UNION VETERANS COUNCIL CALLS FOR THE RESIGNATION OF DEFENSE SECRETARY AND JOINT CHIEFS CHAIRMAN FOR LAFAYETTE PARK EVENT
Veterans org also demands the Defense Department Release Rules of Engagement used during federal activation
Washington D.C -- The Union Veterans Council, AFL-CIO is calling for the immediate resignation of United States Secretary of Defense Mark Esper as well as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark A. Milley for their participation in the events on Monday night at Lafayette Park and St. John’s Church.
Said Union Veterans Council Executive Director, Will Attig:
“The actions of Secretary of Defense Esper and Joint Chiefs Chairman Milley have jeopardized the American public trust, confidence, and respect for the brave men and women who volunteer to serve our great nation. Simply put, our military is not a prop for photo ops and political statements. This spectacle to deploy our troops created an unsafe environment and became an abuse of power.
“While we were encouraged by Secretary Esper’s attempt at an apology, it’s too little, too late. Every service member has the duty under the Uniform Code of Military Justice Article 90 to not follow unlawful orders and the obligation not to be complacent. We are calling on them to resign not as a point of shame, but as an example of leadership.
“We have heard from our members deployed to Washington, D.C. that they do not feel prepared or willing to ‘dominate battlespaces’ in our nation’s capital against fellow American citizens. That’s why we also demand that the Defense Department publicly release clarity on the Rules of Engagement used during Title 32 federal activation and diligently log all orders from the chain of command to be made available for congressional oversight.
“Lastly, we do not agree with the President’s decision to deploy the U.S. military. If American soldiers are ordered to deploy in any actions involving American citizens, we demand that they have prior and updated training on crowd control with the frontline units they are attached to.
“President Trump has set a violent and misguided tone in the wake of George Floyd’s tragic murder. It is time for our leaders at every level to challenge and repudiate this dangerous rhetoric-- and for those at the top of our military, who failed in this responsibility, to step down.”
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