This is turning into a case study on how to make a PR disaster even worse. And while there is no need to feel pity for Acting Secretary Modly, his actions are further exposing the corrosion of healthy norms of civil-military relations. https://twitter.com/cjchivers/status/1247153482097930240

For someone who likes to expound on leadership, Modly is making 2 errors about fealty to the chain of command: The 1st error is believing that he could gain the loyalty and approval of the Roosevelt crew by flying himself in and making a speech.

If this were truly a matter of respecting the chain-of-command, the myriad uniformed leaders between himself and the Roosevelt would be the ones cleaning it up.

On the one hand, it could be chalked up to a former junior naval officer believing he could still ”connect” with the force, despite now holding a senior civilian position. Rookie mistake in itself, but unfortunately his own statements point to a larger problem.

As he told business insider, "I put myself in the president's shoes," he explained. "I considered how the president felt like he needed to get involved in Navy decisions. I didn't want that to happen again." https://taskandpurpose.com/news/acting-navy-secretary-fired-roosevelt-captain-trump

As Jim, Lindsey, and Alice so astutely point out, it is within the purview of civilian leadership to reach down into the chain of command. But that doesn’t make it smart. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/04/05/this-is-what-was-so-unusual-about-us-navy-making-captain-brett-crozier-step-down/

This is the larger, 2nd error. It is his own fear of the president’s impetuousness that is undermining the chain of command. Modly is unwilling to risk “leading up” but more than willing to undercut subordinates to appease his superior, even when the boss hasn’t yet weighed in.

Probably a better and more academic term for this, but I think of it as ”prophylactic cowardice” wherein everyone is so afraid of the boss that normal systems grind to a halt. An unfortunate hallmark of this admin & a scar on the myriad men who thought they could hold the line.

This does not end well for the professionalism and independence of the military. And frankly, it doesn’t end well for anyone. /fin