A debate over tobacco sales on military bases and ships is taking place between Congress and the Pentagon.

Politico reported that the move has come as a similar civilian attempt to curb smoking is taking place, with the move by CVS Pharmacy to stop selling products.

But critics have said that forcing military members to stop smoking, amid a concern of high smoking rates, is unfair to the men and women who are already sacrificing so much to protect their country.

The idea was first discussed in March, by Navy Secretary Ray Mabus, after Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel ordered a Defense Department-wide review of the issue, Politico reported.

In response to the review, Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-CA) said that it was an unfair move to target the military.

"It's not curbed for anybody else. Why pick out the folks who choose of their own accord to fight for their country and serve their country, and punish them?" Hunter told Politico. "Leave us the hell alone -- we're out here fighting for your freedom, and you're taking away ours."

Hagel defended the move by saying it was look at in relation to healthcare costs, according to Fox.

"The costs, health care costs, are astounding. Well over a billion dollars, just in the Department of Defense, on tobacco-related illness and health care," Hagel said. "Now, the dollars are one thing, but the health of your -- of your people, I don't know if you put a price tag on that. So I think it does need to be looked at and reviewed."

Hunter penned a letter strongly disagreeing with the idea and expressing that the Department of Defense was better off focusing on other priorities, rather than whether or not their military was using tobacco products.

He also said that the idea that the use of tobacco was not good for a person's health is a mirror of other traits of civilized society that are criticized. Similarly, the habits and skills that make the soldiers good at protecting the country, but cannot be used in society, are what make the military life so different.

But Mabus replied that the restriction of tobacco fit into the description of military requirements since soldiers need to be healthy and fit to perform, and tobacco is a known health hazard.