Lucia ’28 writes about the group’s conversation with Major Tim Morris, a former Deerfield teacher and current member of the Marine Corps.
Walking past nearly 400,000 marbled white headstones staggered in meticulously spaced rows, we headed through the Arlington National Cemetery into the Women’s Military Memorial for a conversation with Major Tim Morris. A former Deerfield teacher, current member of the Marine Corps, and advocate for education around the role (and restrictions) of the U.S. military, Maj. Morris described the free speech regulations that restrict service members’ First Amendment rights. The nation’s three million military personnel follow the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ), which sets forth a series of guidelines that active military must follow—and if they don’t, they’re subject to a range of disciplinary responses, including rank reduction or even removal.
But in recent years, Maj. Morris said, younger service members have increasingly posted political statements on their personal social media platforms. It’s hard to monitor, as a Marine priority does not include designating someone to scroll through and check for code violations, and the code’s rules around political speech almost never come up in the education process.
It’s still highly important, though. One of the unique aspects of the U.S. military is its consistent public approval ratings. In recent years, when approval of the President and Congress has wavered under 20 percent, the population’s trust in the military has been at 60% or higher. Part of this comes from its separation from the political atmosphere: whether or not political energy and division rises or falls, the military remains steady and (for the most part) uninfluenced. But in order to withstand a shaky political environment, Maj. Morris said, they must stand by the necessary guidelines and find a way to keep each other in check. Just as important is public knowledge and understanding of these First Amendment restrictions! — Lucia ’28
