I agree with KJ.
The best policy is to make sure others don't really know what you think.

Originally Posted by KJ

-snip- ...this might very well come back to bite you in the arse.
Remember the fact that when you signed your contract you signed away alot of the rights civilians have.

Even if Mil Intel doesn´t get you openly for this all they need to do is to drop a hint to your future commanders about trouble about to happen and you will be paria.
I hope it doesn´t come to that, for your sake since you seem passionate about serving... --snip-

I had assumed ObjSRgtLw was "a.D.", i.e, "ex" service member.

IIRC if not, that really potentially could mean trouble (depending on how he signed the article, revealing his status or not, or at what time or from what location), as our German laws have set up a clear frame as far as personal political expression or activity is concerned (if it does not for any other reasons constitute an offense or crime under normal penal code, like "instigation of uproar" or similar stuff):

From "Soldatengesetz - SG" (the German law regarding the legal position of soldiers), emphasis by yours truly (Section 15 "Political Activity", added a rough tranlsation below the original in another quote, of cause, the original is the work of reference, my English is not nearly good enough):

§ 15 Politische Betätigung

(1) Im Dienst darf sich der Soldat nicht zu Gunsten oder zu Ungunsten einer bestimmten politischen Richtung betätigen. Das Recht des Soldaten, im Gespräch mit Kameraden seine eigene Meinung zu äußern, bleibt unberührt.

(2) Innerhalb der dienstlichen Unterkünfte und Anlagen findet während der Freizeit das Recht der freien Meinungsäußerung seine Schranken an den Grundregeln der Kameradschaft. Der Soldat hat sich so zu verhalten, dass die Gemeinsamkeit des Dienstes nicht ernstlich gestört wird.

Der Soldat darf insbesondere nicht als Werber für eine politische Gruppe wirken, indem er Ansprachen hält, Schriften verteilt oder als Vertreter einer politischen Organisation arbeitet. Die gegenseitige Achtung darf nicht gefährdet werden.

-snip-

----- BEGIN Translation -----

Section 15 "Political Activity"

(1) During service hours, the soldier may not act with regard to the benefit or detriment of a certain political idea or activity. The right of the soldiers to express his own opinion talking with his comrades remains unaffected.

(2) Inside service accommodation and facilities - outside service hours, i.e. during leisure time - the right to freedom of expression finds its limits in the basic rules of camaraderie. The soldier has to behave in a way that the commonality of service is not seriously disturbed.

Explicitly, the soldier may not act as advertiser for any particular political group by giving speeches, distributing pamphlets, or by acting as a representative of a political organization. Mutual respect must not be jeopardized.
-snip-

----- END Tranlsation -----

Additionally the following SG section 8 also is (even more) basic and interpretable in any way and influences in probable sanctions:

§ 8 Eintreten für die demokratische Grundordnung

Der Soldat muss die freiheitliche demokratische Grundordnung im Sinne des Grundgesetzes anerkennen und durch sein gesamtes Verhalten für ihre Erhaltung eintreten.

----- BEGIN Translation -----

Section 8: "Active Advocacy of the Basic Democratic Order"

The soldier must recognize the basic free democratic order as layed out by the constitution and actively advocate it´s preservation through his entire behavior.

----- END Tranlsation -----

So, trouble lurks at various corners (details for German readers, esp ObjSRgtLw, in the most cited "comments" in the APPENDIX (in Germany it is not the law alone, but rather the "comments" - the commonly accepted interpretation - that base juridical measure and decision), from my legal layman´s POV (but having gone through all this stuff, just from the other direction, when active I at least feel familiar enough to point out some potential troubles):

- wrintig such an article during service hours

- writing such an article insde service facitlities or using service facilities (comp, fax) for communication, on or off duty

- Some comments interpret the writing of an (signed revealing mil status of the author) article in a news paper in the context of uttering a political opinion or commenting on others political activity as "giving speeches".

- authoring opinion (again signed revealing the mil status of the author) in a paper that is actively followed by the MAD and other State Agencies for suspected anti democratical tendencies might be considered to collide with the "actively advocating democratic order through his entire behaviour" demand of the law.

The interpretation of those things - as someone already pointed out - of cause depends on the times in which they occur:

During the Cold War active Socialists (even founded a "Soldiers Union! ) had the problem of the MAD coming by every month (or more often) to check on their "actively advocating democracy" ("Socialist" sounds so much like "Communist"..., and we know *this* bunch, don´t we? ), today - after the re-unification, it is the far right conservative wing that is under scruitiny as some Nazi nutheads actually made it into the service following an elaborated strategy by their leaders/mentors, and within the volunteers of the last decade the tendency to extreme right wing views ("we have nothing aginst Jews, just gas! Hahaha...!") is rising.

Rattler

----- APENDIX (German): Currently most cited comment to the SG Sections 8 - 15 -----

- Soldatengesetz Kommentar von Frank Weniger, Gudrun Schattschneider (citing many more comments): http://books.google.es/books?id=ECQL...et%C3%A4tigung ff. (scroll various chapters)

Urteile (sentences):

http://www.deutsches-wehrrecht.de/Po...etaetigung.pdf

http://www.servat.unibe.ch/dfr/bv028036.html

Ok, I doubt there is need to read the full law to this young man.
A bit of friendly advice might have been what was needed.

Furthermore, assumptions are for the Air Force. Uhmm, yeah..

AD means Active Duty so I dunno how it can be confused with "ex" anything..

I just hope it turns out well for him.

That is all.
//KJ.

Originally Posted by the_13th_redneck

Like I said, the military should take a 2 week vacation. And I mean everyone.

Now there´s an idea.
That´d make some people rather nervous I can imagine.haha

I'm very aware of the basic laws and regulations of my military, that's why I became officer right ,).
I did not break any of the named rules and if you read my article carefully you will see that it doesn't. Nice that you care so much about me but I'm very aware of the German rules and I did think about that a good while before I posted it to the newspaper- if what I wrote is against any laws I'm probably living in the wrong coutnry anyways, but since it isn't I will stay a while longer . You are invited to tell me how my formulations go against any German law and I may argue against you, anyways I'm always very carefull what and how I put things into the web, since my country provides every citizen with great liberal freedoms I'm willing to use them, I'm also part of a political party (JU) and that isn't against any laws- to the contrary, soldiers as "citizens in uniform" as Germany uses to put it are encouraged to be political active as long as it doesn't interfere with basic democratic rights. One of our Captains at the university is an assemblyman in is private life, there just has to be a separation of military and private life- as Lieutenant I would never make advertisement for a party or take sides...
Thanks for your concerns

Originally Posted by KJ

-snip- AD means Active Duty so I dunno how it can be confused with "ex" anything.. -snip-
//KJ.

In German "a.D." is the equivalent to the US "ret."

Rattler

Originally Posted by ObjSRgtLw

I'm very aware of the basic laws and regulations of my military, that's why I became officer right ,).
I did not break any of the named rules and if you read my article carefully you will see that it doesn't. Nice that you care so much about me but I'm very aware of the German rules and I did think about that a good while before I posted it to the newspaper- if what I wrote is against any laws I'm probably living in the wrong coutnry anyways, but since it isn't I will stay a while longer . You are invited to tell me how my formulations go against any German law and I may argue against you, anyways I'm always very carefull what and how I put things into the web, since my country provides every citizen with great liberal freedoms I'm willing to use them, I'm also part of a political party (JU) and that isn't against any laws- to the contrary, soldiers as "citizens in uniform" as Germany uses to put it are encouraged to be political active as long as it doesn't interfere with basic democratic rights. One of our Captains at the university is an assemblyman in is private life, there just has to be a separation of military and private life- as Lieutenant I would never make advertisement for a party or take sides...
Thanks for your concerns

Really was out of concern only, did not mean to say you broke any of aid rules, sorry if I came over patronizing.

Rattler

Originally Posted by rattler

Really was out of concern only, did not mean to say you broke any of aid rules, sorry if I came over patronizing.

Rattler

I really took your posts as such- it May be though that my post suggested anything else- if that is so I must apologize.
And you are right: a.D. means "außer Dienst" = retired/off duty (in German),
but since this forum is english only it is in fact active duty for me