3 Star Rips (DADT) Repeal

More power to you, Sir.

Mixon Business with Pleasure

Lt. General Benjamin Mixon may have left the Army, but that doesn't mean he'll stop fighting for the U.S. military. On May 1, the 35-year veteran hung up his boots after a three-star career. But his service to the country didn't end when his tour of duty did. Less than two weeks into his retirement, the Army's Pacific Commander is picking up where he left off in March of last year. In the heat of the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" (DADT) debate, Gen. Mixon was one of the few active-duty officers to speak out against the military's coming out party. Knowing the criticism could cost him his job, Mixon took the chance and published an open letter in the Stars and Stripes newspaper.

It is often stated that most service members are in favor of repealing the policy. I do not believe that is accurate. I suspect many service members, their families, veterans, and citizens are wondering what to do to stop this ill-advised repeal of a policy that has achieved a balance between a citizen's desire to serve and acceptable conduct. Now is the time to write your elected officials and chain of command and express your views. If those of us who are in favor of retaining the current policy do not speak up, there is no chance to retain the current policy. --March 8, 2010

The response from the Pentagon was swift and severe. Defense Secretary Robert Gates, who had heavily lobbied for repeal, ripped into Mixon for not keeping his objections to himself. Admiral Mike Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, furiously phoned the Army brass and called for Mixon's resignation. A three-star general, he said, should never use his influence to buck the President. "The answer," Mullen fumed, "is not advocacy; it is in fact to vote with your feet." In the months after Gen. Mixon's rebuke, military leaders fell silent. "After folks saw the reaction to my letter," Mixon said later, "there was no chance of anyone else speaking up." That chilling effect reverberated through the Force--most of whom wouldn't dare to answer the Pentagon's anonymous survey on repeal. Now that General Mixon has called it a career, he intends to do everything he can to pull back the curtain on repeal and help our troops from the outside.

Today, in an exclusive interview with the Washington Times, the former Army Commander held nothing back. "There's no doubt in my mind that this is driven by politics and not military necessity. Pushing this kind of social agenda in the military, especially during a time of war, is not appropriate. We're taking a great risk." After the policy was railroaded through Congress, Mixon was left to pick up the pieces. Like other officers, he felt the training materials "left [more] questions than answers." "There's a good number of people in the military, who, whether for reasons of religious faith or moral conscience, view homosexuality as unacceptable. How do we protect those folks' right to serve?"

Good question--one that Congress should take very seriously as it weighs our next steps. Mixon, meanwhile, has nothing to gain from speaking out on this issue. As a high-ranking retiree, he has everything to lose in the way of prestigious board positions and other post-service opportunities. Out of his concern for the military, Mixon risks cutting himself off from consideration for a whole range of honors. Yet he still takes that chance--not because it's the popular thing to do but because it's the right thing to do. America owes the General a debt of gratitude for his courage over the last 35 years--and his continued leadership for our troops. Tomorrow, the House Armed Services Committee will vote on Restore Military Readiness Act of 2011, which would give service chiefs a voice in the repeal process before it's implemented. Help Rep. Duncan Hunter pass the measure by urging committee members to support it today!