Some of us (waves arms) watched slack jawed as Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman and General Mark Milley blatantly violated the military Chain of Command in their zeal to “get” President Donald Trump 45 in 2019-2021. How could CSpan nerds watch the hearings, both the Impeachment and Critical Race, and not feel their brains running out of their ears? Well, those of us of a certain age who were taught Civics rather than Drag Queen Make-up techniques. Chase Spears writing in Red State suggests “The Case for a Constitutional Training Culture in the Military”.

Mr. Spears is, of course, totally on point. From his article:

Every member of the military has sworn an oath to the nation since the Continental Army’s creation in 1775. Wording to specify allegiance to the U.S. Constitution was added in 1789, and has remained in all versions of military oaths of enlistment and commissioning since. This tradition sets our military apart from many others around the world, where loyalty is often tied to a ruler or regime. The American oath binds service members to a set of ideals and structures greater than any one administration.

Unfortunately, this noble intent is being misinterpreted. Ill-informed pundits, academics, military officers, lawmakers, and even ordinary American citizens frequently describe the military as “apolitical.” But that isn’t quite right. The military exists to enforce the political will of the United States—by force if necessary. It’s not above politics; it’s an instrument of it. A correct reading of the military oath clarifies this: troops swear to uphold the enduring framework of the nation, not the transient preferences of elected officials.

So, what does loyalty to the Constitution actually mean? How is a service member to judge whether their actions align with that oath? Most don’t know. Those who do have learned through personal initiative—not institutional instruction.

From top to bottom, from General to Private and including Warrant Officers, every military member must be able to not only rotely repeat the oath of enlistment (or office), but to understand it’s meaning. That is the only flaw in Mr. Spear’s thinking. Yes, yes. We must have Constitutional training at all of our universities, military colleges, R.O.T.C. programs and military basic training programs. BUT, Constitutional Training must start as early as Kindergarten. Mr. Spears treats elementary education as secondary while it’s primary. It used to be called civics. Civics classes were important to understand the purpose and functions of government. And, to understand the chain of command which is everywhere from the school classroom to Dollar General to the military. Civics must be taught early or you wind up with a Mark Milley or and Alexander Vindman.From the article:

This behavior isn’t spontaneous—it was modeled from above. Consider Gen. Mark Milley’s public defense of introducing Marxist doctrine into the ranks under the banner of open intellectual inquiry, and his braggadocio undermining of the civilian chain of command. We saw another clear example from Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman’s performance during impeachment proceedings against President Donald Trump, in which the U.S. Army officer used the military uniform and rank to veil his partisan antagonism as constitutionally principled service to the nation. Such actions have helped solidify a now-common tactic: using vague appeals to “defend the Constitution” as a partisan bludgeon. This phrase—“I solemnly swear, or affirm, to support and defend the Constitution of the United States”—has taken on distorted meanings in this context, and is increasingly weaponized for political theater rather than solemn service.

It was the arrogance of Alexander Vindman. The look on his face said “You may not question me or my motives. I took an oath to the Constitution. I am shielded from every sin.”

Milley lied, obfuscated and changed orders:

Milley had no command authority as joint chiefs chair He reportedly tampered w chain of command + undermined civilian control of military + made partisan + disrespectful statements about commander-in-chief Sen Banks & I sent letter asking DoD 4 answers on this alarming misconduct

— Chuck Grassley (@ChuckGrassley) May 20, 2025

Senator Grassley is an American treasure. More from the article:

Bipartisan legislation in 2024 established a requirement for all new military officers to receive a single training in constitutionalism that encompasses the following:

“(1) education on the centrality of the Constitution to the commitment officers make to serve in the Armed Forces;

“(2) emphasis on the loyalty of officers to the Constitution; and

“(3) instruction on the importance of, and basis for, civilian control over the military.”

But the vague wording of this law leaves implementation up to interpretation. One officer who commissioned from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point prior to 2024 told me that his constitutional training was a single lesson tucked into an ethics course. Research interviews I conducted last year revealed a troubling pattern: not one veteran recalled receiving regular, structured instruction on the Constitution. Only one veteran I engaged on this issue reported witnessing any kind of recurring training requirement about U.S. Constitutionalism. To its credit, under the leadership of Civil-Military scholar Dr. Todd Schmidt, Army University Press responded to this law by creating a short video about American Constitutionalism in late 2024, titled The Soldier and the Constitution. But it is not required viewing for military members.

This topic matters. Most service members arrive at the recruiting office without a solid civic foundation. Public schools—where most enlistment-age youth are educated—are not teaching the U.S. Constitution or the principles behind it. Many private schools aren’t either. The military, while excellent at physical training and technical instruction, is failing to compensate for this deficit. Can’t run? The military will fix that. Can’t shoot? They’ll train you. But have no understanding of the very document you swore to defend, even to the death? That’s your problem.

But from top of the organization to the bottom they know the words but not the meaning. From the bottom up kids must learn what everything means. You have to have a chain of command in a classroom, operating theater or battlefield:

Basic training or officer candidate school is way too late for Constitutional training. Start in elementary school.

Featured Image: Staff Sergeant Chris A. Durney/Wikimedia Commons.org/cropped/Public Domain