And now the question is: will McChrystal choose to tell us all what he really thinks? We will know the answer to this by watching to see where he goes and what rank he wears. Three and Four star general officers wear the rank of their appointment. No three or four star appointment, no third or fourth star, they revert to the grade of Major General (two stars). On retirement, they normally retire in the highest grade served, but can be made to retire as a Major General if they have fallen from favor.
If McChrystal gets another three or four star job, or retires as a four star general, you can bet that the price paid was to keep his mouth shut. If he’s out the door as a Major General, he will be spilling the beans very soon.
“And now the question is: will McChrystal choose to tell us all what he really thinks? We will know the answer to this by watching to see where he goes and what rank he wears. Three and Four star general officers wear the rank of their appointment. No three or four star appointment, no third or fourth star, they revert to the grade of Major General (two stars). On retirement, they normally retire in the highest grade served, but can be made to retire as a Major General if they have fallen from favor.
If McChrystal gets another three or four star job, or retires as a four star general, you can bet that the price paid was to keep his mouth shut. If he’s out the door as a Major General, he will be spilling the beans very soon.”
Having been in meetings with McChrystal in Afghanistan last year, I am confident he will NOT spill any beans. He is 100% professional. This episode has been mortifying for him and is a personal tragedy of the deepest proportions. It’s a tragedy for the country as well.
I'd be willing to bet that McChrystal went straight from the White House to the Pentagon where his retirement papers were waiting.