Ex-Navy commander calls senior officers 'political pawns'

WASHINGTON – A retired Navy commander and a former Pentagon spokesman in the Office of the Secretary of Defense says the Obama administration is rushing to unload senior officers whom he believes have become "political pawns" dismissed for questionable reasons.

J.D. Gordon, in an op-ed piece in the Washington Times titled "Purging America's Military," said that the Pentagon justifies its dismissals due to "loss of confidence," "insensitive remarks," sexual misconduct and "counterfeit poker chips."

The Washington Times' coverage of military purges comes following an in-depth series of WND reports on the subject, some posted on the Drudge Report. Fox and Politico have begun to cover the issue as well.

Gordon pointed out that, on average, one senior military officer per week has been "summarily fired" since President Barack Obama took office in 2009.

"Statistically speaking, it's actually closer to one every 8.8 days," Gordon said. This amounts to close to 200 senior officers who have been dismissed since Obama became president.

Even though Gordon has worked for the Pentagon, he was critical of the reasons official military spokesmen have given for the dismissal of these senior officers.

Gordon questions whether today's military is "really the most incompetent and corrupt" as some say, or is it just easier "to get hammered for real or perceived bad behavior and poor performance?"

He suggested that personal indiscretions notwithstanding, it is possible that "something even more sinister is going on today," noting there seems to be a rush to unload these senior officers.

"Senior officers must be extremely careful these days, in both their professional and personal lives," Gordon said.

"They must understand that they are under the microscope, and their careers have never been more vulnerable. If admirals, generals, colonels, captains and commanders feel like they must act like saints and walk on eggshells, well, that is today's reality."

He said that everyone wearing the uniform needs to realize they have been "converted into de facto political pawns. They're mostly targeted by the left, which is never shy about taking American power down a notch or two – or three."

Gordon said that Obama needs to apply the same strict standards to his political appointees as he does to the military. Political appointees at the White House and State Department need to be subjected to the same standards over such incidents as the Benghazi terrorist attack, Fast and Furious and the Internal Revenue Service targeting conservative non-profit groups, he said.

Retired Army Maj. Gen. Paul E. Vallely has voiced similar concerns to WND. He said that while the White House won't investigate its own officials,it finds it easy to fire military commanders "who have given their lives for their country."

"Obama will not purge a civilian or political appointee because they have bought into Obama's ideology," Vallely told WND. "The White House protects their own. That's why they stalled on the investigation into Fast and Furious, Benghazi and Obamacare. He's intentionally weakening and gutting our military, Pentagon and reducing us as a superpower, and anyone in the ranks who disagrees or speaks out is being purged."

Vallely served in the Vietnam War and retired in 1993 as deputy commanding general, Pacific Command. Today, he is chairman of the Military Committee for the Center for Security Policy and is co-author of the book "Endgame: The Blueprint for Victory in the War on Terror."

Retired Army Maj. Gen. Patrick Brady, a recipient of the U.S. military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor, similarly has told WND that Obama needs to apply the same standards to his political appointees as he does to the military.

"Just when you thought the leadership of this government could not get any worse, it does," Brady said. "Never in history has an administration spawned another scandal to cover the current one."

This was a reference to the recent firing of a number of generals to mask "Obama's serial scandals, all prefaced by lies – Fast and Furious, Benghazi, NSA, IRS," among others, said Brady, former president of the Congressional Medal of Honor Society.

WND reported that three of the nine firings of generals and flag officers by Obama this year were linked to the controversy surrounding the Sept. 11, 2012, terrorist attack on the CIA special mission in Benghazi, Libya.

In one case, U.S. Army Gen. Carter Ham, who commanded U.S. African Command when the consulate was attacked and four Americans were killed, was highly critical of the decision by the State Department not to send in reinforcements.

Obama has insisted there were no reinforcements available that night.

But Ham contends reinforcements could have been sent in time, and he said he never was given a stand-down order. However, others contend that he was given the order but defied it. He ultimately was relieved of his command and retired.

Since then, the Washington Times revealed that there were Delta Force personnel in Tripoli at the time of the attack and two members volunteered to be dispatched to Benghazi to assist in protecting the Benghazi compound, contrary to stand-down orders from the State Department.

Another flag officer involved in the Benghazi matter – which remains under congressional investigation – was Rear Adm. Charles Gaouette. He commanded the Carrier Strike Group.

After he contended that aircraft could have been sent to Libya in time to help the Americans under fire, he was removed from his post for alleged profanity and making "racially insensitive comments."

Army Major Gen. Ralph Baker was the commander of the Combined Joint Task Force Horn of Africa at Camp Lemonier in Djibouti, Africa. Baker contended that attack helicopters could have reached the consulate in time on the night of the attack.

"To understand the insufferable assaults on our military and veterans, who should be exempt from political squabbles but are often at the forefront of Obama threats, we need to understand the psyche of the elite in this country led by Obama," Brady said.

Brady, who was a legendary "Dust Off" air ambulance pilot in Vietnam and detailed his experiences in his book, "Dead Men Flying: Victory in Viet Nam," told WND, "The problem is military people will seldom, while on duty, go on the record over such issues, and many will not ever, no matter how true. I hear from many off the record who are upset with the current military leadership and some are leaving and have left in the past."

Military personnel still on duty have told WND on condition of anonymity that the large number of senior military officials being relieved of duty under the Obama administration is part of the creation of a "compliant officer class."

A veteran Army intelligence officials told WND that in creating this compliant officer class, the Obama administration has made it harder to find "senior officers with a pair of balls in there (the military) now that would say no to anything.

"Maybe at the rank of major or below, and possibly there are some in SOF (Special Operations Forces), but to make colonel and higher is all politics," he said.

Brady added that Obama's agenda is decimating the morale of the U.S. ranks to the point that members no longer feel prepared to fight or have the desire to win.

"There is no doubt (Obama) is intent on emasculating the military and will fire anyone who disagrees with him" over such issues as "homosexuals, women in foxholes, the Obama sequester," Brady said.

Not only are military service members being demoralized and the ranks' overall readiness reduced by the Obama administration's purge of key leaders, he said, but colonels – who are lined up in rank to replace outgoing generals – are quietly taking their careers in other directions.