Control Sought On Military Lawyers

Bush wants power over promotions
Boston.com …for complete article
The Bush administration is pushing to take control of the promotions of military lawyers, escalating a conflict over the independence of uniformed attorneys who have repeatedly raised objections to the White House’s policies toward prisoners in the war on terrorism.
The administration has proposed a regulation requiring “coordination” with politically appointed Pentagon lawyers before any member of the Judge Advocate General corps – the military’s 4,000-member uniformed legal force – can be promoted.
A Pentagon spokeswoman did not respond to questions…. But the requirement of coordination – which many former JAGs say would give the administration veto power over any JAG promotion or appointment – is consistent with past administration efforts to impose greater control over the military lawyers.
The former JAG officers say the regulation would end the uniformed lawyers’ role as a check-and-balance on presidential power, because politically appointed lawyers could block the promotion of JAGs who they believe would speak up if they think a White House policy is illegal.

Retired Major General Thomas Romig, the Army’s top JAG from 2001 to 2005, called the proposal an attempt “to control the military JAGs” by sending a message that if they want to be promoted, they should be “team players” who “bow to their political masters on legal advice.”

It “would certainly have a chilling effect on the JAGs’ advice to commanders,” Romig said. “The implication is clear: without [the administration’s] approval the officer will not be promoted.”

The new JAG rule is part of a set of proposed changes to the military’s procedures for promoting all commissioned officers…. The Pentagon began internally circulating a draft of the changes for comments by the services in mid-November, and the administration will decide whether to make the changes official later this month or early next year.

Wild Thing’s comment…….
I would think this would increase politically-based prosecutions a thousandfold.
And wouldn’t it enable the JAG officers to serve the function that the political officers did in the Red Army. It will make sure that they show loyalty to their political masters, rather than to the Constitution. Politics isn’t a part of military promotions and shouldn’t be. The Commander-in-Chief (whoever it is) shouldn’t have oversight over company and field officers. That should be left to their own chain of command. imo
And to think or rememebr when Clinton was President (as we cannot be promised to always have a Republican and a conservative one at that) all those affirmative action political appointee Generals of the Clinton era. We have all heard the input of those that served during Clinton’s reign of terror. His, Hillary and Chelsea’s loathing of our Military!
This whole thing will end up making the military nothing but the political secret police of the party in charge.