Comment on E6-16926

I have read the proposed Department of Defense policy contained in document ID number DOD-2006-OS-0076-0001 and agree to it in principle. Having served as an officer in various command positions, I believe that an adversarial relationship between commanders and their troops in the manner of labor vs. management is injurious to good order, discipline and combat effectiveness. A labor union for soldiers or any other uniformed members of the armed forces has no place in the American military infrastructure. However, I find that there is a minor problem contained in the wording of subsection 143.4 (b) as written, ?Discipline and prompt obedience to lawful orders of superior officers are essential and time-honored elements of the American military tradition and have been reinforced from the earliest articles of war by laws and regulations prohibiting conduct detrimental to the military chain of command and lawful military authority.? The use of the phrase, ?time-honored elements?of?tradition?? has softened what has been a requirement of basic military organizations since pre-history. This phrase should be deleted, so that it is gravely understood that the requirement to obey the lawful orders of military superiors has been enforced by law since the earliest beginnings of organized military units. Those things called traditions have a way of being eliminated by newer and more pressing requirements.