Burning Question: Should generals speak out on 'don't ask, don't tell' policy?
Not if they want to stay in the good graces of the Defense secretary and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Adm. Mike Mullen have publicly called out an Army general for criticizing President Obama's proposed change to the "don't ask, don't tell" policy on gays in the military.
ABC News' Luis Martinez reports that Gates and Mullen labeled as "inappropriate" a letter published in Stars and Stripes by Lt. Gen. Ben Mixon, commanding officer of U.S. Army Pacific, challenging the notion of repealing DADT and urging military members to write Congress about the issue.
Mixon didn't break any laws by sending the letter, but the military's top leaders said he violated protocol by expressing his opinions on policy outside the chain of command.
So if you're a general and you really can't stomach a proposed policy, what are you supposed to do? "Vote with your feet," Mullen said.
Secretary Gates, Admiral Mullen Rebuke Top Army Officer Over 'Don't Ask Don't Tell'
(ABC News 'Political Punch')
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