Several military veterans who are students at PNW understand why one senator is holding up senior military promotions – but they are not entirely happy about it.
“There is a difference between being right and being within your rights,” said Tyler Morecraft, an Army veteran in his third year studying Liberal Arts. “He is within his rights to do what he is doing, but I do not think he is right to do what he is doing.
“He is making other people suffer because he disagrees with someone else,” he said.
Since February, Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) has placed holds on about 300 senior military promotions to protest a Defence Department policy that pays for the expenses of enlisted personnel who must travel out of state to get an abortion. While the military pays for abortions in very rare cases, the policy does cover travel and accommodation costs for members stationed in states where abortion is prohibited, who must travel to other states to get the procedure.
Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and seven former defence secretaries serving in both Republican and Democratic administrations have criticized Tuberville’s actions and said his holds on promotion have compromised the nation’s military readiness.
“I do not agree with holding up the promotions and I do not think it is fair that leaders are getting held back,” said Trevor Kerbo, a veteran who is a freshman in Nursing.
Tiffany Metzler, a veteran who is a sophomore in Health Studies said Tuberville is wrong.
“You should not be withholding promotions,” she said.
Anthony Pilota, Veteran Services coordinator, has his own thoughts on the topic.
“He does have the right, as every senator has a right to vote on any bill the way they see fit,” he said.
Pilota, who spent four years in the Marines, also disagrees that Tuberville’s actions are compromising the military’s ability to respond to threats.
“This does not affect the readiness of the military because [the] higher-ups, they are already there. The only thing is that they might be waiting on a command,” he said. “You do not need a rank to hold certain billet [assignment]. You can hold a billet without having the promotion.”
