25

A member of the armed forces is not just a fighter or an implementer of operational techniques at the service of a thought process that is entirely alien to him or her. Beyond their unique closeness to death, the specificity of military personnel is that they must think of defence not only in the immediate but also for the long term, from the more concrete levels of tactical efficiency to the more elevated spheres of reflection. That is their social role in and for the nation. The expression of the opinions of military personnel concerning organic and strategic problems is not only legitimate but also necessary: the restrictions on their freedom of expression are the worst enemies of the defence of France. Much more than a duty of discretion, the military have a specific duty of expression.