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The former president and his defense secretary his appointed defense secretary are mounting an aggressive push to politicise the top ranks of the US military – a push that bears disturbing similarities to Soviet-era tactics and could require a generation to repair, a former infantry chief has cautions.

Retired Major General Paul Eaton has sounded the alarm, stating that the campaign to align the higher echelons of the military to the executive's political agenda was extraordinary in recent history and could have severe future repercussions. He cautioned that both the credibility and capability of the world’s preeminent military was in the balance.

“Once you infect the organization, the solution may be exceptionally hard and costly for administrations in the future.”

He continued that the actions of the administration were placing the status of the military as an independent entity, separate from party politics, under threat. “As the phrase goes, reputation is earned a ounce at a time and drained in torrents.”

An Entire Career in Service

Eaton, 75, has spent his entire life to the armed services, including nearly forty years in active service. His father was an air force pilot whose aircraft was lost over Laos in 1969.

Eaton personally trained at the US Military Academy, earning his commission soon after the end of the Vietnam conflict. He rose through the ranks to become a senior commander and was later assigned to the Middle East to rebuild the Iraqi armed forces.

Predictions and Current Events

In recent years, Eaton has been a vocal opponent of perceived political interference of defense institutions. In 2024 he was involved in tabletop exercises that sought to model potential authoritarian moves should a a particular figure return to the Oval Office.

Many of the actions simulated in those drills – including partisan influence of the military and deployment of the state militias into urban areas – have reportedly been implemented.

A Leadership Overhaul

In Eaton’s analysis, a key initial move towards compromising military independence was the selection of a television host as the Pentagon's top civilian. “The appointee not only expresses devotion to an individual, he professes absolute loyalty – whereas the military is bound by duty to the rule of law,” Eaton said.

Soon after, a series of removals began. The military inspector general was fired, followed by the judge advocates general. Also removed were the top officers.

This Pentagon purge sent a direct and intimidating message that reverberated throughout the military services, Eaton said. “Toe the line, or we will remove you. You’re in a new era now.”

A Historical Parallel

The dismissals also sowed doubt throughout the ranks. Eaton said the effect reminded him of the Soviet dictator's political cleansings of the military leadership in Soviet forces.

“Stalin purged a lot of the top talent of the military leadership, and then placed party loyalists into the units. The uncertainty that gripped the armed forces of the Soviet Union is similar to today – they are not killing these officers, but they are removing them from positions of authority with a comparable effect.”

The end result, Eaton said, was that “you’ve got a historical parallel inside the American military right now.”

Rules of Engagement

The furor over deadly operations in international waters is, for Eaton, a symptom of the damage that is being caused. The Pentagon leadership has claimed the strikes target “narco-terrorists”.

One particular strike has been the subject of legal debate. Media reports revealed that an order was given to “leave no survivors.” Under established military law, it is prohibited to order that all individuals must be killed irrespective of whether they are a danger.

Eaton has stated clearly about the potential criminality of this action. “It was either a war crime or a murder. So we have a serious issue here. This decision bears a striking resemblance to a U-boat commander attacking victims in the water.”

The Home Front

Looking ahead, Eaton is extremely apprehensive that actions of rules of war outside US territory might soon become a reality within the country. The administration has nationalized national guard troops and sent them into multiple urban areas.

The presence of these troops in major cities has been contested in the judicial system, where legal battles continue.

Eaton’s biggest fear is a dramatic clash between federalised forces and state and local police. He painted a picture of a theoretical scenario where one state's guard is commandeered and sent into another state against its will.

“What could go wrong?” Eaton said. “You can very easily see an escalation in which both sides think they are following orders.”

Sooner or later, he warned, a “memorable event” was likely to take place. “There are going to be people getting hurt who really don’t need to get hurt.”