Military Tries To Avoid Being Used As McCain Political Prop

Military Tries To Avoid Being Used As McCain Political Prop

WASHINGTON -- Like it or not, the military finds itself in a highly visible, and often uncomfortable, role in a campaign season that features a decorated war hero as a presidential candidate.

On Tuesday night alone, the Republican National Convention was dominated by an emotional Iraq war video, testimonials by Medal of Honor winners about John McCain and tales of heroism by fallen Navy SEAL Michael A. Monsoor of Garden Grove.

However, public recognition of two of Monsoor's SEAL teammates by the speaker, Orson Swindle, a former prisoner of war and McCain's onetime cellmate, caused an awkward moment for the military brass in the Pentagon.

Navy officials said Wednesday that the two active-duty SEALs were not supposed to be identified and were singled out publicly by mistake.

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