Military whistleblowers are increasingly speaking out against the harm imposed upon the branches they proudly serve. Consider the stories of Navy officer Lt. Ted Macie and Fort Liberty soldier George Lincoln (a pseudonym).
In both examples, their high regard for the Constitution and patriotic duty to the nation rose above their concern for retaliation and retribution. Undoubtedly, there are many others who are on the brink of taking a similar step but don’t know where to begin or what to expect.
The Gateway Pundit spoke to Lt. Col. Ryan Sweazey (USAF-Ret.), the founder of Walk the Talk Foundation, a group that advocates for and protects whistleblowers. The former F-16 fighter pilot once served as Inspector General (IG) in the Air Force warns about the corruption of the Department of Defense (DOD) and IG system that prevents many whistleblowers from coming forward.
In theory, Sweazey said, service members should be protected for speaking up about issues that potentially harm the military or its personnel. “The military not only says you should, but it also promises you’ll be protected,” he explained. However, he lamented, “In reality, those things are rarely practiced.”
“Truth be told,” he said, “the military doesn’t want you speaking out against the institution, and they’ll often retaliate against those who do.” According to him, “there’s a stark contrast between theory and what’s actually put into practice.”
Important to the decision to come forward as a whistleblower is “the person’s innate passion for the country and its defense,” Sweazey shared.
“A whistleblower has to set aside any potential personal or professional risks that they know they could incur when they do blow the whistle,” he said, adding that, “They do it because they are choosing to serve a higher purpose beyond themselves.”
Offering an apology for sounding “a little blunt and a little harsh,” Sweazey called upon former and current service members to take action: “If you think what you’re witnessing is bad and harming the military, and you watch it happen without doing everything you can to stop it, then you are complicit in allowing it to happen or continue happening.”
“If it’s harming the military and going against policy,” Sweazey argued, “It’s a service member’s duty to step in and intercede.” But to do this successfully, “we need real protections to be put in place for whistleblowers because of the incredible latitude commanders are afforded via administrative processes that could derail a service member’s career, remove their clearance, or go a step further to defame and besmirch a person.”
Sweazey concluded, “Whistleblowers have to consider the greater good when considering the cost-benefit of standing up and speaking out, and once they take that step, we have to fight for the protections they deserve.”
The Gateway Pundit also spoke to attorney R. Davis Younts, a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel and former Judge Advocate General (JAG) officer who has represented several whistleblowers.
He said that while retribution and retaliation are possible, “there are systems in place in our government that are designed to protect military personnel and others [who want to blow the whistle] that need to be enforced.”
He explained, “The protections are not perfect, and retaliation and retribution are always a risk, but every service member takes an oath to support and defend the constitution, and there are times when that oath means service members have an obligation to blow the whistle on military corruption.”
While encouraging service members to speak up, he offered a few options to help protect them from retaliation and retribution. “Not limited only to the military, but all throughout government, I encourage whistleblowers to write a congressional complaint,” he shared, adding that there’s no specific language required. “All you have to do is tell a representative and point them to the problem or concern—and that in itself is a protected communication.”
“This kind of informal communication is a very important tool that offers protection from retribution under the law,” he explained. “While there’s a great history of service members who take advantage of this, more recently, we are seeing more formal communication.” In many of these examples, Congress often gets involved, recognizing a military member as a whistleblower and providing additional protection. “[This protection] is also free from retribution as the service member comes forward with information that can become part of a broader investigation.”
Whether an informal or formal process, Younts said, “protected communications are important, and service members need to feel comfortable using those processes.” Additionally, he said, “There’s a degree of protection when things are in the public’s eye, and by going through the proper processes, it offers further protection from retaliation and retribution.”
“I’ve encouraged some of my clients to go public, but doing it wisely, protecting themselves by using both process and the public eye,” he shared. “One of the biggest motivators for the military today is to avoid public scrutiny, so it’s important to hold their feet to the fire by exposing the truth of what might be happening behind closed doors.”
Whistleblowers are encouraged to reach out to Sweazey or Younts to learn more about protecting themselves and the information they wish to share.
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