My son is in the Army, I can guarentee you that he stands with “the people” as per the Constitution as per his oath. I’ll have to ask him what he thinks the majority of his brother soldiers would do, though.
The problem with the military is the O-6 and above Command Structure. Not with the troops. These are all, ALL politicians. And yes, these days, that goes for my beloved Marine Corps, also. An Omar Bradley, A Lewis B. Puller, A Creighton Abrams....they no longer exist.
I have no love for officers. The only ones worth a cold bottle of piss are Warrants and Mustangs (prior Enlisted). Canoe U. grads are as worthless as Harvard grads.
If this type scenario ever came about, I know where I’d be.
If one visits the website of Small Wars Journal, there one will find readers’ response to the article:
http://smallwarsjournal.com/jrnl/art/full-spectrum-operations-in-the-homeland-a-“vision”-of-the-future
One reader notes that:
“Facts: ...The Department of Homeland Security has purchased over 450 Million rounds of .40 caliber hollow-point rounds, and has been buying up 5.56mm (NATO standard round) ammunition as well. The DHS has no foreign warfighting mission or capability. 450 Million rounds is excessive for any agency to claim for training purposes...”
I know and have known many good field-grade officers. The Navy has had officers like Marcenko (Commander/05) who were good, and NOT political. It seems that to make 06 and above is where the shift occurs. Look at how many 06s and above it took to rail-road LtCol Lakin into prison for his constitutional stand.
Let’s say that I am National Guard, ordered into a town to make arrests or put down “insurrection”. I don’t want to shoot civilians, and I feel very uncomfortable in my role, but I go. I don’t intend to shoot anyone. Then someone fires on me or shoots the man next to me who is my friend. Where do I go now? Where is my loyalty? Adrenaline. survival instinct, tribal affiliation, lot’s of forces at work here. Now my hind brain and instincts overdrive my cerebral cortex and intellect. This is how we can get played against each other.
Listen to an FBI sniper justify and defend his colleague for shooting an unarmed woman holding an infant.
Not precisely. The problem is those at the staff colleges that train those officers and develop doctrine.