Did General Byrnes Demonstrate Lack of Trustworthiness or Dishonesty?
To be sure, even a consensual adulterous relationship with a civilian could prejudice “good order and discipline” or “bring discredit upon the armed forces” under some circumstances. The military chain of command depends upon trust. Soldiers asked to risk their lives must be able to trust that their commanders have tried to minimize risks to their safety in choosing and designing missions. Trust depends on honesty, and it may be reasonable to infer that someone who would break his solemn wedding vows would also break the bonds of trust with the men and women under his command. Still, the notion that adultery bespeaks a general lack of trustworthiness is open to question. Certainly, those who argued that President Clinton should not have been impeached for dishonesty relating to an extra-marital affair thought otherwise: Clinton’s misdeeds, they argued, were of a private rather than a public nature. (Clinton, though Commander in Chief, was not subject to military law, but note that even
