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On Dec. 19, the U.S. Senate confirmed the last remaining four-star generals and admirals whose promotions had been blocked for the last 10 months. With these votes, we can finally close the book on Alabama Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville’s one-person crusade against the U.S. military.
But before we move too quickly past this saga, it’s important that we pause to analyze how our military community overcame this blockade. If we don’t, we leave the door open to future lawmakers repeating the same shenanigans and worsening the permanent damage this political stunt has already done to U.S. national security.
The story of Tuberville’s failed blockade is essentially the story of a schoolyard bully. For months, the senator picked on a group of people who couldn’t fight back, over a policy disagreement they had nothing to do with. And he almost got away with it. A number of strong, powerful people tried to fight back with stern letters and press conferences, but to no avail.
What finally tipped the scales was a group of diverse voices who didn’t seem that strong or powerful on their own but, by working together, they managed to win the day.
That group? Regular, everyday military spouses and…
