POlitical Activities by Members of the U.S. Armed Forces

[Divinus Arma]

This is public information, available here: http://www.usmc.mil/maradmins/maradmin2000.nsf/maradmins



Date signed: 06/23/2006 MARADMIN Number: 289/06

Subject: POLITICAL ACTIVITIES BY MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES

R 230732Z JUN 06
FM CMC WASHINGTON DC(UC)
TO AL MARADMIN(UC)
UNCLASSIFIED/
MARADMIN 289/06
MSGID/GENADMIN/CMC WASHINGTON DC DMCS//
SUBJ/POLITICAL ACTIVITIES BY MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES//
REF/A/MSGID:DOC/OSD/02AUG2004//
REF/B/MSGID:GC DOD/-/YMD:20030801//
AMPN/REF A IS DOD DIRECTIVE 1344.10, POLITICAL ACTIVITIES BY MEMBERS
OF THE ARMED FORCES ON ACTIVE DUTY. REF B IS DOD DIRECTIVE
5500.7-R, JOINT ETHICS REGULATION (JER)//
GENTEXT/REMARKS/1. THIS PURPOSE OF THIS MESSAGE IS TO ASSIST
ACTIVE-DUTY MILITARY MEMBERS IN MAKING INFORMED DECISIONS CONCERNING
WHAT PARTICIPATION IS PERMISSIBLE WHEN ENGAGING IN POLITICAL
ACTIVITES BY PROVIDING AN OVERVIEW OF THE POLICY GOVERNING
PERMISSIBLE AND PROHIBITED POLITICAL ACTIVITIES PER THE REFERENCES.
2. ACTIVE-DUTY MEMBERS MAY:
A. REGISTER, VOTE AND EXPRESS A PERSONAL OPINION ON POLITICAL
CANDIDATES AND ISSUES, BUT NOT AS A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE ARMED
FORCES;
B. JOIN A POLITICAL CLUB AND ATTEND ITS MEETINGS WHEN NOT IN
UNIFORM;
C. SERVE AS AN ELECTION OFFICIAL, IF SUCH SERVICE IS NOT AS A
REPRESENTATIVE OF A PARTISAN POLITICAL PARTY, DOES NOT INTERFERE
WITH MILITARY DUTIES, IS PERFORMED WHEN NOT IN UNIFORM AND HAS THE
PRIOR APPROVAL OF THE SERVICE SECRETARY OR DESIGNATED OFFICIAL;
D. WRITE A LETTER TO THE EDITOR OF A NEWSPAPAPER EXPRESSING
PERSONAL VIEWS ON PUBLIC ISSUES OR POLITICAL CANDIDATES, IF SUCH
ACTION IS NOT PART OF AN ORGANIZED LETTER-WRITING CAMPAIGN OR A
SOLICITATION OF VOTES FOR OR AGAINST A PARTISAN CAUSE, CANDIDATE OR
PARTY;
E. MAKE MONETARY CONTRIBUTIONS TO A POLITICAL ORGANIZATION, PARTY
OR COMMITTEE;
F. DISPLAY A POLITICAL STICKER ON A PRIVATE VEHICLE.
3. ACTIVE-DUTY MEMBERS SHALL NOT:
A. USE OFFICIAL AUTHORITY OR INFLUENCE TO AFFECT THE COURSE OR
OUTCOME OF AN ELECTION, OR SOLICIT VOTES OR POLITICAL CONTRIBUTIONS
FOR A PARTICULAR CANDIDATE OR ISSUE;
B. RUN FOR FEDERAL, STATE OR LOCAL GOVERNMENT OFFICE, OR ENGAGE IN
PUBLIC OR ORGANIZED SOLICITING OF OTHERS TO BECOME PARTISAN
CANDIDATES FOR CIVIL OFFICE;
C. PARTICIPATE IN PARTISAN POLITICAL CAMPAIGNS OR CONVENTIONS,
EXCEPT AS A SPECTATOR WHEN NOT IN UNIFORM, OR MAKE PUBLIC SPEECHES
IN SUCH VENUES;
D. ALLOW OR CAUSE TO BE PUBLISHED PARTISAN POLITICAL ARTICLES
SIGNED OR WRITTEN BY THE MEMBER THAT SOLICIT VOTES FOR OR AGAINST A
PARTISAN POLITICAL PARTY, CANDIDATE OR CAUSE;
E. SERVE IN ANY OFFICIAL CAPACITY OR BE LISTED AS A SPONSOR OF A
PARTISAN POLITICAL CLUB;
F. SPEAK BEFORE PARTISAN POLITICAL GATHERINGS, INCLUDING ANY THAT
PROMOTE A PARTISAN CAUSE, CANDIDATE OR PARTY;
G. MARCH OR RIDE IN A PARTISAN POLITICAL PARADE;
H. SELL TICKETS FOR OR OTHERWISE ACTIVELY PROMOTE POLITICAL DINNERS
AND SIMILAR FUNDRAISING EVENTS;
I. ATTEND PARTISAN POLITICAL EVENTS AS AN OFFICIAL REPRESENTATIVE
OF THE ARMED FORCES.
4. COMMANDERS ARE TO ENSURE THESE STANDARDS ARE PROPERLY
DISSEMINATED AND UNDERSTOOD, AND THAT MEMBERS ARE IN FULL COMPLIANCE.
5. ANY QUESTIONS REGARDING THIS GUIDANCE SHOULD BE DIRECTED TO
CAPTAIN CHRIS GAFFNEY, HQMC (JAR), (703) 614-2510/1513, DSN
224-2510/1513.//

I thought some of you might fing this interesting. To see what we can and cannot do.

[Aenlic]

That's pretty standard stuff, Eclectic. Basically it just standardizes mil reg to be similar to the broader Hatch Act of 1939 (and the 1993 changes) which affects all government employees. The Hatch Act essentially places those very same regulations on all Federal, State and Local government employees; although the changes in 1993 to the Act made it slightly different for Federal employees versus State and Local.

[drone]

3. ACTIVE-DUTY MEMBERS SHALL NOT:
...
C. PARTICIPATE IN PARTISAN POLITICAL CAMPAIGNS OR CONVENTIONS, EXCEPT AS A SPECTATOR WHEN NOT IN UNIFORM, OR MAKE PUBLIC SPEECHES IN SUCH VENUES;
Does this mean military personnel cannot be paraded about in uniform during photo-ops during the 2008 primaries/election? Should they be excluded from contrived "town-hall" meetings? Sounds good to me. I don't expect this to be followed though.