The American Spectator

p> BEHAVIORAL STUDIES br> Re: Charles G. Kels’ Generals Behaving Badly : /p>

As an E-5 in the US Army (that’s a Sergeant for all you civilians), I met Wes Clark in Europe. As a civilian, I met Don Rumsfeld in The States. I wouldn’t follow Don to the john (in the Army, we call it a latrine). I would follow Wes Clark and John Kerry into battle. I could care less what any of their ranks are — including the USAF Captain who wrote this editorial. Civilians are civilians and military men and women are military men and women — regardless of perception. If you are so worried about perception (or confusion), then tell our President to stay out of uniform, out of planes and off aircraft carriers — in uniform and in planes. And tell the Secretary of Defense to start listening to retired military CIVILIANS who know enough about decorum to speak up when democracy is at risk.

p>The title of your article should have been “Civilians Behaving Honorably.” br> — Dave Pechman br> Denver, Colorado /p>

Finally, someone gets it!! CIVILIANS control the military, not the other way around.

I’ve long suspected that these “perfumed princes” were mad at the current SecDef because he didn’t kiss their collective nether regions and that their rice bowls were cracked by his proposed reorganization of the military.

Retired flag officers have a hard time adjusting to life after the service. They wake up one morning and no one really gives a damn about their opinion. No one snaps to when they enter a room, and the only reserved parking space they have is next to the disabled slots at the PX/BX.