Wellman’s critiques get to the crux of the problem I and many of my fellow veterans have with Carson and his “Brian Williams problem”. As a former soldier, I’m not particularly offended, just as I was never particularly offended by the NBC news anchor’s false claims of martial glory in Iraq. I don’t think Carson’s exaggeration devalues military service, and I don’t think he is claiming a service academy pedigree he doesn’t deserve.

I object because military service cemented integrity in my own values and Ben Carson is dishonest.

How does Carson plan, as president, to command the respect, much less the actions, of uniformed service members when it appears a healthy portion of his biography is utterly fabricated? Pressed on his West Point claims by CNN, he made a frustrated and laughable claim: that the media has scrutinized him more than it has President Obama or the Clintons. A guy with so little integrity, so little personal courage, has no business receiving the proverbial 3am phone call.