by Jim Garamone
Joint Chiefs of Staff
9/6/22
https://www.jcs.mil/Media/News/News-Dis ... relations/
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WASHINGTON — America's all-volunteer military has been a success, but society at large and service members must ensure a shared understanding exists between them, Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, wrote in a commentary in the Washington Post today.
Dempsey described the all-volunteer force as one of America's finest achievements. The military is so good, he wrote, that many Americans take it for granted.
"The last decade of war has affected the relationship between our society and the military," Dempsey wrote. "We can't allow a sense of separation to grow between us. As the all-volunt
eer force enters its fifth decade, civilians and the military need to maintain the shared understanding necessary for a healthy relationship."
Dempsey wrote that the nation needs to discuss the military-civil relationship, as well as the nation's relationship with its service members.
"As a nation, we've learned to separate the warrior from the war," he wrote. "But we still have much to learn about how to connect the warrior to the citizen."
Since the end of conscription in July 1973, those entering the military have served as volunteers. In his commentary, Dempsey urged America's civilians to establish a dialogue with their fellow citizens who serve in the all-volunteer force.
"As citizens, we must listen to our veterans," the chairman wrote. "If we do, we'll hear stories of pride and courage, anger and pain, laughter and joy. We'll hear of actions that humble and inspire us. We'll also hear of moments that break our hearts. These stories represent the best of our nation."
Service members also bear a responsibility to communicate with their fellow citizens, Dempsey wrote. "We should tell our stories and recognize that those who aren't in uniform might not know what to say or ask," he added. "We also have a duty to listen. Our fellow citizens may have different perspectives that we need to hear and understand."
The services as well as veterans understand the need for fiscal change, the general wrote. Cuts in funding, he added, are not an attack on veterans and their families.
"Modest reforms to pay and compensation will improve readiness and modernization," Dempsey wrote. "They will help keep our all-volunteer force sustainable and strong. Keeping faith also means investing sufficient resources so that we can uphold our sacred obligations to defend the nation and to send our sons and daughters to war with only the best training, leadership and equipment. We can't shrink from our obligations to one another. The stakes are too high."
Service members and veterans must remember that public service takes many forms, Dempsey wrote.
"Across our country, police officers, firefighters, teachers, coaches, pastors, scout masters, business people and many others serve their communities every day," he added. "Military service makes us different, but the desire to contribute permeates every corner of the United States."
The nation cannot afford allowing the military to disconnect from American society, Dempsey wrote.
"We must guard against letting military service become a job for others," he added. "Children of those in the military are far more likely to join than the children of those who are not. And young men and women in some areas never even consider the military as one of many ways to serve our nation."
Some fault for this, Dempsey said, lies with the military. Service members, he added, cannot just stay on bases and remain in their own world.
"But we didn't stop being citizens when we put on the uniform," Dempsey wrote. "We came from small towns and big cities across our country, and we'll go back one day. Civilians aren't an abstraction; they're our parents, grandparents, siblings and friends."
An all-volunteer force is actually the norm for the United States, the chairman wrote, noting that since 1787, the nation used conscription for only 35 years.
"Except in times of great crisis, we have relied on a tradition of selfless service," Dempsey wrote. "The all-volunteer force continues that tradition. It has served our nation well for the past 40 years. To do so for the next 40, we'll have to work at it together."
****************
'I Would Be In Handcuffs' If I Had Taken Documents Out Of Office, Says Fmr. Defense Sec. Former Defense Secretary William Cohen joins Morning Joe to discuss new reporting on the documents seized from Mar-a-Lago.
Sep 7, 2022
Transcript
0:01
SECRETARY WILLIAM COHEN.
0:02
ALSO WITH US MSNBC CONTRIBUTOR,
0:04
MIKE BARNICLE.
0:06
AND POLITICO'S JONATHAN LEMIRE.
0:09
SECRETARY COHEN, LET ME ASK YOU
0:10
A SIMPLE QUESTION, IF YOU HAD
0:12
TUCKED EVEN ONE TOP SECRET
0:14
DOCUMENT IN YOUR BRIEFCASE WHEN
0:15
YOU WERE DEFENSE SECRETARY AND
0:16
TAKEN IT HOME WITH YOU, WHAT
0:18
WOULD HAVE BEEN THE
0:19
CONSEQUENCES?
0:19
>> WELL, IF I HAD STILL BEEN IN
0:22
OFFICE, I THINK THE CONSEQUENCES
0:22
WOULD HAVE BEEN LIMITED, BUT THE
0:25
PRACTICE WAS FOR ME TO NEVER
0:28
TAKE ANYTHING HOME.
0:32
EVERY TIME A TOUCHED A TOP
0:33
SECRET DOCUMENT IN MY OFFICE OR
0:34
IN THE CAR IN THE LIMOUSINE
0:37
TAKING ME TO THE OFFICE.
0:38
IT WAS ALWAYS UNDER WATCH OF
0:39
SOMEONE IN THE CAR.
0:40
AND I HAD TO TURN IT OVER
0:43
IMMEDIATELY UPON GOING INTO THE
0:44
DEFENSE DEPARTMENT.
0:45
SO, I MIGHT HAVE HAD A DOCUMENT
0:46
AT MY HOME, PROVIDED THERE WAS
0:49
SOMEONE THERE TO TAKE IT BACK TO
0:50
THE PENTAGON WHERE IT COULD BE
0:52
SAFE PUT.
0:53
ONCE I LEFT THE PENTAGON THERE
0:55
WAS NO TAKING ANYTHING OUT.
0:58
>> AND SO WHAT IS YOUR REACTION
1:01
WHEN YOU JUST HEAR THE DETAIL,
1:02
THE LIST OF HUNDREDS OF
1:06
CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS, THE LATEST
1:07
REPORTING FROM "THE WASHINGTON
1:08
POST" THAT DONALD TRUMP NOW
1:09
PRIVATE CITIZEN OUT OF OFFICE
1:11
HAD ALL OF THIS AT HIS BEACH
1:14
RESORT IN FLORIDA?
1:15
>> I THINK YOU'VE BEEN ASKING
1:16
IT'S QUESTION WHY.
1:17
I DON'T THINK IT MATTERS WHY.
1:19
THE FACT THAT HE HAD THOSE
1:21
DOCUMENTS IN HIS POSSESSION IS
1:22
OFFENSE ENOUGH, SUBJECT TO
1:24
PERHAPS CRIMINAL PROSECUTION.
1:26
IF I HAD HAD THOSE IN MY HOUSE
1:28
AFTER LEAVING OFFICE, I WOULD BE
1:29
IN HAND CUFFS BY THIS TIME.
1:31
SO, I THINK THAT THE JUSTICE
1:32
DEPARTMENT HAS GONE OUT OF ITS
1:38
WAY TO SHOW DEFERENCE TO THE
1:41
FORMER PRESIDENT THAT NO OTHER
1:42
PRESIDENT IN HISTORY WOULD HAVE
1:43
BEHAVED IN THIS FASHION.
1:45
OR HAVE BEHAVED IN THIS FASHION.
1:47
I THINK THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
1:48
GOING ABOUT IT VERY METHODICALLY
1:52
AND VERY DEFERENTIALLY.
1:55
I THINK THAT TIME HAS COME TO AN
1:58
END.
1:58
WE GO BACK TO THE JANUARY 6th
2:00
COMMITTEE WHERE A JUDGE, RUDY, A
2:06
VERY CONSERVATIVE JUDGE, HE SAID
2:08
THAT DONALD TRUMP IS A CLEAR AND
2:12
PRESENT THREAT TO DEMOCRACY.
2:15
THAT'S BEEN CONFIRMED OVER AND
2:17
OVER.
2:17
THE NOTION THAT THE FORMER
2:19
PRESIDENT HAD HIGHLY CLASSIFIED
2:21
DOCUMENTS IN UNSAFE
2:22
CIRCUMSTANCES, OR ANY
2:23
CIRCUMSTANCES, PUTS OUR NATION
2:25
AT RISK, POTENTIALLY.
2:27
SO, I THINK THERE'S NO
2:28
JUSTIFICATION.
2:28
THERE'S NO WAY THEY CAN SAY, OH,
2:30
IT WAS A MISTAKE.
2:31
I THINK THAT'S BEEN DISPROVED.
2:34
AND ANYONE WHO SAYS THAT I'D
2:36
LIKE TO FIND OUT WHY.
2:37
>> MR. SECRETARY, YOU'VE HAD
2:39
YEARS OF LONG SERVICE TO THE
2:40
UNITED STATES.
2:41
AND WE THANK YOU FOR THAT.
2:42
AND THE UNITED STATES SENATE, AS
2:44
WELL AS SECRETARY OF DEFENSE.
2:45
AND YOU'VE RECENTLY COSIGNED A
2:47
LETTER WITH SEVERAL OTHER FORMER
2:49
SECRETARIES OF DEFENSE OUTLINING
2:50
THE NEED FOR SOME REALLY STRICT
2:52
CIVILIAN CONTROL OF THE
2:55
MILITARY.
2:55
TO KEEP THE MILITARY OUT OF
2:58
POLITICS.
2:58
MY QUESTION TO YOU IS, WERE YOU
2:59
SURPRISED AT ALL, DURING THE
3:00
PAST FIVE YEARS, THAT MORE
3:03
FORMER SECRETARIES OF DEFENSE OR
3:06
MORE FORMER RETIRED GENERALS OR
3:08
WHATEVER RANK THEY HAVE IN THE
3:10
MILITARY SERVICE, DID NOT SPEAK
3:12
OUT DURING THE TRUMP PRESIDENCY
3:14
ABOUT WHAT THEY KNEW AND SAW AND
3:16
HEARD AND WITNESSED A SEVERE,
3:18
SEVERE LACK OF CONTROL OF THE
3:20
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES?
3:23
>> I WAS NOT SURPRISED BECAUSE
3:25
THOSE IN THE MILITARY,
3:29
ESPECIALLY THOSE DEALING AT THIS
3:34
LEVEL OF SECURITY INFORMATION,
3:35
THEY ARE NOT INCLINED TO SPEAK
3:37
OUT UNTIL IT BECOMES SO
3:40
EGREGIOUS THAT THEY HAVE NO
3:42
CHOICE EITHER TO SPEAK OUT OR TO
3:44
RESIGN.
3:45
WE SAW THAT WITH GENERAL MATTIS,
3:49
HE CAME TO THE POINT WHERE HE
3:51
SAID I CAN NO LONGER SERVE THIS
3:53
PRESIDENT.
3:53
I THINK IT TAKES A LOT ON THE
3:56
REIGN OF JIM MATTIS' RECORD AND
4:00
HEROISM TO SAY I CAN'T CARRY OUT
4:03
THIS MISSION ANY LONGER BECAUSE
4:06
MY WORLD VIEW IS QUITE DIFFERENT
4:09
THAN WHAT THE PRESIDENT DOING.
4:11
THOSE TO FOLLOW THE LEAD AND
4:12
ORDERS OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE
4:13
UNITED STATES, UNLESS THEY DEEM
4:14
THEM TO BE EITHER ILLEGAL OR SO
4:17
EGREGIOUS THAT THEY CAN'T IN
4:20
GOOD CONSCIENCE CARRY OUT THE
4:23
ORDER.
4:23
SO IT DOESN'T SURPRISE ME.
4:24
IT SURPRISES ME NOW THAT SO MANY
4:26
ARE STEPPING FORWARD.
4:27
IF YOU GO BACK ON THIS, MIKE,
4:29
RIGHT AFTER THE ELECTION, THERE
4:31
WERE TEN FORMER SECRETARIES OF
4:33
DEFENSE WHO WROTE AN OPEN LETTER
4:35
TO THE DEFENSE DEPARTMENT SAYING
4:36
DON'T GET INVOLVED IN PARTISAN
4:39
POLITICS, BECAUSE YOU MAY RECALL
4:44
AT THAT TIME THERE WERE RUMORS
4:45
COMING FROM MICHAEL FLYNN AND
4:46
OTHERS THAT THE INSURRECTION ACT
4:48
COULD BE INVOKED.
4:49
SO THAT THE THEN PRESIDENT COULD
4:50
TAKE OVER THE VOTING MACHINES
4:52
AND ALTER THE ELECTION.
4:55
TEN FORMER SECRETARIES OF
4:56
DEFENSE AT THAT TIME WERE IN A
4:58
LETTER WRITING CAMPAIGN.
4:59
BECAUSE JUST ABOUT A YEAR AGO,
5:01
ALMOST 100 NATIONAL SECURITY
5:03
OFFICIALS, MILITARY AND
5:05
CIVILIAN, AGAIN, WROTE AN OPEN
5:06
LETTER THAT THE JANUARY 6th
5:08
INSURRECTION CONSTITUTED AN
5:11
UNDERMINING OF DEMOCRACY
5:12
THROUGHOUT THE WORLD.
5:13
THAT WE WERE BEING UNDERMINED
5:17
OURSELVES, DOING IT TO
5:19
OURSELVES, WHERE OTHER COUNTRIES
5:20
COULD LOOK AND SAY, I GUESS
5:22
DEMOCRACY IS NOT A ROLE MODEL WE
5:24
WANT TO FOLLOW.
5:25
A WEEK OR SO AGO, JUDGE WILLIAM
5:28
WEBSTER, FORMER CIA DIRECTOR,
5:29
FBI DIRECTOR, FORMER APPEAL LET
5:32
JUDGE CONTACTED ME AND SAID CAN
5:34
WE WRITE AN OP-ED TO TALK ABOUT
5:36
WHAT IS HAPPENING TO THIS
5:37
COUNTRY.
5:37
THAT THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED
5:38
STATES IS PUTTING A TARGET ON
5:39
THE BACKS OF OUR FBI AGENTS?
5:42
WE NEED TO SPEAK OUT AGAINST
5:44
THAT.
5:44
AND NOW FINALLY COMES THIS
5:47
MONTH'S RECENT LETTER THAT WAS
5:49
INITIATED BY GENERAL MARTIN
5:51
DEMPSEY, BECAUSE HE SAID WE'RE
5:54
IN EXCEPTIONALLY TREACHEROUS
5:55
WATERS.
5:56
AND WE NEED TO CLARIFY WHAT THE
5:57
NATURE OF THIS RELATIONSHIP IS
5:59
BETWEEN OUR CIVILIAN LEADERS AND
6:00
OUR MILITARY.
6:01
AND IT WAS JUST A 16-POINT
6:06
PRESENTATION THAT YOU WOULD GIVE
6:07
TO A HIGH SCHOOL CLASS.
6:08
IT WAS NECESSARY TO GIVE THAT
6:10
BECAUSE WHAT PRESIDENT TRUMP,
6:11
AND AGAIN, THIS IS NOT DIRECTED
6:13
SPECIFICALLY AT HIM, BUT I'M
6:15
SPEAKING FOR MYSELF NOW, IT IS
6:17
CLEAR TO ME THAT PRESIDENT TRUMP
6:19
IS DOING GRAVE DAMAGE TO THAT
6:21
CIVILIAN MILITARY RELATIONSHIP.
6:23
AND I THINK IT WAS NECESSARY.
6:26
THEY FELT, FIVE FORMER CHAIRMEN
6:30
OF JOINT CHIEFS FELT COMPELLED
6:34
TO JOIN EIGHT FORMER SECRETARIES
6:36
OF DEFENSE.
6:36
I THOUGHT WAS UNPRECEDENTED.
6:39
>> MR. SECRETARY, I WANT TO
6:41
UNDERLINE SOMETHING, AND YOU CAN
6:42
DO IT SO MUCH BETTER THAN I'VE
6:44
BEEN ABLE TO DO.
6:45
I WAS JUST A MEMBER OF THE HOUSE
6:48
OF REPRESENTATIVES, ARMED
6:49
SERVICES COMMITTEE, WE WOULD GET
6:52
BRIEFINGS, CLASSIFIED BRIEFINGS.
6:56
AND WE ALWAYS UNDERSTOOD, AND IT
7:00
WAS MADE VERY CLEAR IF WE
7:03
REVEALED THAT THERE WOULD BE
7:05
LEGAL CONSEQUENCES.
7:06
MY GOD, IF I TOOK A DOCUMENT
7:09
BACK TO MY OFFICE OR HOME, THERE
7:12
WOULD BE EVER REASON TO BELIEVE
7:13
THAT WASHINGTON WOULD BE
7:14
KNOCKING ON MY WASHINGTON
7:16
APARTMENT WITHIN THE DAY.
7:17
AND I WOULD BE QUESTIONED.
7:18
AND SO, YOU'VE REPEATED THE SAME
7:20
THING.
7:20
BUT I JUST -- IT'S IMPORTANT FOR
7:23
ME TO ASK YOU, IN THIS WAY,
7:26
BECAUSE WE DO HAVE PEOPLE THAT
7:29
WATCH THIS SHOW THAT VOTED FOR
7:31
DONALD TRUMP THAT SUPPORT DONALD
7:33
TRUMP.
7:34
THAT STILL THINK THAT SOMEHOW
7:35
THIS IS A DEEP STATE CONSPIRACY
7:38
AGAINST DONALD TRUMP.
7:40
THAT YOUR LETTER, THAT THERE'S
7:42
ALL SOME SORT OF DEEP STATE
7:44
FIGHT AGAINST DONALD TRUMP.
7:46
WHEN IN FACT ALL WE'RE TALKING
7:48
ABOUT IS THE FACT THAT THE LAW
7:51
SHOULD APPLY TO EVERYONE
7:53
EQUALLY.
7:53
EQUAL JUSTICE UNDER THE LAW.
7:55
YOU WERE A MEMBER OF THE BANGOR
7:57
CITY COUNCIL.
7:59
YOU WERE A MEMBER OF THE UNITED
8:01
STATES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
8:03
YOU WERE A MEMBER OF THE UNITED
8:04
STATES SENATE, YOU WERE
8:06
SECRETARY OF DEFENSE.
8:08
ON ALL LEVELS.
8:10
IF YOU HAD TAKEN A FRACTION OF
8:15
WHAT DONALD TRUMP REMOVED FROM A
8:17
GOVERNMENT BUILDING OF
8:19
GOVERNMENT DOCUMENTS, SECRET
8:23
DOCUMENTS, CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS,
8:24
TOP SECRET DOCUMENTS, COULD YOU
8:27
PLEASE EXPLAIN HOW YOU, A FORMER
8:32
CIA DIRECTORS OR FORMER HEADS OF
8:34
THE NATIONAL SECURITY AGENCY
8:39
WOULD BE THROWN IN JAIL?
8:40
>> YES.
8:43
I THINK ANYONE OTHER THAN THE
8:45
FORMER PRESIDENT CURRENTLY, AT
8:46
LEAST, WOULD BE BEHIND BARS FOR
8:49
DOING ANY OF WHAT YOU JUST
8:51
OUTLINED.
8:51
I WANT TO GO BACK TO JUST RAISE
8:54
THE ISSUE ABOUT THIS NOTION THAT
8:56
THE FORMER PRESIDENT JUST WAVED
8:58
A WAND, AS IF HE'S A JEDI
9:03
WARRIOR AND DECLASSIFIED ALL
9:05
THIS INFORMATION.
9:06
I WANT EVERYBODY TO THINK ABOUT
9:08
THIS, WE SPEND AND THE NUMBER IS
9:09
PRETTY EASY TO REMEMBER, $777.7
9:14
BILLION ON NATIONAL SECURITY,
9:17
OUR DEFENSE DEPARTMENT.
9:18
OF THAT, ALMOST $780 BILLION, A
9:21
GOOD CHUNK OF THAT ALSO IS FOR A
9:24
COLLECTION OF INFORMATION,
9:25
INTELLIGENCE.
9:26
BECAUSE WE HAVE THE FINEST
9:27
FIGHTING FORCE IN THE WORLD.
9:28
BUT AS GOOD AS WE ARE, IF WE ARE
9:31
BLIND OR CAN'T HEAR, THAT
9:37
FIGHTING FORCE I THERE IN GRAVE
9:40
PERIL.
9:40
SO WE NEED ALL-AROUND VISION,
9:43
ALL-AROUND HEARING, TO KNOW
9:45
WHERE WE ARE IN THE WORLD WHAT
9:46
IS COMING AT US IN WHAT
9:48
DIRECTION.
9:49
AND THE NOTION THAT A PRESIDENT
9:50
CAN SAY I'M DECLASSIFYING IT ALL
9:52
AND GIVE THAT INFORMATION TO THE
9:55
NORTH KOREANS TO HIS FRIEND
9:56
PRESIDENT PUTIN, TO THE CHINESE,
9:58
TO IRAN, THAT'S ABSURD THAT HE
10:01
WOULD CARRY -- I TOTALLY
10:03
DECLASSIFIED IT.
10:04
SO, YOU'RE OPENING UP A $777
10:07
BILLION BUDGET TO YOUR
10:09
ADVERSARIES?
10:10
IT'S ABSURD.
10:12
>> MR. SECRETARY, I'M CURIOUS
10:15
JUST CAN THE DOJ WAIT FOR A
10:18
SPECIAL MASTER TO SIFT THROUGH
10:20
ALL OF THIS?
10:21
I MEAN, YOU MENTIONED THE
10:25
EGREGIOUSNESS OF WHAT HAS BEEN
10:27
DISCOVERED SO FAR.
10:28
I CAN'T THINK OF ANYTHING, CAN
10:31
YOU THINK OF ANYTHING, MORE
10:32
ILLEGAL, EGREGIOUS AND DANGEROUS
10:34
TO OUR COUNTRY THAN A
10:36
LOOSE-LIPPED FORMER PRESIDENT
10:37
HAVING NUCLEAR INFORMATION ON A
10:39
FOREIGN COUNTRY?
10:41
I MEAN, ISN'T THIS SOMETHING
10:43
THAT REQUIRES SWIFT ACTION?
10:48
>> WELL, AS I MENTIONED BEFORE,
10:54
THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT IS GOING
10:55
VERY CAUTIOUSLY ON THIS.
10:56
GIVEN THE POLITICAL WORLD THAT
10:58
WE'RE LIVING IN.
10:59
IN THAT LETTER THAT WAS
11:01
INITIATED BY GENERAL DEMPSEY AND
11:04
OTHERS, HE SAID WE'RE IN
11:07
EXCEPTIONALLY TREACHEROUS
11:08
WATERS.
11:08
AND SO, WE ARE TRYING TO TAKE
11:11
INTO ACCOUNT THE POLITICAL
11:13
ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH WE'RE NOW
11:14
BEING FORCED TO OPERATE.
11:15
IT'S NEVER HAPPENED LIKE THIS
11:17
BEFORE.
11:17
I THINK YOU CAN GO BACK TO THE
11:20
DAYS OF JOE McCARTHY.
11:22
THIS IS JOE McCARTHY-ISM ON
11:26
STEROIDS.
11:26
NO PRESIDENT IN THE HISTORY OF
11:28
OUR COUNTRY HAS EVER
11:29
DELIBERATELY TRIED TO ATTACK AND
11:31
UNDERMINE THE INSTITUTIONS OF
11:33
LAW ENFORCEMENT.
11:34
CERTAINLY, AT THE FBI, OF THE
11:36
JUSTICE DEPARTMENT, OUR
11:37
INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY.
11:38
DON'T FORGET FORMER PRESIDENT
11:40
TRUMP UNDERMINED THE ENTIRE
11:42
INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY IN FAVOR
11:44
OF RUSSIAN PRESIDENT PUTIN.
11:46
SO THE DAMAGE IS BEING DONE.
11:49
AND HAS BEEN DONE.
11:50
AND THAT'S WHY I QUOTED FROM JUDGE LUTTIG WHO SAID THAT THE FORMER PRESIDENT CONSTITUTES A CLEAR AND PRESENT DANGER TO DEMOCRACY AND TO THIS COUNTRY.