Any time a public official makes an on-the-record pronouncement to the press, it represents an official statement. If a military man makes a false official statement, it represents a court martial offense under the Uniform Code of Military Justice. The Fourth Commandant of The Marine Corps – Colonel Anthony Gale – was convicted by a court martial and cashiered for making just such a statement. The current commandant – General Eric Smith – should suffer similar censure for committing the same offense.
On January 15 of this year, General Smith looked members of the Pentagon press corps in the eye and told them that the Marine Corps had never signed on to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies. This was a blatant falsehood. As he was speaking, his staff was frantically disestablishing the Corps' extensive DEI infrastructure and purging its websites of DEI related material. Including its personnel guidance contained in Talent Management 2030 which included the words "reinforcing diversity, promoting equity, and encouraging a culture of inclusion."
Smith should know that nothing in the electronic world never goes away once posted. Like most scandals, this one was avoidable. The actual events that triggered them are usually relatively trivial. Watergate started as a bungled dirty trick; the lies and cover-ups that followed made it a constitutional crisis. General Smith and his predecessor did nothing illegal in implementing DEI programs in the Marine Corps. They were carrying out the lawful policies of the Biden administration. Knowing the attitude of the incoming Trump administration, all the general needed to tell the press that Marine Corps carried out the personnel policies of the present administration and will change those policies if and when directed – the inauguration was less than a week away – that would have been the end of it...period.
Every active duty and retired Marine that I know was appalled by this lie. Only the retired and non-active duty marines openly expressed their outrage because military discipline in the active ranks caused the approbation and embarrassment to be muted, but many have expressed their anger writing with pseudonyms on social media However, the respect for the office of the commandant was greatly diminished. Traditionally, the Commandant of the Marine Corps has enjoyed internal respect similar to that in which most Roman Catholics hold for the Pope. When the commandant said "jump," Marines traditionally only asked "how high?" Now Smith's pronouncements are met with contemptuous compliance by all but his most sycophantic inner circle and paid contractors.
Secretary of War Hegseth took Smith at his word and recently claimed that the Marine Corps was the only service that never embraced DEI. So far, fortunately for Hegseth, the lazy and easily distracted Pentagon press pool overlooked the gaffe as it did with Smith's original lie. The pool has been obsessed with events in the Caribbean and has largely missed the rot within the naval services. In the case of the Navy, it has been procurement and maintenance. The Marine Corps' disastrous attempt to become a missile heavy defense force emphasizing concentration on the South China Sea using near obsolete missiles and drones has gone largely uncommented by what passes for defense expertise among the mainstream media. The pictures of boats blowing up is more compelling than the real challenges facing the two naval services.
Many retired marines – this writer included – have roundly criticized the last two commandants for their badly thought-out force structure decisions, but that is a professional difference of opinion. The DEI angle is a matter of honor that embarrass all marines – past and future. Two service chiefs and several other flag rank officers have been fired or resigned for offenses far less serious than Smith's.
To avoid the disgrace of being disciplined and/or fired, Smith should request medical retirement due to his chronic heart condition. That would make it easier for himself and the Marine Corps. Unless and until the Secretaries of War and Defense hold Smith accountable for his deliberate misstatements, the stanza of the Marine Corps Hymn that cites keeping our honor clean will ring hollow.
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Gary Anderson retired as the Chief of Staff of the Marine Corps Warfighting Lab. He served as a Special Advisor to the Deputy Secretary of Defense.
