How the Army could end Vindman's career without an investigation

(Image credit: Sarah Silbiger/Getty Images)

published 12 February 2020

The Army is not investigating Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman for testifying during the House impeachment inquiry despite President Trump's wishes. But an anonymous retired senior Army officer told The Daily Beast that doesn't necessarily meant the coast is clear for the Purple Heart recipient.

For starters, the Army could always change its mind and wind up launching an investigation into whether his testimony was appropriate. But there's also a chance his career may hit a wall. If Vindman is denied a promotion to colonel by the next Army promotions board, that means his service is up, per The Daily Beast. The retired officer said bias can easily "creep into" those discussions, and it could just take one person who has "an issue with his testimony to tank his promotion possibility."

And even though his position is safe at the moment, no one in a position of leadership in the Army has spoken up on Vindman's behalf, either, which the officer finds troubling. "It smacks of craven careerism that has permeated the ranks of our senior corps officers," he told The Daily Beast. "It's definitely dishonorable when public accountability and public ethics are so in question that those people whose careers are built on alleged public ethics and accountability are not present." Read more at The Daily Beast.

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Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.

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