Forcing the leader of the South Carolina National Guard to raise campaign money is inherently corrupt, as Cindi Ross Scoppe said in a recent column.

In 1998, when I ran against Stan Spears for the adjutant general’s job, he lent his campaign $175,000. I raised $15,000, much of it from family. My very smart wife refused to let me borrow any money for the campaign. I turned away the offered contributions of many Guardsmen in order to not taint my candidacy.

In the last election, Stan Spears borrowed $240,000 — of which $160,000 remained unpaid as of January.

How did the commander of the South Carolina National Guard pay off his 1998 loan? And how is he paying off the 2002 loan? He and “The Patriots Club” continuously nickle and dime subordinate Guardsmen to pay off the debts. I believe his requests for contributions are subtly coercive.

His campaign contribution lists read like a Who’s Who of the S.C. Guard. Were those soldiers and airmen promoted as a result of their contributions? No, not directly. Promotions are made by promotion boards, made up of several officers. While Mr. Spears never said, “Promote these officers,” he influenced which officers were selected for command. Command is a must for selection to higher rank.

Obviously, it is imperative that only our most competent military leaders be selected for command. When our men and women are fighting in the next conflict, I want them to know they are being led into battle by the best leaders we can give them. It just doesn’t cut it that they may be led into harm’s way by someone selected for command based on making a contribution to an adjutant general’s political campaign.

I could not agree more with editorials in The State that argue we should support Gov. Mark Sanford’s request for state government reorganization. Part of the governor’s proposed change would make the adjutant general’s position appointed, with the advice and consent of the Senate.

However, I disagree with the newspaper’s position that a potential appointee needs to be a current or retired member of the Guard with at least 15 years service in the S.C. National Guard. If this was a requirement, Gens. Norman Schwarzkopf, Dwight Eisenhower or George Washington would not be qualified to command the S.C. Guard.

Furthermore, as the S.C. Guard is the transcendent good ol’ boys club, do you think it wise to require 15-year membership in the club as a prerequisite to lead it? The chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is rotated, generally every four years. The new ideas generated by the change keep our federal troops sharp, lean and on edge. I think the S.C. Guard would benefit by change as well.

Readers should support Gov. Sanford’s gutsy call for state government reorganization. I hope, however, that the call for an adjutant general to have 15 years of service in the S.C. Guard would be left out of the law.

Mr. Burton, a 1998 candidate for adjutant general, is a lieutenant colonel in the Air Force Reserve. He commanded the 405th Air Expeditionary Group at Thumrait, Oman, and was recently awarded the Bronze Star.