Editorial: No need to bend truth

[unhappycamper]

Editorial: No need to bend truth

In the military, keeping secrets is still a matter of life and death.

Operational security, especially in a war zone, is as important now as ever. The enemy will exploit any advantage offered. That’s why troops’ uncensored blogs and Internet sites cause so much concern for commanders in the field.

Most Marines know this, and most accept it as a fact of life.

So it was at great personal risk, and in direct violation of the trust and faith bestowed on him as a noncommissioned officer, that Sgt. Henry Butts began secretly recording conversations with his commanding officer, turning his MP3 player into a hidden microphone like an undercover narc on a sting operation. That he felt it necessary to protect himself in such a way speaks volumes about his relationship with Capt. Shane Cote, and about the command climate within their unit, Bravo Company, 4th Assault Amphibian Battalion.

The most unfortunate part of the story, however, is that Butts’ instincts were not only solid, but apparently learned.

Cote was clear in his desire to “C-Y-A” after a questionable firefight in Iraq, going so far as to coach his Marines on what to say if investigators called. How can we blame Butts for taking extreme measures to protect himself — and how can we discourage others from doing the same — when the Corps itself seems to be covering up the situation by keeping the details of the shootout and the subsequent investigations a secret?


Rest of article at: http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/community/opinion/marine_editorial_secrets_071119/