Posted on 11/19/2012 6:19:40 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
Then-defense secretary Robert M. Gates stopped bagging his leaves when he moved into a small Washington military enclave in 2007. His next-door neighbor was Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the time, who had a chef, a personal valet and — not lost on Gates — troops to tend his property.
Gates may have been the civilian leader of the world’s largest military, but his position did not come with household staff. So, he often joked, he disposed of his leaves by blowing them onto the chairman’s lawn.
“I was often jealous because he had four enlisted people helping him all the time,” Gates said in response to a question after a speech Thursday. He wryly complained to his wife that “Mullen’s got guys over there who are fixing meals for him, and I’m shoving something into the microwave. And I’m his boss.”
Of the many facts that have come to light in the scandal involving former CIA director David H. Petraeus, among the most curious was that during his days as a four-star general, he was once escorted by 28 police motorcycles as he traveled from his Central Command headquarters in Tampa to socialite Jill Kelley’s mansion. Although most of his trips did not involve a presidential-size convoy, the scandal has prompted new scrutiny of the imperial trappings that come with a senior general’s lifestyle...
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
Would you rather the General be bagging his own leaves or keeping our troops alive?
I seriously doubt Gates did any yard work.
I’ve never seen an O-5 do his own yardwork, much less a general or a cabinet officer.
How about punishing Obozo and wife for their lifestyles?
I hate it that we put civilian appointees over our military. Most are not even veterans, nor have most ever even shown a glimmer of patriotism. One disaster currently in the making is that Obambi is going to make John Kerry Secretary of the Navy. There isn’t a less deserving candidate in the country. It was a Senate committee led by Kerry and John McCain that shut down any hope of ever bringing our POWs home. They listened to testimony of viable sightings of POWs but discredited anything the POW families had to say. It was disgraceful to watch, and to think that John McCain who had be a POW himself would turn his back on those we left behind. But now this, to put a military-hater like Kerry in charge of our Navy makes me sick. He will do everything in his power to destroy our Navy.
I hate it that we put civilian appointees over our military. Most are not even veterans, nor have most ever even shown a glimmer of patriotism. One disaster currently in the making is that Obambi is going to make John Kerry Secretary of the Navy. There isn’t a less deserving candidate in the country. It was a Senate committee led by Kerry and John McCain that shut down any hope of ever bringing our POWs home. They listened to testimony of viable sightings of POWs but discredited anything the POW families had to say. It was disgraceful to watch, and to think that John McCain who had be a POW himself would turn his back on those we left behind. But now this, to put a military-hater like Kerry in charge of our Navy makes me sick. He will do everything in his power to destroy our Navy.
Yeah, having those civilians in charge sure is a pain. Without them, we could have had one helluva a junta long ago.
Obviously I am being sarcastic..and I appreciate your point. But civilian leadership is a keystone to our national existence.
I am fairly certain that the Founding Fathers wanted the military under civilian control. Secondly, Sen. Kerry is being considered for Secretary of Defense, not Secretary of the Navy, as I recall.
As Sec of Defense, Gates could easily afford to have someone take care of his lawn, and so can a Four Star general. There is no reason enlisted men should have been tending to some General's personal needs at home off base.
If one of my former bosses had been calling out people from the company, on company time, to do his house keeping chores for him, they would have had their asses fired, and rightly so.
I doubt he bagged his own leaves either. I had the displeasure of shaking his hand once.........dead fish, or "princess shake" comes to mind.
It made my skin crawl. Shake my hand and look me in the eye like a man d#mn#t.
The current SECNAV kind of sucks, naming ships after these “progressive” civil rights leaders and, Gabby Giffords (not to discount what she went thru, but my goodness, what about the medal of honor winnerrs?). Mabus is terrible. I don’t see how Kerry could be worse as SECNAV.
The current SECNAV kind of sucks, naming ships after these “progressive” civil rights leaders and, Gabby Giffords (not to discount what she went thru, but my goodness, what about the medal of honor winnerrs?). Mabus is terrible. I don’t see how Kerry could be worse as SECNAV.
You sure about that? You should check the Constitution before you decide.
But civilian leadership is a keystone to our national existence....<<
I believe that like I think Blacks should never be Presidents...(Think about it!)
as to your Tag...I believe every word of it....Lt green...*S*
Bullshit. I did mine every week (except while deployed) for nearly 30 years. When I didn't do it, my wife and kids did.
I retired from the service in 2009, and I still do my own yard work.
Hahahaha! When I was writing that I knew it’d get me in trouble.
I doubt Kerry will ever be Secy of the Navy. If, for no other reason, being a U.S. Senator is a more ‘prestigious’ position and, since Kerry is from MA, it’s more ‘for life’ than a federal judicial appointment. A Secy of the Navy would leave after this Administration. Unless Kerry is planning to wind down his career, it’s not likely he’d take that position.
I was ordered to live in a fairly nice 3 bedroom house, a mere five minute run (not drive) from the operations command post, although I was not a “senior level NCO”.
It caused a whole lot of heartburn for my neighbors, several senior NCOs at the E-8 and E-9 level, who were not designated critical operations staff, once me and my long haired civilian dependent (USAF veteran) husband moved in!
Since I was enlisted, and not an officer,assistance with quarters upkeep was not a perk I enjoyed, nor could I have asked my assigned personal staff to do any minor chores, since I didn't have any personal staff assigned to me.
I didn't begrudge my superior officers any of their rank perks.
They were there at all the same constant 24/7 hours calls, as I was.
But I didn't have to deal at all with any of the politicians and civilians, that they did.
My husband mowed the grass of several enlisted friends living on base housing, just because he had time, and they didn't.
He would have mowed my commanding officers grass too...if someone didn't always beat him to it.
“I did mine every week (except while deployed) for nearly 30 years. When I didn’t do it, my wife and kids did.”
Ditto.
Somehow, I don’t see ole Ben Bradlee, publisher of the WaPo that published this POS, raking his own yard, either
“So do senior executives of companies...”
I worked for a company in Ohio, the largest in its industry, and knew the CEO. We shared the same barbershop. And he did his own yard work. I have seen him cutting his own grass. I have seen him raking leaves. Did he have to do that? No, and he could have hired all of that done.
And yes, I have known of CEO’s who had personal work done by company employees, on company time. This one, whom I have always admired, did not do that.
“I’ve never seen an O-5 do his own yardwork, much less a general or a cabinet officer.”
That’s a crock.
I heard about this stuff when I was in the Army, and I vowed that I would never be a part of it, it would have been the stockade for me, if they had tried to turn me into a common servant.
Wah?
This 0-6’s wife and hubs have ALWAYS bagged our own leaves, even living in housing. I’d like to know the ones who didn’t...
Exactly right...I totally agree....and the misuse of these personnel is notorious.
My father was an O-5, he did his own yard work. My brother is an 0-5 and he does his own yard work. I guess you didn't look very hard.
Just my experience, not saying all are the same. Remember, I was a strategic intelligence analyst so I have a slightly different perspective than an infantryman or wheeled vehicle mechanic.
I was an E-4 and I do my own yard work.
An O5 was not considered Senior Officer Staff in my experience with the military.
Occupational hazard, I guess, for enlisted active duty operations staff.
In the USAF, only a rear echelon, non-ops O5 would even dream of asking for support staff.
In my time, he/she would have been the base joke.
\
When I was a kid, I used to play at the Naval Observatory. We were friends with the admiral’s son. The VP did not live there back then; the admiral did.
Talk about a place to play! They had a movie theater and we would call into the kitchen with food orders. I was young, but drove a car around the grounds. We were kinda bad. It was a blast. :)
This is the third post of yours I am replying to, on this thread.
My last official title was NCOIC of Combat Intelligence, for a SAC nuclear Division.
I’m going to go out on a very stout limb here, and cry probable foul regarding your military experience credentials.
But hey, have a nice day!
I was a 96B Intelligence Analyst. Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri for Basic Combat Training then on to Fort Huachuca, Arizona for AIT. First assignment: Hotline Operator (DMZ early warning analyst) at G-2 I Corps (ROK/US) Group, Camp Red Cloud, Korea. Then 191st Combat Intelligence Company, 312th Military Intelligence Battalion (CEWI) of 1st Cavalry Division, Ft Hood, Texas. On to HHOC, 102nd Intelligence Battalion (CEWI) of the 2nd Infantry Division, where I was tasked to cover three DPRK Army corps. Was on both Camp Hovey and Casey. Then on to HHOC, 105th Military Intelligence Battalion (CEWI) of the 5th (Mech) Infantry Division, Fort Polk, where I ETS’d.
These mistress, email, motorcade, leave raking stories, and who changed the "talking points" stories are nothing more than a distraction to more serious questions.
Where are the stories on why the embassy did not have better security? Why were the rescuers abandoned and left to die? That is where the scrutiny should be.
When I say “That don't impress me much”, will you be offended?
Not to denigrate your personal service to our nation, but just to shake you out of your public delusions of self grandeur...
I worked at an Air National Guard base soon after I left the service and you remind me of them, if you catch my drift. Where did the Air Force get the idea that they were somehow “above” and superior to the Army, the branch where they originated?
I live in a active duty Naval officers home. Your attitude is beyond disgusting!
Sen. Kerry is being considered for Secretary of Defense, not Secretary of the Navy,...SOS, as I recall.
Which part of my “attitude” do you find so offensive?
Next, if you can, please consider the structural differences between the branches.
Army: The entire officer class works to send the larger enlisted class into true danger, actual ground combat operations.
Top down. No matter the function of the officer, they are viewed as superiors.
Air Force-The entire enlisted class exists solely to facilitate sending a tiny group of elite officers into true danger.
All other officers are generally viewed more as supervisors, rather than “superiors”.
There is not the same pervasive “us against them”, officer versus enlisted, class based rivalry mentallity in the USAF, as there is in the US Army, the US Marines, and even the US Navy.
I'm not sure what “drift” I am supposed to “catch” from your “work” experience with an Air National Guard unit.
I have no direct connections to any National Guards, Air or Army.
For many years, it was not possible for any USAF officer to achieve the rank of General, unless they were also Pilots. I understand that has changed.
I don't consider that a good thing.
And yes, I do know the USAF originated from the US Army.
Both my parents were enlisted members in the US Army Air Corp.
Thank you and your parents for their service.
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