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| Obama May Opt For New Military Advisers: 4 Generals to Retire |
| 2010-10-19 |
| President Obama, who has clashed with the military top brass over war and gays, will soon have a chance to reshape the Joint Chiefs of Staff as he faces contentious decisions next year on withdrawing troops from Afghanistan and on ending some weapons systems. The admirals and generals who today make up the six Joint Chiefs were largely nurtured by Bush administration Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, who took a keen interest in finding and promoting officers who impressed him. Mr. Obama has had differences with some of them. The outgoing Marine Corps commandant, Gen. James Conway, for example, has openly questioned the White House's July 2011 deadline to start a troop withdrawal from Afghanistan. Mr. Obama and his top military adviser clashed privately over Afghanistan troop strength, a new book reveals. Next year, the president will have the opportunity to replace four of the six, unless he breaks with tradition and extends their tenures. The pending exits include the Joint Chiefs chairman, Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, whose term ends in September, and Marine Corps Gen. James Cartwright, the vice chairman, whose term ends in August. Also due to retire in 2011 are the heads of the Army, Gen. George Casey in April, and the Navy, Adm. Gary Roughead in September. Mr. Obama made his first appointment to the chiefs this summer when he nominated Gen. James Amos to replace Gen. Conway. |
| Posted by:Sherry |
| #10 If the current crop of flag-rank folk had any testicular fortitude, they'd pass the word - respectfully of course - that they didn't have any interest in a JCS slot under the current sad-a$$ excuse for a CinC. Of course, given nonsense like Casey's blathering about maintaining the Army's commitment to "diversity" after a Muslim terrorist with a Major's commission shot up a room full of soldiers, and Roughead's formation of a separate, accelerated "diversity track" for Navy officers of the correct hue, that's expecting a hell of a lot... |
| Posted by: Ricky bin Ricardo (Abu Babaloo) 2010-10-19 23:55 |
| #9 @KBK probably Rawhead Rex http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rawhead_Rex_%28film%29 an old celtic deamon that would not mind kicking butt /. |
| Posted by: linker 2010-10-19 23:52 |
| #8 Roughead Would that be Rough Head, Rouge Head, Rug Head, or Roo Geed? Inquiring minds want to know. |
| Posted by: KBK 2010-10-19 15:21 |
| #7 Interesting...well, I guess it boils down to whether Obama puts in someone good or a bunch of "reliable" nonentities. Hopefully our next GOP executive is less "gentlemanly" about removing deadwood than Dubya was. |
| Posted by: charger 2010-10-19 15:13 |
| #6 #5 ..However, appointments must be approved by the Senate. Promotions require the authorization of Congress. Exactly correct, but a perfunctory function at best. The danger in replacing all, by an incoming president is that it blatantly diminishes the role to that of political appointee. Some would opine we're there already. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2010-10-19 12:41 |
| #5 ..However, appointments must be approved by the Senate. Promotions require the authorization of Congress. It's a left over from the English lineage of the founding fathers that were a couple of the points of dispute between the King and Parliament that resulted in a little period known as the English Civil War. The King literally lost his head over the points. |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2010-10-19 12:32 |
| #4 These generals serve at the pleasure of the President and can be replaced at any time. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2010-10-19 11:34 |
| #3 Would Obama's successor be able to replace Obama's choices at will, or would (s)he have to wait for retirements? |
| Posted by: charger 2010-10-19 11:19 |
| #2 I read this as 4 Generals have had enough of Oblathers Bullshit. |
| Posted by: Redneck Jim 2010-10-19 11:18 |
| #1 There never is a shortage of "Yes" men in the military and I bet that is what Bambi will go for. |
| Posted by: DarthVader 2010-10-19 10:39 |