Shocked, Stunned, and Embarrassed

Over the past two days as I have read about the “CIA Jails” I am stunned beyond words. As an American and a soldier in addition to being stunned I am ashamed and embarrassed and disgusted. As a soldier who served our country for 27 years and who has served several combat tours I have a keen understanding of the Geneva Convention and what it means to the American soldier as well as the soldiers of many other nations. As a soldier I carried the Geneva Convention card with me everywhere I went and at all times and it gave me a certain sense of pride, security, and satisfaction. The pride came from knowing that I represented a nation of honorable, just, and fair people. The security came from knowing that if I was captured by an enemy soldier there was a good chance that he or she would be a warrior like me and would posses a sense of honor, justice, and fair play and therefore I would be treated humanely and with a warriors respect. The satisfaction came from the knowledge that if I was captured by an enemy combatant who was without honor that at least I was representing a nation that honored the Geneva Convention and at least in that regard I had the moral high ground and as I would endure the indignations and suffering I knew it was for a morally upright and honorable nation. These revelations of CIA Jails along with the never ending stream of prisoner abuse news that has flowed and continues to flow out of our military detention centers and prisons have gravely injured this nation. This administration often talks of honoring our troops. Such conduct as we have been hearing about and seeing honors no one. It is in fact a most dishonorable way of conducting what this administration so fondly refers to as a “War on Terror”. It is this type of conduct that actually places our soldiers in even greater danger. This is not about politics but about morality. Soldiers reflect exactly the traits of their leaders up to and including the Commander in Chief. I have watched it time and again. An organization that is commanded by a morally just and upright commander who lives honor, integrity, and fair play commands an organization that lives honor, integrity, and fair play. They fight hard to win and show respect to the enemy regardless of the enemies conduct. Did we not conduct our selves with honor during World War II and look at the actions of the enemy we fought then? Hang your head in shame Mr. President because this military and the CIA are a reflection of the Commander in Chief.

Those are The Sergeant Majors thoughts on that.