The Conversation (0)
x
Joe Vesey-Byrne
Oct 18, 2017
A former Obama era assistant secretary has attacked the reported claim by United States President Donald Trump that a dead soldier 'knew what he signed up for'.
On Tuesday, the President of United States denied the accusation by a Florida Congresswoman that he had told a soldier's grieving widow that 'he knew what he signed up for'.
Representative Frederica Wilson accused the President of making the tactless remark in a conversation which she overheard on speaker phone with the wife of Sgt. La David Johnson.
The alleged remarks were widely criticised, particularly coming from a Commander-in-Chief with zero hours of military service.
Subsequently the President 'clarified' his remarks and on Tuesday tweeted to say the story was 'fabricated'.
Among his critics was Brandon Friedman, former official in the US department of housing, and a combat veteran of four tours of duty between 2000 and 2004.
Friedman posted the thread on Twitter about the President's alleged remarks.
1. Let's talk for a minute about "he knew what he signed up for."— Brandon Friedman (@Brandon Friedman) 1508297323
2. There's often a misconception among non-veterans that service members sign up with the expectation that they may die.— Brandon Friedman (@Brandon Friedman) 1508297354
3. I did two tours in combat as an infantry officer and I never met a soldier who thought dying was a reasonable result of their service.— Brandon Friedman (@Brandon Friedman) 1508297410
4. Take the numbers: Since 9/11, roughly 1 out of every 5,000 troops to serve in Iraq or Afghanistan died there.— Brandon Friedman (@Brandon Friedman) 1508297464
5. I'll say that again: 1. Out of every 5,000. Dying in combat is neither common nor expected.— Brandon Friedman (@Brandon Friedman) 1508297520
6. But when things *do* get dicey, troops expect leaders (at every level) to do everything in their power to keep death from happening.— Brandon Friedman (@Brandon Friedman) 1508297574
7. Take roadside bombs. When they began killing U.S. troops, President Bush never said, "they knew what they signed up for."— Brandon Friedman (@Brandon Friedman) 1508297639
8. Instead, DoD designed MRAPs. It was a concerted effort to keep more people from getting killed unnecessarily.— Brandon Friedman (@Brandon Friedman) 1508297684
9. And that's what keeps troops going. The knowledge that your life is valuable. That it's not to be wasted. That air support is inbound.— Brandon Friedman (@Brandon Friedman) 1508297724
10. Today we say, "I will never leave a fallen comrade to fall into the hands of the enemy."— Brandon Friedman (@Brandon Friedman) 1508297773
11. It's long been a thing in the U.S. military. Here's how Robert Heinlein characterized it in his 1959 military c… https://t.co/l5dmsFC1VJ— Brandon Friedman (@Brandon Friedman) 1508297828
12. After a KIA, no one in the military ever, EVER, says "he knew what he signed up for." Instead they reflect.— Brandon Friedman (@Brandon Friedman) 1508297879
13. "What could we have done differently? How could we have prevented this from happening?" No one shrugs death off as an inevitability.— Brandon Friedman (@Brandon Friedman) 1508297925
14. So when we have a Commander in Chief respond to a combat death with, "he knew what he signed up for," it tells us a few things.— Brandon Friedman (@Brandon Friedman) 1508297973
15. First, it tells us the President has no idea how the military works or what his role and responsibilities are.— Brandon Friedman (@Brandon Friedman) 1508298056
16. More importantly, it sends this message to troops: If you're looking for support from the White House, you know what you signed up for.— Brandon Friedman (@Brandon Friedman) 1508298118
Keep reading...Show less
Top 100
