'I cannot remain quiet': Army officer defies orders to denounce Trump policy in scathing op-ed

[justaprogressive]

A week into his second presidency, Donald Trump signed an executive order banning transgender Americans from enlisting or serving in the U.S. military. And in early June, the U.S. Department of Defense — under Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth — notified transgender Americans already serving in the military that they can either voluntarily or involuntarily leave.

But U.S. Army Major Anthony Guerrero, in a scathing op-ed published by the New York Times early Monday morning, June 30, lays out some reasons why he is vehemently opposed to the Trump Administration's anti-transgender policy.

"The president issued the order in January, and the Supreme Court last month allowed the (Trump) Administration to start enforcing it," Guerrero explains. "The order may be legally sound, but it is neither moral nor ethical. I believe that it is my duty as an officer to dissent when faced with such an order."

The U.S. Army major continues, "I may not be the sort of person you would expect to oppose a ban on transgender troops. I am a conservative evangelical Christian and a Republican. Though I have deep compassion for people who feel they are in the wrong body, I do not think that transitioning — as opposed to learning to love and accept the body God gave you — is the right thing to do in that predicament. But my views are irrelevant to the issue of transgender troops."

https://www.alternet.org/guerrero-trump-transgender-ban/

[Tadpole Raisin]

1. Now that is someone you can disagree with on their

conservative beliefs but really respect that he can separate his personal beliefs from the truth of what it means to serve regardless of those differences, something the conservative majority of SCOTUS, the HOR, or the Senate clearly can’t or won’t do.

The fact that he could also be putting his career in jeopardy and knows it…. RESPECT!!

Integrity is so lacking in those leaders but he has it in buckets!

[usonian]

2. Times op-ed, archived.

https://archive.is/A0fZL

[UpInArms]

3. An honorable human

I hope he is among a majority

[Irish_Dem]

4. A true patriot and solider.

[erronis]

5. The alternet.org headline was a poorly written paraphrase of the original NYT headline

"... defies orders to denounce Trump policy ..."

Better: "... defies orders and denounces Trump policy ..."

[Kaleva]

8. Yes. I was confused by the headline.

[Kid Berwyn]

6. The major understands the situation.

Hope he continues in the service. The US Army needs him and so does the nation.

[Redleg]

7. I would be surprised if they didn't punish the Major

His public statements put him in a difficult position.

[Kaleva]

9. Agree

[Kid Berwyn]

10. Agree: His career in the Army is toast.

That's what happens when the civilians leading the organization are traitors.