This came during today’s Rotary meeting, while I was hearing Robbie Kerr talking about Obamacare. (More about that later.):
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) – Gov. Nikki Haley’s husband Michael is being deployed to Afghanistan with South Carolina’s National Guard.
Gubernatorial spokesman Rob Godfrey says Michael Haley received his orders Monday and is leaving the country in January.
Michael Haley is a first lieutenant with the South Carolina Army National Guard. Col. Pete Brooks says Haley is being deployed as an individual and will be a liaison between an agricultural unit and Afghan leaders.
He is slated to return to the United States in December…
So, the first thing that pops into my head is, If we have any questions about this, are we “allowed” to ask them? As you’ll recall from last week’s long-awaited story:
At an impromptu press conference last week, a reporter for WSPA-TV in Spartanburg, Robert Kittle, asked Haley about her daughter working at the gift shop.
“Y’all are not allowed to talk about my children,” Haley responded…
I feel I need to check. It used to be we had the First Amendment, but now we have to check with Nikki. It’s confusing.
By the way, I neglected to post the video of that the other day. Sorry. Here it is:
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Just to save you some time, the relevant part of the video is from 30 seconds in to 1:37.
After that, the reporters present obediently spoke of other things.
There you go with those false facts, Brad!
Depends, would you ask any other politician about matters involving their children under the age of 18?
Once again, Steven — nobody cares about what the child is up to. The story isn’t about the child — it’s about the governor. If Nikki hadn’t decided she wanted to be governor, nobody would be raising questions of nepotism to her.
Likewise, no one would be asking her about her public attacks on a newspaper regarding a story that had not yet appeared. Because no one would care.
But she did (bring it up) that is, and people quite naturally wonder about it.
If you watch the video, you’ll see that’s exactly how this was brought up, and that’s appropriate — essentially, hey gov, about that Facebook post you put up — what’s up with that?
@ Kathryn. Exactly. Still working on what she meant…
So in other words nobody really cares except for the media who want to blow this up because they have nothing else to write about.
I don’t know why, but for some reason I just feel a little . . . cynical about this news.
I care, and many others I know do, though none of us are “media”….
Yes, kc, cynicism feels right here…..
kc, just a LITTLE cynical?
He’s being sent as an individual, not with a unit. He is a civilian employee, not a soldier. He’ll be working on an irrigation project with Afghans. I guaran-damn-tee you her reelection ads will feature her “veteran husband” and the “first gentleman who went to war.” It’s already hit national news – “Guv’s husband goes to war.”
Blech!
Lindsey Graham called himself “an Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm veteran” on his own website even though he spent that entire time in South Carolina. At least Mr. Haley is making some kind of personal sacrifice even if it is giving Nikki’s campaign some good p.r. I’d say his service is more admirable than that of Graham or Bush.
Those of you who are cynical about this should find your butts in Afghanistan and away from your family for a year. Oh my gosh and my wife thinks I am too cynical!
Given the choice of a year in Afghanistan or a year in the same house having to listen to Nikki Haley, I’ll take Afghanistan. Heck, I’d ask for an extended tour.
My family members have deployed several times. I know what effect that’s had on their kids – on REAL military families. Haley will milk it for all it’s worth.
Rose, maybe YOU should go to Afghanistan for a year so you will know what effect your absence will have on YOU and YOUR family! So all of those reservists and National Guard members over there in Afghanistan are not from REAL military families?????? You really should quit this nonsense, Rose. It is okay to dislike Nikki Haley but you are taking this way too far. It’s just plain silly.
Leon,
I don’t think Rose is referring to reservists and National Guard members as not being real military families.
It’s a bit different for a governor who has drivers and security details and secretaries (of all kinds) and mansion staff, etc. to help smooth her life in Lt. Haley’s absence. Of course there is still the human element of a family separated, and the service that Lt. Haley has committed to which keeps their situation real and worthy of our thanks. But Nikki Haley’s year will not be the same as the year of the vast majority of other families experiencing deployment.
My military family members are all in the National Guard and Reserves. They have been through full training – they do not have politically appointed civilian positions. Some of them face financial hardships during deployment. One of them has been deployed several times to Iraq and Afghanistan. These veterans resent the hell out of Michael Haley being referred to as a soldier.
Is he really in the Military or not? Its pretty confusing, and if he is not, then he is not really being “deployed” but is accepting a position as a detailee. Af is no paradise, but if this is the case that he is a civilian employee, he is probably going under no force of law or oath. It all sounds odd and very “qausi/faux”.
Honestly, I was not really thinking about the financial hardships associated with a family member being deployed overseas. I was thinking more along the lines of the separation of the individual from his family which Mark referenced. Financially, it is a given that the Haleys will not have financial hardships while he is overseas but is that any reason to denigrate Mr. Haley’s service to our country? Also, I believe that Mr. Haley does serve in the National Guard or Reserves. He is also a civilian employee of the National Guard. This is a pretty common arrangement and does not result from his being married to the Governor. I believe his NG membership and employment pre-dated his wife’s election to the governorship.
He is going as a civilian, per The State.
Apparently he received a rare and coveted direct commission, which is apparently rarer in the Army.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Direct_commission_officer
I am not sure which of the “Highly Coveted Skills” Haley possessed when he was given this in 2006.
If he is going as a civilian, its not a deployment, and he can leave if he doesn’t like the conditions.
Now, I understood he was a diversity officer at Fort Jackson, and now is going to oversee an irrigation project?
It just doesn’t pass the smell test, much like Mark Sanford’s highly publicized adventure with the National Guard, which I am not sure he ever did any weekend duty or 2 weeks a year. Brad may know.
Oh, wow — that’s been so long. But I think I do recall the governor being away on duty at one point. I don’t know for how long, or how often.
I remember Sanford doing the basic officer school thing, but do you ever remember his office saying, “Mark Sanford will be on base this weekend, serving his monthly commitment”? I don’t. I am not saying he didn’t, but he made such a big deal of signing up, it would have seemed like he would trumpet that.
SC Barbecue has a pretty funny bit about Sanfords “service”. Ah, memories…
http://scbarbecue.blogspot.com/2008/04/vetting-mark-sanford.html
He ditched his security and went to Argentina. You think they knew if he was on base?
Kathryn, according to the article from The State showing up on my computer Haley is being deployed as a member of the South Carolina National Guard. WLTX is reporting the same thing on its website. Military or civilian, I can guarantee you this stay in Afghanistan is NOT going to be a vacation. I don’t get all this vitriol from some of you.
I know he was “off base” since he was rounding “Third Base” on the “Appalachian Trail”. I had forgotten how much fun this was.
Leon,
it is hardly vitriol. What is clear is that this is not clear. He is not the usual soldier getting a position in the usual ways. He is unusual just by the nature of his unusual ‘commission’. Not to mention his spouse was a legislator with some (albeit slight) ‘influence’ on the State Guard apparatus that gave him this unusual position in 2006. His position therefore is worthy of unusual scrutiny. As I said, it all feels very ‘quasi’, very faux. Not clear.
Words like “deployed” get thrown out, and you imagine him hitting the dirt in Tora Bora, not watching ditch diggers in Kabul. I think of deployment being a part of a military operation, one that is difficult, if not impossible to get out of, one that involves working in a military unit that you are morally, legally, and ethically bound to serve with, laying life on the line. If he is doing that, then it is fine for the Governor to use that word.
If, as it now appears, this is a job, one that he is detailed to, one that he can apparently walk away from if its unpleasant, then he should not get this ‘hero marching off to war’ treatment. Its an insult to the folks who do.