On the recordMay 17, 2012
I thank the gentleman from South Carolina, whose oldest son and I served in Iraq together. As a United States Marine, I filled out dozens of evaluations on my marines. Some I recommended for promotions, some I did not. As has already been said, Mr. Chairman, this amendment must be opposed because it would disrupt the vital role commanders play in the military promotion process. Our commanders are the best prepared to make the difficult judgments of balancing interests of the individuals against the need of the Armed Forces to promote the most qualified individuals. It is not ethical to ask commanders to overlook information that they believe directly bears on the member's qualification for promotion. Commanders strive to be fair, and current policies prevent prejudicial consideration of mental health treatment that carries no implications for performance and promotion qualification. The provision attempts to replace the commander's judgment with an artificial standard that cannot account for the complexity of cases. The Nation invests immense trust in our military commanders in the most challenging of circumstances, while leading marines and soldiers in combat, and we must not betray that trust. I urge defeat of this amendment. Mr. McKEON. How much time is remaining? The Acting CHAIR. The gentleman from California has 2 minutes remaining, and the time of the gentleman from Indiana has expired. Mr. McKEON. I yield the balance of my time to the gentleman from Nevada (Mr. Heck).
