Are the Navy’s admirals forcing a crisis in traditional civil-military affairs?

MSgt Steve Sweeney - What makes a directive from the President Illegal? I suppose ordering you to shoot civilians or bomb California. But nothing is illegal about a Presidential Pardon and if Bill Clinton can direct Don't Ask, Don't Tell, I suspect that directing the Navy Dept and/or SOC to re-instate someone he just pardon isn't an illegal order. The Admirals may not like it, but rules are rules.

MSgt Steve Sweeney - Commanders at all levels have substantial leeway to override the decisions of those beneath them. In this case, the Pardon was for something that he thought as an injustice to be corrected. The President is CIC, if they didn't teach you that in the Marine Corp, so he has every right to "get into Internal matters", just as the Commandant of the Marine Corp could intervene in a Company matter if he felt it was justified. The Navy decided to push punishment after the pardon and they lost that battle and the Navy Joint Chief needs to find a new job (some other reasons too, a number of scandals and "training" issues). It didn't take a F**king genius to understand the CIC's intent and you just saw the President slap down Subordinate that didn't follow instructions.

MSgt Steve Sweeney - Unlawful command influence means that his intervention effected the outcome of a court martial in the Governments favor, not that he overrode the decision of the court martial, which is entirely in his power to do so. It's actually in the power of the Admirals in the Chain of Command too. You may not agree with the decision to Pardon, but he's still the boss. If one of my subordinates had of tried to go around one of my decisions, I would have had a serious and very load talk with them about the chain of command, their moral and ethical shortcomings and what I would do if they tried that crap again.