Military Professionalism - United States Air Force Academy

Mullen, Michael G. and Robert M. Gates. Media Roundtable with Secretary of
Defense Robert Gates and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Michael
Mullen from the Pentagon Briefing Room, Arlington, VA. Office of the Assistant
Secretary of Defense, Public Affairs, Mar. 5, 2008.
http://www.defense.gov/transcripts/transcript.aspx?transcriptid=4168
The U.S. military is ready to accept whoever the American people elect as president to be
the commander in chief, regardless of that person’s demographics. Civilian control of the
military must be maintained. Retired officers are free to express their views and to align
themselves with politicians. However, Adm. Mullen does worry that these views get
construed as the beliefs of the military as a whole.
Moten, Matthew. “Strengthening the Political-Military Relationship.” Foreign
Affairs 89.5 (Sept./Oct. 2010): 2-8.
Retired flag officers have the right to endorse political candidates. In the 2008 election,
more than a hundred retired officers publicly endorsed one candidate. This gave the new
president reason to be suspicious of the political loyalties of the armed forces. The
military must maintain an apolitical stance and accept civilian control.
“Retired Diplomats, Soldiers Fault U.S. Policy.” The St. Petersburg Times (Jun. 14,
2004): 3A.
A group of 26 retired diplomats and military officers urged Americans to vote President
Bush out of office in the elections. The group stated that they had lost confidence in the
ability of the Bush administration to advocate for American interests or to provide the
necessary leadership. They did not explicitly endorse John Kerry.
Running for a political office after retirement
Cohen, Eliot A. “General Malaise.” The Wall Street Journal (Eastern Edition) (Aug.
4, 2004), A.12.
Out of a 1.4 million-person military, the U.S. has fewer than a thousand generals and
admirals on active duty; it is an elite group of men and women who have risen to the top
of a remarkably meritocratic system. Once they retire they deserve, and usually receive,
a degree of deference and opportunity unmatched by those in other professions. When
the country is at war, they get a respectful hearing on strategy and tactics. Informally
they exert a great deal of influence on today's military, filled as it is with their former
subordinates and protégés. They appear prominently in the web of consultancies,
advisory panels, Congressional hearings, and defense contractors that makes up the
informal defense establishment. They carry weight because of their experience, and the
expectation that they speak with the voice of disinterested patriotism. Molded by a
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