illegal, immoral, or unethical. That is fundamental to the professional military ethic.
