Politics – regulations dictate how involved you can get?

  • Published
  • By Capt Matt Hill
  • 6th Air Mobility Wing assistant staff judge advocate
MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  With the War on Terror, the military is often a topic of discussion in the political realm with partisan politics from all sides attempting to use the military and its members for political gain. 

Along with this increased interest of your opinions comes closer scrutiny on your interactions within the political process. It is long-standing policy that DoD personnel acting in their official capacity may not engage in activities that associate DoD with any partisan political campaign, election, candidate, cause or issue. 

On Sept. 14, seven on-duty personnel from a recruiting detachment in Manchester, New Hampshire, appeared in uniform and briefly addressed a crowd gathered for a Presidential candidate. This event was advertised as a barbecue. Although the event may not have been intended as a political event, the result was public scrutiny of the military members' participation and avoidable embarrassment for one of our sister Services. 

Political activities of military members are governed by DoD Directive 1344.10, while our civilian teammates are governed by the Hatch Act. Airmen must avoid (1) partisan activities while acting in an official capacity, (2) attending political events or rallies in uniform, (3) wearing political buttons on their uniform, (4) having large political banners on their vehicle (bumper stickers are permitted) and (5) steer clear of any conduct which may imply official Air Force endorsement or representation. However, we may attend meetings as a spectator when not in uniform. We may also express our personal opinions about political candidates and issues. If you do so in the workplace, please keep it professional and ethical. 

The Hatch Act applies to all civilian federal employees and prohibits certain political activities in the federal workplace. An example in today's world involves email. Sending or even forwarding an email on your government computer that advocates the election or defeat of a political candidate could place you in violation of the law. 

Violations will be determined on a case-by-case basis, looking at the content of the message, who sent the email and how many people received the email from the government computer. 

We've all seen the forwarded email praising or lampooning a politician or political party that goes far beyond the intended chat between friends. Military members would also be wise to avoid sending such emails. 

As citizens, I highly encourage each person to exercise their right to vote. However, as election season heats up, remember that we represent the U.S. military. We defend our country and the ability to exercise our political rights. Let's be mindful to exercise those rights within the proper guidelines.