Its too easy but I pit Ronulans

We really need to back on the latinum standard.

They don’t tend to focus on the Joint Chiefs on TV during the State of the Union but if you look they are very careful about how they react. They will clap for the president when he enters like everyone else. They may react to some of the “America is great” comments. But when the speech is political they sit there politely while the congress plays their applause games.

And this rule is designed to maintain that principle.

Not to nitpick but… Well I’m going to nitpick. Its JAG you want to speak to not the PAO. The PAO (I’ve been one for 25 years now) will have the pleasure of dealing with the media attention that follows an incident like this but for guidance before participation, it’s the legal folks.

Loach, I’m glad you enjoyed it. I really, really enjoyed his criticism of the military’s role in this and was sort of surprised at how many of my military ‘colleges’ did as well. Though from my VERY unscientific poll of coworkers past and present the more junior (age, not necessarily rank wise) the less they agreed.

+1 but I will add I have heard (sitting presidents mind you) address campaign ‘topics’ during speaches at military installations but these events are not campaign rallies at all.

Fair enough, but all the same I’ve always been told to deal with the PAO, never the JAG.

So, what’s it like cleaning up messes like this without making more of your own?

It’s the JAG because they tend to know the exact limits. I guess the PAO could do it with a lot of input from JAG. Either way you’re talking to someone on a general’s staff …

Thankfully I didn’t have to write the public affairs guidance regarding this issue but I suspect it talks a lot about the opinion expressed by this soldier in no way reflect the values of the Army, National Guard, Unit (whatever) and that we as an organization continually stress to our service member what they can and cannot do while in uniform and that the matter is under investigation, blah, blah, blah.

I’ve noticed a lot of commands are pushing (via social media – thus the PA channels) reminders about what is and what is not appropriate to do while in uniform politics wise …