POTUS Trump Pardons Ex-Navy Sailor. What About Another Pardon for Lt Col Lakin?

10 Mar 18 | hapnHal

[frog in a pot]

…because whistle-blowing is a verbal or written report of conduct you believe to be unlawful.

Exactly, Lakin believed his chain of command was corrupted and on the available record he was correct.

Much of what you say, of course, is correct. However,
Considering that every single other person in the chain of command above him, and all of his peers, believed those deployment orders were lawful…Every single one of his superiors considered Obama's orders lawful…

That is pure conjecture, there is no way you could know that. I am quite sure there were others and particularly Jag officers that silently agreed with him. In any event, it is not relevant; the issue was not to be decided by a poll or vote. It was to be decided at the Joint Session, specifically called for such purpose, with Congress asking Obama for a valid birth certificate, which perhaps for its own reasons it did not do. You will recall even VP Cheney failed to conform with the format of the JS and call for objections.

He knew he was a loner out on a limb, and hopped out on that limb anyway. Zero sympathy.

That he was a loner is again not relevant. I will wager you have had occasion to be in a professional gathering where all but one participant was incorrect and the latter prevailed. Why risk more than one military career even if the odds were in one's favor? There was little to be won at the personal level other than perhaps a standing O from one's peers.

You view this from the very closest perspective which is Lakin’s refusal to obey an order, without regard to whether the order was legal. If you were a commissioned officer in the Marine Corps (and not the product of a liberal college) I could better understand your “zero sympathy” viewpoint. (You are probably well aware that the officer’s oath is to the Constitution and not to the President/Commander in Chief.)

However, I view it from a much wider view. IMO, Lakin’s case raises serious doubts as to whether and to what extent one can rely on the federal government for assistance if one sees a duty to protect the Constitution against domestic enemies.

It’s been fun.