Defend the Nation

As someone who spent almost 30 years in the uniform of the United States Navy as an active duty and reserve officer, I certainly support the concept of national defense. And given the state of today's world, and the multiple threats to our way of life, supporting the defense of our nation should be among the top priorities of every citizen.

Unfortunately, our military, those tasked with the actual defense of our nation, have become increasingly isolated from the rest of America. Unlike the past, most American families today have no close connection with the military. Most have little personal experience with military life and the challenges and hardships it brings to families. The military has become almost a separate entity. The nation looks to its members and says, "Thank you for your service," and at the same time wonders why anyone would want to live that life.

Even more troubling: the number of veterans in our two houses of Congress. Just look at the numbers:

These are the people who must decide how the nation will be defended and how the military will be equipped to carry out that defense. We have given them, together with the president, the authority to send our fellow citizens into harm's way. Lacking the experience and first-hand knowledge of military capabilities and limitations, they are far more likely to make serious mistakes.

I've long believed that President Nixon's greatest mistake -- yes, greater even than Watergate -- was the elimination of the draft. Instead of a military made up largely of citizen soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines, from all walks of life, we have created a professional military. For me this is troubling and could, in certain circumstances, lead to the politicization of the military. Indeed, we've already seen evidence of this happening in the FBI and other agencies. If military leaders are selected based on politics or ideology, and the professionals in the ranks are even further isolated from the citizenry, we could be in trouble. Can one's oath to support the Constitution become blurred by one's duty to follow the orders of one's leaders, includeing the Commander in Chief? I would hope not, but it's a different world out there from the one I knew so long ago.

Is there a solution? I really don't know. No politician who hopes to be re-elected (and, sadly, that includes virtually all of them) would ever suggest reinstating the draft. Perhaps the only thing we can do is encourage the military itself to continually educate its members on their constitutional role and the meaning of lawful orders.

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Of course, if you, the typical American citizen, believe you are asked by your government to sacrifice too much, just read the order Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia issued back in 1935 when Mussolini's Italian Army invaded his nation:

"Everyone will now be mobilized and all boys old enough to carry a spear will be sent to Addis Ababa. Married men will take their wives to carry food and cook. Those without wives will take any woman without a husband. Women with small babies need not go. The blind, those who cannot walk or for any reason cannot carry a spear are exempted. Anyone found at home after receipt of this order will be hanged."

Talk about defending the homeland!

I actually saw Haile Selassie in person back in November 1963. I was a member of the Naval Academy Catholic Choir and we sang the Navy Hymn -- "Eternal Father Strong to Save" -- on the White House lawn during the funeral of President John F. Kennedy. I recall noticing the Ethiopian Emperor, standing there among all the dignitaries and heads of state. At 5'2" he looked very small, even with all his impressive regalia, largely because he stood next to Charles de Gaulle who was 6'5".

De Gaulle (center) and Selassie (right) saluting JFK