science

Military expression

Military expression is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Military expression rather than just read about it. In short: Military expression is an area of military law pertaining to the United States military that relates to the free speech rights of its service members. While "military free speech" was the term used during the Vietnam War era, "military expression" has become a niche area of military law since 2001.

Key takeaways

Military expression belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Military expression to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Military expression from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Military expression is an area of military law pertaining to the United States military that relates to the free speech rights of its service members. While "military free speech" was the term used during the Vietnam War era, "military expression" has become a niche area of military law since 2001. Besides media references relating to specific cases, the term was used at military whistleblower committee hearings with members of the United States House of Representatives and Senate on May 14, 2008. Transcripts of the hearings show that attorney Mike Lebowitz was identified as testifying as a legal expert in "military expression". That hearing also included references by U.S. Representative Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX) who also referred to the area of law as "military expression".

Limitations on military expression While the civilian population of the United States is afforded the right to free expression under the First Amendment, the U.S. Supreme Court has affirmed the notion that service members have a reduced level of free speech. While the Court acknowledged that service members do have First Amendment rights, these rights are limited:

The armed forces depend on a command structure that at times must commit men to combat, not only hazarding their lives but ultimately involving the security of the Nation itself. Speech that is protected in the civil population may nonetheless undermine the effectiveness of response to command. If it does, it is constitutionally unprotected.

After September 11, 2001 With the advent of the Iraq War in 2003, the issue of military expression was again in the public eye as a relatively small number of service members and veterans began demonstrating. One case revolved around a former Marine (still under contract with the IRR) who was photographed by the Washington Post wearing a partial uniform during an anti-war demonstration in Washington, D.C. The individual faced disciplinary action for his participation in this demonstration, as well as for a politically charged email he sent to a Marine officer. However, in this case, the service member avoided the other than honorable discharge being sought by the military due to the First Amendment arguments posed on his behalf. That case, which was argued by attorney Mike Lebowitz in representation of anti-war and political activist Adam Kokesh, is regarded as the first military expression case of its kind to result generally favorably for the service member.

Effects of technology Political speech, to include being active in a political party, also has become an issue as the Internet and email permits easier participation despite rules against such activity.

See also First Amendment to the United States Constitution Dissent by military officers and enlisted personnel Iraq Veterans Against the War Kiel, John L. Jr., When Soldiers Speak Out: A Survey of Provisions Limiting Freedom of Speech in the Military" Parameters, U.S. Army War College Quarterly, Autumn 2007. [https://web.archive.org/web/20130522221753/http://strategicstudiesinstitute.army.mil/pubs/parameters/Articles/07autumn/kiel.pdf

References

Further reading Lombardi, Chris (2020). I Ain't Marching Anymore: Dissenters, Deserters, and Objectors to America's Wars. New York: The New Press. ISBN 978-1620973172.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Military expression

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Military expression claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Military expression before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Military expression ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Military expression

In research: Military expression appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Military expression in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Military expression is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics First Amendment to the United States Constitution, Freedom of expression, Military sociology, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Military expression outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Military expression in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Military expression means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Military expression out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Military expression in simple terms?

Why does Military expression matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Military expression?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Military expression.