Quote Originally Posted by wm
the notion that what one does in one's job comes with a set of ethical strictures that may be quite different than the rules one follows as a private citizen.
Yet it is argued in defense of military participation in the political process (i.e. voting) that soldiers are citizens first, and therefore "the rules one follows as a private citizen" ought to supercede the "ethical structures" in "one's job".

Quote Originally Posted by wm
A large number of contractors are former military members who choose to continue to serve in a way that is in keeping with the prior commitment to be apolitical while in uniform.
Yet those companies with which contractors are employed are not apolitical.

I think it is important for the purposes of this conversation to differentiate "political" and "partisan".