While senior military leaders continue to current defense officials have spent recent months warning their troops not to about mixing politics with their official duties military services, plenty of retired generals and admirals have taken defense officials are increasingly taking high profile roles on to the campaign trail to convince the American public how to vote this fall.

And Outside experts said the practice isn’t new or illegal, but some of the rhetoric they're employing this election season has taken military involvement in politics into a new, and uncomfortable level for some area.

"It's not just a matter of if they're saying things about the election, it's what they have said," said Peter Feaver, a professor of political science at Duke University who specializes in civil-military relations. "It's one thing to be offering critiques of positions, but we've also seen some wild and irresponsible statements this year too."

Their appearance on TV and at rallies moves may also be setting a confusing precedent for young troops. Last month, Defense Department officials again reminded those currently serving not to appear at political events, distribute campaign literature on behalf of a candidate or "use official authority or influence to interfere with an election."

But those prohibitions don't extend to veterans, even those who served in the highest levels of the military.

Last month, retired Army Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, former Defense Intelligence Agency director, was a featured speaker at the Republican convention. A week later, retired Marine Corps Gen. John Allen, who led U.S. forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, backed Democratic presidential nominee Clinton on the final night of the Democratic event. Both offered fiery speeches on behalf of their favored candidate, labeling them the only individual in the race fit to serve as commander in chief.

Retired Air Force Gen. Mike Hayden, a top military intelligence official for all of George W. Bush's presidency, and retired Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling, former commander of Army forces in Europe, both now work as consultants for cable news networks and have been regular commentators on the latest campaign news.

And notably, in a series of news appearances over the last week, retired Army Gen. Martin Dempsey, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, decried the practice of former military brass stepping into the political arena, advising that "politicians should take the advice of senior military leaders but keep them off the stage."

Dempsey is concerned this sends a ’s concerns centered on the possible message being sent that military defense leaders may follow politics rather than the military’s strict chain of command when it comes to making national security decisions.

But observers outside experts say veterans involvement in political races dates back to the earliest days of American history, when retired Continental Army Gen. George Washington became the country’s first president.

"I think [the public] likes to see those retired military officers stay involved in public service, because we don't want that expertise completely lost," said Barbara Perry, director of presidential studies at the University of Virginia's Miller Center. "The question becomes where is the line that you can't cross."

Perry said most of the retired military leaders she speaks with remain largely apolitical, more so than any other group of professionals who worked in presidential administrations. Individuals who take a strong post-service political stance, like Allen and Flynn, still seem to be the exception instead of the norm.

But Feaver notes that such partisan displays do happen every four years.

Retired Army Gen. Wesley Clark was a key figure throughout the 2004 campaign, both as a candidate, then as an advocate for Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry. In 2012, then Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney announced the endorsement of 500 retired generals and admirals.

"And after those generals endorsed Romney, the world didn't collapse," Feaver said. "The military still has a healthy relationship with civilian leadership today."

Feaver does worry, however, that Flynn and Allen have pushed the limits of expected behavior by former military leaders further than most.

At the Republican convention, for instance, Flynn lead chants of "lock her up!" from the stage while criticizing Clinton’s past handling of secure State Department emails. Following his convention, Allen publicly criticized Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, calling him as ignorant of military issues because the business mogul never served enlisted.  

"I think those are the kind of things that alarmed Dempsey, because there is an expectation among [veterans] that they will hold themselves to a higher standard," Feaver said.

Perry said she wonders if the current hyperpartisan political environment has added to the perceived unseemliness of having veterans play a featured role supporting any candidate.

"There may just be something about where we are now in our national politics that makes it feel distasteful when we see a former general stand up and get involved," she said. "It feels like there could be an erosion of the military and foreign policy as a true bipartisan point of agreement, as it has been in the past."

Such The concerns likely won’t die down in the months to come. Both major party campaigns have promised to make national security and veterans issues a focal point of their election arguments in the final three months leading to the November elections, and have already begun promising more retired military surrogates to sway voters.

Leo Shane III covers Congress, Veterans Affairs and the White House for Military Times. He can be reached at lshane@militarytimes.com.

Leo covers Congress, Veterans Affairs and the White House for Military Times. He has covered Washington, D.C. since 2004, focusing on military personnel and veterans policies. His work has earned numerous honors, including a 2009 Polk award, a 2010 National Headliner Award, the IAVA Leadership in Journalism award and the VFW News Media award.

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