Article

2008-02-09 International-UN-NGOs

Petraeus decided to stay in Baghdad Through the all

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Posted by Sherry 2008-02-09 12:35|| || Front Page|| [4 views ] Top

#1 Mods -- I don't know what happened on that Petraeus post --- I was trying to correct the capitalization on Fall (all in the title)and I pressed ENTER and off it went posting!

Here's the link or delete it and I'll post again.

So sorry

Posted by Sherry">Sherry 2008-02-09 12:40|| 2008-02-09 12:40|| Front Page Top

#2 Not a problem - link fixed.

Posted by lotp 2008-02-09 12:50|| 2008-02-09 12:50|| Front Page Top

#3 While units at the brigade level and below have an extraordinarily high operational tempo and endure constant combat stresses, the situation is different with large, well-staffed headquarter units. Despite this fact, all are on the same rotation schedule.

Like I said, some in the puzzle palace don't understand what being at WAR means. They try to impose a peacetime management [business as usual] system upon conducting war. In peacetime you rotate people through the commands trying to determine who'll be a good commander when the 'big' one comes. Guess what - when the big is in action, you don't continue that process when you find good people to do the work. It's not about 'career progression', its about winning the war.

Posted by Procopius2k 2008-02-09 13:34|| 2008-02-09 13:34|| Front Page Top

#4 Procopius2k and others -- question that comes to mind with all of this. I recently read somewhere that Petraeus was named/brought in/assigned/whatever it is to become the chairman/head/the anointed one/ of the council/concave/meeting that decides on the promotion of generals.

As you can tell from above, I know just enough to ask more questions!

Question is: has that happened yet? If so, what results (like Colonels versed in COIN or learning COIN) and if not, when? And just how much say does Petraeus have? I would think, he would nudge for those with COIN experience or getting that experience.

Posted by Sherry">Sherry 2008-02-09 14:30|| 2008-02-09 14:30|| Front Page Top

#5 Pres. Bush has just nominated 4 or 5 Army generals for additional stars. They include LTG Odierno to 4 stars, which would assign him as the Vice Chief of Staff, running the army's day to day operations, after he rotates out of Iraq. Critics hated how the 4th ID took a warlike posture in Iraq during his first tour, but his leadership under the surge has been excellent.

I forget who the other 3 or 4 nominations for additional stars were among the Army generals proposed by Petraeus' board.

Posted by lotp 2008-02-09 14:49|| 2008-02-09 14:49|| Front Page Top

#6 OK, one of them was LTG Martin Dempsey, who

has been nominated for promotion to four-star general and assignment as the commander of U.S. Army Europe. Dempsey currently is the deputy commander of U.S. Central Command and previously served two tours in Iraq as a senior commander.

Posted by lotp 2008-02-09 14:53|| 2008-02-09 14:53|| Front Page Top

#7 It's going to take more than one or two boards to start to clear the deck. People outside don't understand the influence and power that branch institutions have in all this. Before the American Army had a General Staff, everything was done by branch. Those branches are still powerful and self interested institutions. While the modern 'senior management' organizational wire diagram shows a typical business design, anyone who has been in the beasts know that 'informal' organizations and relationships have significant influence. Thus the 'heavies' [old school armor, mech infantry, artillery - read Europe] and the lights [airborne, airmobile, cavalry, aviation, et al] vie for funding, resources, manpower and doctrinal commitment of the schools and training centers. The civies outside the walls on occasion glimpse some of this in-fighting when it occurs as with Petraeus [and the non-select Colonels who did so well in Iraq]. Unfortunately, the people who should referee this stuff are 90% political appointees who don't understand the environment and who's time is consumed just responding to Congress and making the paperwork move. Technically, some heads should be proverbially slammed against the wall and some people need to be retired early. If you check back to previous 'affairs' a lot of officers were relieved or retired when the real thing [war] hit the fan. Lincoln was famous for replacing generals who failed to deliver and sent others off to some form of American Siberia who played politics. It's happened in America's following war experience though to today, in one form or another. Let's just hope the ones who need to be moved along are done so quickly and not the ones we need. Notice how many of those already tapped to move on have earned the dubious mantle of McClellan?

Posted by Procopius2k 2008-02-09 16:09|| 2008-02-09 16:09|| Front Page Top

23:49 Silentbrick
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