bulldogg
Milforum's Bouncer
NO, he had the brains not to accept it. See my post above.
Rumsfeld Stepping Down
NO, he had the brains not to accept it. See my post above.
Team Infidel
Forum Spin Doctor
I can really see in this thread who knows whats really going on and who doesn't. I would pay attention to a few of the folks that have been doing this job for a few years and those that have been deployed.
Time for the kids to read and learn about global politics.
For those that want to learn about Gates
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Gates
Time for the kids to read and learn about global politics.
For those that want to learn about Gates
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Gates
istealfreefood
Active member
Im glad that he is finally resigning. That should have happened a long time ago. He handled Iraq horrible. He had no idea what to really do after defeating the Iraqi Army. I hope that the new guy can do good over there. Either he needs to find a way to exit without causing a big disturbance and civil war, or he needs to send more men over there to take care of the situation and establish order.
Senior Chief
Banned
The problem is that the SECDEF is only a link in the Chain. He won't be making that many decisions that will have an impact on what goes on over there IMO.
The ground generals should be getting their heads together and forming a plan for getting the job done and submitting it up the chain. I hate to pick on our general officers, but if there is a failure in strategy and planning it seems that is the place you start. Maybe we need to bring back Norman Schwartzkoph!
bulldogg
Milforum's Bouncer
Have you read Norman's book? He'd never come back he soured on the DC bull:cen: with President Bush Sr publicly declaring he had given the general all the time and resources he required while privately hounding him to DO IT NOW!!! Colin Powell spent his days as a condom between the two of them... nah, Gen. Schwartzkopf is too smart to step back into the pig pen.
The problem, as I see it, is that the mandatory lobotomy for promotion beyond 0-5 is far too effective and coupled with appointing civilians in the DOD who know SFA about the military and the related arts.
We need warriors not politicians. But the prevailing PC culture will bugger that in the womb as the armchair generals demand zero defects on shoe-string budgets so they can keep their welfare check coming till Uncle-Daddy gets outta Folsom. Imagine what would happen to Patton, Butler or Ridgeway in the current culture?
Warriors are different from the rest of the human species and as such need to be left alone so they can flourish. There is a great truth in the adage of letting loose the dogs of war and letting them do their job unimpeded. You cannot expect a warrior to comform to the constraints of polite society. To do so is to invite disaster. Civilians do not understand combat and as such once they decide to go to war the civilians, one and all, should then sit back and STFU and let those who bleed in their stead do their damn job.
The problem, as I see it, is that the mandatory lobotomy for promotion beyond 0-5 is far too effective and coupled with appointing civilians in the DOD who know SFA about the military and the related arts.
We need warriors not politicians. But the prevailing PC culture will bugger that in the womb as the armchair generals demand zero defects on shoe-string budgets so they can keep their welfare check coming till Uncle-Daddy gets outta Folsom. Imagine what would happen to Patton, Butler or Ridgeway in the current culture?
Warriors are different from the rest of the human species and as such need to be left alone so they can flourish. There is a great truth in the adage of letting loose the dogs of war and letting them do their job unimpeded. You cannot expect a warrior to comform to the constraints of polite society. To do so is to invite disaster. Civilians do not understand combat and as such once they decide to go to war the civilians, one and all, should then sit back and STFU and let those who bleed in their stead do their damn job.
Senior Chief
Banned
Boy are you going to be drunk when everyone pays off on buying you the beer you deserve!!
:thumb:
Team Infidel
Forum Spin Doctor
I already have a fridge full of it waiting for him when he gets back.
Senior Chief
Banned
It might depend on your situation. I'm retired, I can do as I please.
I work with about 25 former military officers. I call them Bill, Casey, Brian, Jamie, and Laura, which is really good as their names are Jimmy, David, George, Mike, and Wanda!!
I have found that officers get drunk and obnoxious just as much as enlisted do, maybe moreso!
Donkey
Active member
Yes, but what about the Civilians that provides the tools for the said warrior to use??????
Not knocking what you are saying in anyway...But I'm going to say it the world would be nowhere with out Engineers and Scientists....
bulldogg
Milforum's Bouncer
I don't see the conflict Donkey. Can you connect the dots for me and illustrate what you see in my rant? The focus of what I said is in regards to management of the military by civilian authority and the armchair generals who like to deconstruct every bump in the road as reported to them by CNN.
Team Infidel
Forum Spin Doctor
Team Infidel
Forum Spin Doctor
of course...
It wont make one dang bit of difference as long as the 1,2,3 and 4 stars are a bunch of politician wanna-be's. Rummy took the fall, in my book the Generals are the ones putting my ass on the line and I did not like what I saw.
So now they are talking "troop reduction." Do you think that also means that there will be less missions? The answer is NO, there will be the same amount of mission, but now with less boots on the ground, so the poor bastards still there will be working double time, as if they are not already.
So now they are talking "troop reduction." Do you think that also means that there will be less missions? The answer is NO, there will be the same amount of mission, but now with less boots on the ground, so the poor bastards still there will be working double time, as if they are not already.
Donkey
Active member
And the people that flick a light switch thinking the power just magically appears, drive a truck and ***** about the battery location, that don’t fully understand what is going on because they do not look at the big picture only the one part that they see as wrong. Not looking at the entire system functionality, the fact that someone probably took your bitching into consideration but then they knew they had to sacrifice for the wiring, gauges, sensors, and entire system functioning in the most cost effective way.
I was not conflicting your statement just adding to it that for if there was only warriors we would still be wearing loin clothes throwing rocks at each other....
On a Rumsfeld note:
Rumsfeld shaking hands in '83
Last edited:
Big_Z
MilForum Recon
Maybe Gates will make a good SECDEF. After the Rumsfeld ordeal I bet he gives the Generals everything they want to complete the mission in Iraq. I would imagine that he would have more of a unconventional mindset considering he is from the CIA. That could work wonders in this unconventional war we are fighting....