They didn't say “Do not speak”, but they said they wanted e-mail confirmations that I was invited here. They wanted to know exactly what I was going to say.
In the past, I was told by higher-ups to go through with my real estate. No one expected me to be a success. Once I was, I was called in and told that I was going to be 5(f)'d, which is a dishonourable discharge, even though I was only trying to set myself up for success, because, quite frankly, there is no support net there. There are only question marks.