Gates again turns to Navy for Joint Chiefs, causes unease with the Army

[babylonsister]

Gates again turns to Navy for Joint Chiefs
The Defense secretary's pick causes unease especially with the Army, which is doing the bulk of the fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan.
By Peter Spiegel, Times Staff Writer
June 10, 2007

snip//

"There's no obvious reason a Navy guy would be put in charge of Centcom, or why we would have two sea service people replacing two other sea service people at the top of the Joint Chiefs," said Loren B. Thompson, an analyst at the Lexington Institute, a Virginia-based military think tank. "But the reality is that they seem to be able to work with big ideas and big political leaders better than the other services."

The decision has caused some consternation within the other services, particularly the Army, which is doing the bulk of the fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. There also have been grumblings within the Air Force, whose only current regional command is in North America.

One command coveted by the Air Force was the headquarters of what is generally regarded as the second-most difficult regional command: the Pacific. For that position, Gates once again turned to the Navy, tapping Adm. Timothy J. Keating.

Although four-star Army generals are the ground commanders in Iraq and Afghanistan, some Army advocates say that the service has been unfairly shortchanged because it was disparaged by former Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld as a hidebound organization unable to adjust to modern, expeditionary warfare.

Asked what accounted for the lack of Army officers in high-profile interservice, or "joint," commands, retired Army Gen. Barry R. McCaffrey said simply: "Rumsfeld bias."

more...

[BuyingThyme]

1. The intelligence community has stronger roots in the Navy

than in the Army.

[BlooInBloo]

2. I assumed it was just because the Navy'll have a more substantial role...

... in bombing the hell outta Iran.

[Dhalgren]

3. The Army, which is feeding the meat-grinder more than any other service,

may actually have some serious concerns regarding policies that kill-off its members. It is easier to get cooperation for murderous policies if the Chiefs don't have people directly in the spam... well, yet...

[BOSSHOG]

4. I see this as rather cyclical

I served in a joint command in the 90's. I was in the Navy, my boss was an Army General, I served with Air Force and Marine Corps personnel. It worked out great. Real great by the way, thanks to Operations Northern and Southern Watch around Iraq the WMD's were corralled.

There have been Army, Air Force and Marine Corps Generals as Chairman since the Navy had that spot.

THE LAST NAVY CJCS WAS ADMIRAL CROWE FROM 1985 TO 1989, 18 years ago. I fail to see the Army argument of being shortchanged. On the other hand who has not been shortchanged by bush?

[IChing]

5. " Never get involved in a land war in Asia" &

"Never go in against a Sicilian when death is on the line!"

Gates is a fool, he wanted Gen. Pace but was afraid to put him up for renomination
because it would bring up to many questions and played a political game
with our troops.


Gates is working member of
the Bush Crime Family.