Former Navy SEAL Says Officials Leading Military Do Not Serve the Public
Retired US Navy Adm. William McRaven, a former head of US Special Operations Command, said Americans should have faith in senior military leaders who were confirmed by elected officials but should worry if those leaders were installed solely by the president, as is the case with much of the Pentagon’s current civilian leadership.
Speaking at a virtual panel hosted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies on Monday, McRaven and other former senior military officials discussed the state of the civilian-military divide and the need to restore the public’s confidence in military leaders.
McRaven said that the process in which lawmakers approve individuals selected to serve as military leaders is one in which the American people can be confident. He added, though, that “it should also make them very uncomfortable when people are sitting in positions for which they have not been confirmed by the Senate.
