Donald Trump's military remarks: A soldier's view

Should we be paying attention to what candidates are saying or is this rhetoric for trying to gain votes? Will we see this bravado go away later in the campaign as we have seen Mr. Trump back track on his statements already?

There a lot of debate about Donald Trump and the things he says in relation to the U.S. military, ultimately it's up to the individual to decide what his or her opinion of any candidate is. Should we turn a blind ear when we hear candidates make broad promises to wipe out ISIL using methods such as "carpet bombing" or when Donald Trump responded to moderator Bret Baier's note that several high-ranking military and intelligence officials said they believed the rank-and-file military would refuse to commit war crimes, per their training to refuse illegal orders,
Trump replied, "They won't refuse. They're not going to refuse me. Believe me."

In response to Mr. Trump's comments, the author of the attached article, Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling, states, "I had such a visceral reaction to one candidate who stated that the those who serve in the U.S. military would blindly ignore their oath, their training and their conscience to follow what were clearly illegal, unethical and immoral orders. When pressed, that same candidate implied that his personal and directive and leadership prowess would prevail.

It wouldn't.

Even though that same candidate has now tempered those words with a press release and several tweets, as a professional soldier I picked up the "intent" the first time I heard it. And it scared me.

I know our soldiers, and I know our military heritage and the American way of war through study and experience. When well-led and well trained, Americans who wear our country's cloth are pure in spirit and decisive in purpose. They will go where they are sent, fight where they go, and do everything to win where they fight. And they will do it like no other soldier on the globe, because that is who we are.

The profession of arms demands much. Most of all, being a uniformed member of the military of the United States requires unmatched skills, but also a strong character, a honed intellect, an understanding that there are limits to what civilians ask us to do. When the orders we receive from a civilian authority pass legal, ethical or moral boundaries, any soldier of any rank has the right and the duty to first question those orders to receive clarification, and if necessary disobey them if they cross the line. That's what makes us different."