John Kerry has made his Presidential platform almost exclusively about his combat leadership in Vietnam and what that says of his character. And while charges are flying back and forth about his actual conduct and the way it was represented by him for the sake of military decorations, to my mind all this misses the point about leadership.

In Vietnam, there were two relatively easy ways out of the combat theater before one’s year-long tour of duty was up. The first was to get a “million dollar wound” – an injury that was serious enough that one would not be sent back into the field but at the same time one was not disfigured or crippled for life (many of these were self-inflicted). The second was to take advantage of a rule that some units had which was to give any three-time purple heart recipient a free pass home – if desired. It was this misguided rule that Kerry took advantage of – along with others. Many other combat leaders (thankfully) insisted on finishing out their tour of duty with their men regardless – especially if their wounds were as superficial as Kerry’s.

If Kerry wants his campaign to rest on the character exhibited by his Vietnam service it seems to me it is fair game to weigh what that means for a combat leader who took the first possible chance to get out – after only four months – on a technicality (whether or not it was come by through spurious means). I would offer that a combat leader in perfect physical condition who leaves his men to fight on after four months is not much of a combat leader.

That should be the issue of character in question – not Kerry’s personal bravery. This debate should be about leadership qualities – not fighting qualities or valor. After all, we’re not sending Kerry or Bush out to do individual battle with foreign leaders and test his martial skills. Perhaps he was valorous in combat – in fact, I bet he was. And, he was there in the first place – which is to be admired and respected.

Even so, Kerry, along with thousands of others, gamee a very gamable system in the most opportunistic way (see the brilliant Josiah Bunting novel “The Lionheads” for a complete indictment of that awful system). Kerry had a chance to make one big decision that spoke squarely to his priorities and qualities as a leader – and on that score he failed.