DaytonCIM's Journal: Explained to me again...

why these me are allowed to retire? Why aren't they facing a Courts Martial?

Army Surgeon General Kevin C. Kiley abruptly stepped down under pressure from military superiors, the third top Army official forced out in the fallout from revelations of shabby treatment of wounded soldiers at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

The Army said Monday that Lt. Gen. Kiley had submitted a request to retire over the weekend. Acting Army Secretary Pete Geren had asked Kiley for his retirement, said a senior defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk about the events.

Kiley's removal underscored how the controversy, which began with reports of dilapidated outpatient housing and a nightmarish bureaucracy at the Army's flagship hospital, has snowballed into a far broader problem for the Bush administration.

Acting Army Secretary Pete Geren has had his position for less than two weeks, having replaced Army Secretary Francis Harvey, who was dismissed March 2. Maj. Gen. George W. Weightman, who had been in charge of Walter Reed since August 2006, was ousted from his post the day before.

Politics

[HomelessInLaJolla]

Either they know something which could devastate the existing administration stories or else they have already signed their name to documents which played their part in mitigating any real damage which might result from the current situation. I bet on the latter--they've played nice and agreed not to blow the cover off and now they're being rewarded with retirement.

Tradition

[Marxist Hacker 42]

After a certain point in any career path, you're allowed to retire or resign gracefully rather than facing legal action. For the army, that's Generals. Of course, if you refuse to retire or resign when offered, THEN the legal action is sure to follow.