Letters submitted by BDN readers are verified by BDN Opinion Page staff. Send your letters to letters@bangordailynews.com
Following the recent “month from hell” described by a former Pentagon executive, I agree with this sentiment due to the secretary of defense repeatedly violating military protocols regarding sensitive operational information.
Classified information in Congress must be discussed in a secure room called a SCIF (sensitive compartmented information facility) to ensure confidentiality. The secretary of defense undermined security protocols by revealing sensitive operational plans and violating his own need-to-know clause when he declared the mission “a go.”
After those spoken words, the term “a go” becomes a “need-to-know,” indicating restricted data. This means that even with the proper security clearance, access to certain confidential and sensitive information is given only if necessary for official duties. So why are his wife and brother included in a need-to-know discussion about this operation?
Immediate resignation of the secretary of defense is crucial to prevent further domestic disasters. Citizens should urge their congressional representatives to act, as our military order and culture are at risk.
We stand on the brink of disaster if we do not acknowledge his own advisors’ warnings about his incompetence. The “Peter Principle” suggests he has been promoted beyond his capability, making him unfit for his role.
I urge everyone reading this to contact their U.S. representative and U.S. senators to request the immediate resignation of the secretary of defense. This is not political but a call for protecting America.
Eric Mitchell
Livermore Falls