Ronny Jackson lied about being an admiral?

| March 7, 2024

Most readers here will be familiar with Congressman Ronny Jackson (R-TX). Before he was elected to Congress in 2020 he was the 1st Chief Medical Advisor to the President (Trump), was Physician to the President (Obama and Trump), and worked in the White House medical office since the mid-2000s (GW Bush and Obama).

As a Naval officer, he saw service in Iraq, where he was a trauma surgeon. In July 2016, he was promoted under the Obama Administration to the rank of Rear Admiral (lower half), as can be seen in the above photo. He was nominated for two-star rank in 2018, but his nomination was twice returned to President Trump by the Senate without action.

This stemmed from a report that he had engaged in a years-long hostile work environment. It also coincided with Jackson’s reports on Trump’s physical and mental health for the office of President, with Jackson popularly seen as something of a Trump sycophant. The man who had worked in three White Houses and been the chief physician for two (in two different parties) had his medical opinion questioned by Democrats and the media. It’s suspicious to me that complaints from several years prior (2013-2014) suddenly returned to the fore, particularly as Trump also nominated Jackson to head the VA around this time (meaning he was even more closely aligned with Trump politically).

Anywho, Jackson decided he didn’t want to be VA Secretary if they didn’t want him, retired from the Navy as a O-7, ran for Congress, and is now in the People’s House. He repeatedly refers to himself in political and biographical materials “As a retired U.S. Navy Rear Admiral.” This, just today, with a report from the Washington Post has led to accusations that he’s a liar. Is he an admiral or not?

As breaking news, we have none of the particulars at this point, but have received numerous tips and questions from loyal readers. Here’s what we think we know so far;

  • The Navy conducted an OIG investigation after Jackson retired.
  • The results of that investigation substantiated complaints, and ultimately in the summer of 2022 the Navy demoted Jackson to captain on the retired list.
  • Jackson is currently listed as a retired “Captain” and is receiving pay and benefits accordingly

The accusations now are, is he a “retired rear admiral” or not? He technically “retired as a rear admiral”, but at the same time is also not “a retired rear admiral.” In the politics game, it’s often all about those semantics. You might remember we talked about Minnesota Governor Tim Walz facing similar accusations. He retired as a career enlisted soldier of the MN National Guard. At the time he retired he was a command sergeant major. He elected to retire instead of joining his men on a trip to the sunny, sandy environs of ~2005 Iraq. Since he had yet to attend the Sergeants Major Academy, he reverted to his permanent rank of master sergeant in retirement. As with Jackson, Walz lays claim to having retired “as a” command sergeant major, but he is not on the retired list as such. Is that stolen valor of some shade? Arguments could be made either way. Likely depending on how you feel about these men personally, professionally, or politically.

Category: Breaking News, Navy, Politics, Stolen Valor

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KoB

“Depends of what the meaning of the word “is” is.” Slick BJ Willy. It’s what politicians of ALL stripes do. Damn shame, but that’s the way it “is”…and always has been.

Now, has the doc embellished what he did, was, or “is”? Odd that the Kongress Kritters didn’t promote him when he was submitted in ’18. But we remember that the Deep State Kritters of BOTH parties were doing what all they could to impede anything that Trump tried to do. Was that why the VA appointment was turned down? Instead of a Paul Ryan, we coulda used a Jack Ryan. And right about now we could use a pissed off Wide Body Driver.

YMMV

fm2176

Given his status as a politician who is both well-known and controversial, he should simply embrace the “Retired Captain” title. Currently, his bio states the following: “In December 2019, after 25 years of distinguished service to his country, Dr. Jackson retired from the United States Navy as a Rear Admiral.” (Biography | Congressman Ronny Jackson (house.gov)). If he feels like he was given the shaft post-retirement, perhaps word it something like this: “After 25 years of distinguished service to his country, including three years of service as a Rear Admiral, Dr. Jackson retired from the United States Navy at the rank of Captain.

Jackson served at the higher permanent rank, having met all requirements, before retiring as an O-7 and demoted nearly three years later. Waltz served at a higher temporary rank and never met the qualifications to be permanently promoted.

5JC

He did retire as an admiral. Then, footnote he was subsequently demoted.

I would say we now live in a world where people are persecuted because of their political beliefs by the legal justice system. If the former president of the United States can be made to pay 83 million dollars to a woman who accused him of something that she can’t remember where it was or when it was that it actually happened, or even really what happened The Justice system has failed us and it’s no longer working. And based upon how our world works right now, I would say the same thing probably happened to this guy.

Since he achieved flag rank which is very unusual I don’t think he wants to be seen as a victim. But that is the reality of what happened.

Take note, you could be next.

MarineDad61
MCPO USN

Not. I met Ronny Jackson in 2006. He was a straight shooter who told it like it was, and people without intestinal fortitude didn’t like it.

Odd that the Biden-Obama2 White House had the Pentagon find him guilty and demoted AFTER RETIREMENT.

MarineDad61

Throw me the red thumbs down all you want.
This is what the article says….

(paste) Former White House physician Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-TX)
was quietly demoted by the Navy in July 2022
after a Pentagon inspector general’s report substantiated
allegations of “inappropriate conduct” and bullying of staff,
according to The Washington Post.

Citing a current defense official and a former U.S. official,
the Post reports that the previously unreported demotion
lowered Jackson to the rank of captain instead of rear admiral.

However, he still describes himself as a retired “rear admiral”
on his congressional website,
and is publicly referred to as such by his Republican allies,
including Donald Trump.
Jackson has not yet commented on the demotion.
A Navy spokesperson was quoted saying the “substantiated allegations” against Jackson—bullying subordinates, “fostering a negative work environment,”
and using alcohol inappropriately—“
are not in keeping with the standards the Navy requires of its leaders and, as such, the Secretary of the Navy took administrative action in July 2022.”
(end paste)

Is any of this false?
Or…
Is it all true?

MarineDad61

In defense of Trump….

He NEVER called Teddy Daniels a “war hero” or a “good friend”.
That is Teddy Daniels using AI FAKE Donald Trump voice,
to fake tout himself with lies.

Teddy Daniels also uses the phrase “tell it like it is”.

He’s the poster boy for those who use the phrase
to further LIE about himself, LIE about others,
and LIE about not only current events,
but his fearmongering and Rapture claims in Sponsored Ads
on Tikkety Tok, the Tube of You, and the Book of the Fake.

There you go.
MarineDad61 is “telling it like it is”.

Last edited 6 months ago by MarineDad61
MarineDad61

Speaking of fake….
Look what else now appears to be fake, only days ago.

A 2x Trump Rally NO SHOW
at nearby February 2024 South Carolina Trump rallies,
and he gets this?

Teddy-FB-1
MarineDad61

Double fake….?
Look who else posts the same “thank you” letter …
Convicted felon forger,
civilian CEO of green sign unofficial
Veterans for Trump / Veterans for America First
Stan Fitzgerald.

Triple fake?
VFT-SC VP Robert Cornicelli,
ALSO a 2x Trump Rally NO SHOW,
put up a signed thank you letter
and autographed ballcap post.

X-Stan-2
SFC D

I’m not defending Teddy, far from it. But I’m sure that for a reasonable donation, you too could have a hat just like it. I wouldn’t put much stock in an autographed hat.

MarineDad61

SFC D,
Agreed on the ballcaps.

But these (3) supposedly signed letters?

To a known convicted forger (Stan),
and also to a guy (Teddy) who put up
4 “medals certificates” March 2023,
and only 1 of the 4 pans out as verified?

NOTE – Cohort Chad Caton,
who went to the 1st SC Trump Rally,
and stormed out after 2 county GOP Committee members were called out by name and thanked by Trump,
then blew off the 2nd Trump rally,
is NOT parading around a thank you letter
like these other 3 are now doing.

Last edited 6 months ago by MarineDad61
Green Thumb

Don’t really have an opinion about the man one way or another.

But he knew better. Had to. If not, he needed to go.

2banana

The DD-214 SAYS WHAT?

5JC

RADM/ O-7

SgtM

That settles it for me.

Odie

Agreed.

MustangCryppie

RDML.

JustALurkinAround

I’ll withhold comment until Dick Blumenthal, (D-CT, Vietnam-times) weighs in on this important issue.

Skivvy Stacker

A lot of folks up here in Minnesota look at Goobernor Waltz not as SGTMAJ, but more as Private Snafu.

jeff LPH 3 63-66

Hopefully they won’t punish the Doc by making him the Admiral of the vessels, in the ships scullery….

rgr769

Well, of course the Deep state had to go after him. He had the audacity to question Brandon’s mental fitness. And he has been a staunch supporter of Trump. And he did retire as an admiral.

Charles

The Washington Post is a blatant leftist publication/website that promotes only the Democrat party and its policies. You can read the bias if you receive their email headlines (as I do) but are presented with a pay wall to read the article.
Hint: Receive the headlines via Microsoft Edge, click the articles you want to read as “open in a separate tab,” then go to that tab and link “open as Internet Explorer tab” and proceed to read the article.
Yes, they are not too bright, but then, they are Democrats, so I repeat myself.

rgr769

That paper is also a propaganda arm of the deep state like the New Yawk Slimes.

JustALurkinAround

This has nothing to do with the thread.

I’m listening to Pink Floyd The Endless River.

Man, it’s good.

TAH/VG should consider a gathering of commenters.

BennSue

Your retirement rank is the rank that you currently honorably hold, as designated by the DoD. Anything else is at worst stolen valor and at best an outright lie.

5JC

Who might you be?

President Elect Toxic Deplorable Racist SAH Neande

Kommisar? Is that you?

OAM

Your retirement rank is the rank you held upon retirement, as listed on your DD214.

Old tanker

The question I have is this. What did the ORIGINAL orders to retired status identify both of those individuals as. If they said Admiral and Command Sgt Major, then “technically” IMO they are not incorrect in claiming it.

However the following orders would end up having the most credence given post retirement actions by the respective services.

SFC D

I would doubt that any retirement orders would read “Command Sergeant Major”, as that is a duty position. Same-same as a 1SG’s retirement orders would read “Master Sergeant”. Concur that any post-retirement orders regarding rank would be the most accurate.

5JC

Or Platoon Sergeant.

Dwight M

I have a few observations. Obama promoted Jackson under 10 USC 601, which was an elective decision (not required by that position, and meant he didn’t go through a promotion board). So it’s interesting that he flourished (for a time) under presidents of both parties, despite pretty clear evidence that he openly mistreated subordinates (read about the screaming and red-faced rage in the IG report, which was well documented–some of the medical folks reported they’d never seen anything like it in their entire careers). Believe that his nomination to the VA triggered the IG investigation because the committee balked when they started investigating Jackson, and then referred the matter to the IG.

Another observation is that retroactive grade reductions under 10 USC 1370(a) are expressly cited in DoD policy (DODI 1348.33, Sec. 8) as meeting the threshold for less than honorable service required to revoke military awards. That means that SecNav could have (and arguably should have) also revoked any of Jackson’s service or achievement medals tainted by that period of service, since honorable service is a baseline prerequisite for a service medal.

Dwight M

Another wrinkle is that Jackson sponsored the Stop Cancel Culture from Degrading Honor Act in 2021, which was a politicized response to Sen. Warren’s Remove the Stain Act that sought to revoke MoHs awarded after the WK massacre of 1890 (and was removed in conference by SASC over separation of powers issues). See https://jackson.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=154 Anyway, Jackson’s bill died in committee, but it’s interesting that he was under investigation and pending potential award revocation at the same time he was sponsoring legislation to potentially curb this. His predecessor on this issue, Rep. Duncan Hunter, tried to add amendments to at least three defense bills from around 2015 to 2017 to prohibit award revocation (in that case for MAJ Mat Golsteyn, who had his SSM and upgrade to DSC revoked by SecArmy McHugh after he admitted to killing an unarmed detainee in a CIA interview, and later on Fox News). Hunter also acknowledged actions that could have resulted in military prosecution and award revocation, although ultimately was brought down by campaign finance violations.

Dwight M

Also notable that he’s used the “rear admiral” rank in the present tense many times, so this cannot be explained away by semantics. His Twitter page says he’s a rear admiral: Ronny Jackson (@RonnyJacksonTX) / X (twitter.com). His current “veteran” page on his website says he’s a retired rear admiral, not that he previously retired as a rear admiral. Page | Congressman Ronny Jackson (house.gov)

Some of his press releases since his demotion also claim he’s presently a retired rear admiral:

Rep. Jackson Secures Victories for TX-13’s Defense Interests, Servicemembers Impacted by COVID Vaccine Mandate | Congressman Ronny Jackson (house.gov)

Reps. Jackson and Dunn Introduce Legislation to Undo Biden’s Unfair Treatment of Our Servicemembers | Congressman Ronny Jackson (house.gov)

Welcome aboard Dwight. You’ll notice I’ve edited your name- there are very good reasons for this. Please make any future comments with a more anonymous tag. There also is a link-limit filter that kicks the offending comment into Mod Jail.
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