Having worn the uniform myself, I seem to recall that we were not allowed to actively particiapate in political “campaigning”.
I don’t know the full context of the soldiers statement, but simply stating “the surge is working” seems to me to be an apolitical stance.
sounds like that to me, too.
Even attending while in uniform is prohibited. However, notice that they didn't give him any grief about wearing the uniform until he challenged the party line.