President Obama & Army wedding ... your thoughts?

You know anyone who comes here believing that being Retired or Veteran gives them excuse from being anything less than professional at time can find themselves in rude awakening. Once you sign up, you are signed up for life regardless of how and when you discharged. Why do you think you never hear so much as a peep from several out spoken Generals and Admirals once they retire. They know better when to keep their big mouth shut.

Agreed but respecting the office of the President and the President himself are not the same as having to agree with the President. Respect can be paid to both the office and the person even during disagreement by those still in the military. Obviously, retirees have much great latitude than currently serving personnel. Article 88 of UCMJ reads "“Any commissioned officer who uses contemptuous words against the President, the Vice President, Congress, the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of a military department, the Secretary of Transportation, or the Governor or legislature of any State, Territory, Commonwealth, or possession in which he is on duty or present shall be punished as a court-martial may direct.”

There is another point there, when he goes on these trips, he gets ask what he wants to do, he makes suggestions, and then someone else makes the arrangements. The people who were making the arrangements show poor judgement in letting things get as far as they did.

Yes, well I am quite aware what Article 88 states, but I will point out, that not to recently, that there was this Army General in Afghanistan who was more or less relieved, and forced to retire, when this President could of had his ass Court-martial by this same Article. Like so many Rules and Regulation, you can't enforce them when you want too, you have to enforce them all the time or none at all. Otherwise people tend to think you are picking on them, or selecting them for special treatment when you up and start enforcing things. I am sure there plenty of Officers and all ranks who disagree with the current President. More than this just this one and his staff who thought they were 'off-the record', have voiced similar opinions. I can recall myself, couple times when I was in, 1989 after the Berlin Wall came down. This was tense time in the 82nd Airborne Division, before Panama, and seemed like every week something new was coming out. Nothing like 18,000 of the best trained troops on edge for better part of a year. The sad thing of it is, it was the same thing at the Marine bases too. My cousin husband was in the Marine Corps at the same time.