REQUIRED READING: The Last Gate.

Key bit:

If the Secretary of War is weak and the generals begin deciding for themselves which lawful presidential orders deserve obedience, then the republic has a problem far bigger than whoever is SECWAR.

At that point, the uniform is no longer serving the Constitution through civilian command. It’s becoming its own political authority. That’s what every red revolution wants.

That’s how republics die from the inside. Not always with gunfire. Sometimes with memos, hesitation, professional pressure, and men convincing themselves that disobedience is virtue.

And do read the whole thing.