Secretary of Defense Mark Esper is requiring all all DoD personnel, including military, civilian and on-site contractors, to complete a course that refers to protestors and even journalists as “adversaries,” Politico reports. In defending the term, a Pentagon spokesperson went on to refer to protestors and journalists as a “threat.”
The “mandatory Pentagon training course” is “designed to teach Defense Department personnel how to better protect sensitive information,” namely leaks, Politico adds. The training must be completed in the next 60 days.
“The Department of Defense (DoD) remains committed to transparency to promote accountability and public trust. [However] unauthorized disclosures jeopardize our DoD personnel, operations, strategies and policies to the benefit of our adversaries,” Secretary Esper writes in a memo. Continue reading.