I Owe My Men an Apology, And I’m Giving It Publicly

InfantryDort: “A lot of you hear me talk about accountability on here. Well, I don’t want to be a hypocrite. So it’s time I take some of my own. Everyone in the Army who knows me, knows who I am on here. I’m a Soldier. I fight where I’m told and win where I fight. That’s what I’ve always believed. I grew up in the military trusting that no matter how chaotic things got, senior leadership ultimately had our backs. In 2020, that belief shattered. I was a battalion XO at Fort Hood when the COVID restrictions hit hard. We were told the vaccine was voluntary. That if we got it, we could ditch the masks, leave base, live like normal again. No strings attached. Then came the formation at the vaccine site. Two groups. Those willing to take the shot, and those who weren’t. Some senior leaders pulled me aside and said, “Hey Dort, you’ve got a way with words. Talk to the dissenters. See if you can bring them around.” So I did. To be fair, the leaders I’m talking about were just as ignorant as me to all of this.”

Published by markskidmore

Mark Skidmore is Professor of Economics at Michigan State University where he holds the Morris Chair in State and Local Government Finance and Policy. His research focuses on topics in public finance, regional economics, and the economics of natural disasters. Mark created the Lighthouse Economics website and blog to share economic research and information relevant for navigating tumultuous times.

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