In response to President Donald Trump's recent nomination of Tennessee State Senator Mark Green as Secretary of the Army, 21 current and former Faculty Members at Service Academies, War Colleges, and other Military Universities released a statement today warning that the appointment represents a "serious threat" to the military's core values and ability to draw on the best talent to accomplish critical military missions:
"As current and former Faculty Members at Service Academies, War Colleges and other Military Universities, we are alarmed by Army Secretary nominee Mark Green's history of extreme statements and actions, and by the prospect of his becoming the next Secretary of the Army.
His repeated attacks against the LGBT community include ( 1 ) Sponsoring 'license to discriminate' legislation including a bill to allow mental health practitioners to refuse to treat LGBT patients; ( 2 ) Claiming that 'transgender is a disease,' a belief that is contrary to global medical consensus; ( 3 ) Urging state officials to deny same-sex couples marriage licenses, in clear violation of the U.S. Supreme Court; and ( 4 ) Supporting a bill that would effectively bar transgender high school and college students from using public bathrooms.
Beyond the LGBT community, he has insulted and disrespected Latinos, women, Muslims, and members of the Armed Forces including ( 5 ) Speculating that a rise in Latinos registering to vote in Tennessee is because they are 'being bussed here probably'; ( 6 ) Acknowledging that as a physician, he has refused to prescribe birth control to women; ( 7 ) Agreeing that we must 'take a stand on the indoctrination of Islam in our public schools'; ( 8 ) Claiming that the U.S. military's General Officers are "afraid of their shadow"; and ( 9 ) Declining to divest from a corporation whose owner defrauded TRICARE, the military health care program for service members, retirees and their families.
Mark Green would undermine good order and discipline by fostering dissension within the ranks and sowing confusion about what the military stands for. All who wear the uniform and risk their lives to defend our freedom deserve the respect and dignity they have earned, including LGBT members, Latinos, women and religious minorities, but Green has a history of creating exceptions for those who don't want to treat others equally and respectfully. We cannot afford leaders whose priorities are inconsistent with military values. Mark Green is a serious threat to what makes our military great.
Dr. Frank J. Barrett, Professor, Naval Postgraduate School
LTC Allen B. Bishop, USA ( ret. ), former Assistant Professor, US Military Academy
Dr. Allyson Booth, Professor, US Naval Academy
Lt Col Edith A. Disler, PhD, USAF ( ret. ), former Professor, US Air Force Academy
Dr. Mark J. Eitelberg, professor emeritus, Naval Postgraduate School
Dr. Barry S. Fagin, Professor, US Air Force Academy
Dr. J. Carl Ficarrotta, USAF ( ret. ), former Professor, US Air Force Academy
Dr. Clementine Fujimura, Professor, US Naval Academy
Dr. Todd S. Garth, Professor, US Naval Academy
Dr. Mark R. Grandstaff, former Professor, US Army War College
Dr. David Kaiser, Professor Emeritus, US Naval War College
BG Thomas A. Kolditz, PhD, USA ( Ret. ), former Professor, US Military Academy
Dr. Janice H. Laurence, former Associate Research Professor, Naval Postgraduate School
MAJ Charlie Law, USAF ( sep. ), former Assistant Professor, U.S. Air Force Academy
Dr. George R. Lucas, Professor, US Naval War College
Col. Mark V. Mayer, USAF ( ret. ), Professor, US Air Force Academy
Lt Col James E. Parco, PhD, USAF ( ret. ), former Professor, Air University
Dr. Tammy S. Schultz, Professor, US Marine Corps War College
CAPT David Smith, PhD, USN, Associate Professor, US Naval Academy
Dr. Georgia Sorenson, former Chair and Professor, Army War College
Dr. Marc J. Ventresca, former Research Associate Professor, Naval Postgraduate School
( 2 ) Mark Green, www.youtube.com/watch , at 1:04:23 .
( 3 ) Mark Green, www.youtube.com/watch , at 1:10:05 .
( 5 ) Mark Green, www.youtube.com/watch , at 57:14 .
( 7 ) Mark Green, www.youtube.com/watch, at 39:40 .
( 8 ) Mark Green, www.youtube.com/watch, at 1:03:12 .
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* The views expressed in this statement by current and former faculty at U.S. Government Agencies are those of the individuals and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of their respective university, their Service, the Department of Defense or the U.S. Government.
With more than 50,000 members and supporters across the country and around the world, the American Military Partner Association ( AMPA ) is the nation's largest organization of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender ( LGBT ) military families and their allies. Connecting, supporting, honoring, and serving the partners, spouses, families, and allies of America's LGBT service members and veterans — our "modern military families."
