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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsAlexander Vindman: Coming forward ended my career. I still believe doing what's right matters.
Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman (Ret.), a career U.S. Army officer, served on the National Security Council as the director for Eastern European, Caucasus and Russian affairs, as the Russia political-military affairs officer for the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and as a military attaché in the U.S. Embassy in Moscow.After 21 years, six months and 10 days of active military service, I am now a civilian. I made the difficult decision to retire because a campaign of bullying, intimidation and retaliation by President Trump and his allies forever limited the progression of my military career.
This experience has been painful, but I am not alone in this ignominious fate. The circumstances of my departure might have been more public, yet they are little different from those of dozens of other lifelong public servants who have left this administration with their integrity intact but their careers irreparably harmed.
A year ago, having served the nation in uniform in positions of critical importance, I was on the cusp of a career-topping promotion to colonel. A year ago, unknown to me, my concerns over the presidents conduct and the presidents efforts to undermine the very foundations of our democracy were precipitating tremors that would ultimately shake loose the facade of good governance and publicly expose the corruption of the Trump administration.
At no point in my career or life have I felt our nations values under greater threat and in more peril than at this moment. Our national government during the past few years has been more reminiscent of the authoritarian regime my family fled more than 40 years ago than the country I have devoted my life to serving.
This experience has been painful, but I am not alone in this ignominious fate. The circumstances of my departure might have been more public, yet they are little different from those of dozens of other lifelong public servants who have left this administration with their integrity intact but their careers irreparably harmed.
A year ago, having served the nation in uniform in positions of critical importance, I was on the cusp of a career-topping promotion to colonel. A year ago, unknown to me, my concerns over the presidents conduct and the presidents efforts to undermine the very foundations of our democracy were precipitating tremors that would ultimately shake loose the facade of good governance and publicly expose the corruption of the Trump administration.
At no point in my career or life have I felt our nations values under greater threat and in more peril than at this moment. Our national government during the past few years has been more reminiscent of the authoritarian regime my family fled more than 40 years ago than the country I have devoted my life to serving.
--PayWall--https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/08/01/alexander-vindman-retiring-oped/?hpid=hp_save-opinions-float-right-4-0_opinion-card-a-right%3Ahomepage%2Fstory-ans
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Alexander Vindman: Coming forward ended my career. I still believe doing what's right matters. (Original Post)
spanone
Aug 2020
OP
I wonder if there will be a place in Biden's administration for Lt. Col. Vindman.
Arkansas Granny
Aug 2020
#2
samnsara
(17,602 posts)1. maybe he will run for office...
Arkansas Granny
(31,505 posts)2. I wonder if there will be a place in Biden's administration for Lt. Col. Vindman.
Biden will need patriots like this to help him heal this country from the damage done by Trump.
spanone
(135,777 posts)3. I would hope so.
👍🏼
SheltieLover
(57,073 posts)6. My thoughts exactly!
Golden Raisin
(4,604 posts)4. I hope restoration/vindication of Lt. Colonel Vindman
and/or some sort of administration position is on Biden's early "To Do" list.
Kid Berwyn
(14,789 posts)5. The US Army is not as strong without Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman.
Thanks, Putin.
Docreed2003
(16,846 posts)7. He is a true hero
He will be vindicated. First, we have to win and forever put these fascists in the place they deserve in trash bin.
Lt Col Vindman stood up for the highest ideals of the officer corps, as well as the highest ideals of America. I cannot imagine being in his shoes and the burden the last year would have been. He will and must be vindicated.
spanone
(135,777 posts)8. Hopefully when historians report on the trump fiasco, Col Vindman will be one of the heroes.
How anyone in the military can support this wannabe dictator is beyond me.
tavernier
(12,364 posts)9. Joe will see to that!!!