Rumsfeld Selects Retired General as Army Chief of Staff

The Washington Post ^ | 06/10/03 | Robert Burns

[Archangelsk]

Rumsfeld Selects Retired General as Army Chief of Staff

By Robert Burns
The Associated Press
Tuesday, June 10, 2003; 4:40 PM

Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld reached into the ranks of retired officers to pick a successor to departing Army chief of staff Gen. Eric Shinseki, officials said Tuesday.

The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Rumsfeld chose Peter J. Schoomaker, who retired from the Army after commanding the U.S. Special Operations Command from 1997-2000.

[Archangelsk]

Sheesh, what does the SecDef plan on doing next? Resurrect Charlie Beckwith and Bull Simmons? :-)

[Leisler]

Dick Meadows would be younger.

[Archangelsk]

Yeah, I thought of putting him in there with Cols. Beckwith and Simmons, but I thought it would be overkill. Another one, Nick Rowe, would also make the list.

[mathurine]

Very peculiar, if true. Rumsfield adheres to the military aphorism that we have done so much with so little for so long that they think we can do everything forever with nothing. There's no fool like an old fool.

[Leisler]

Had Col. Rowe as a commander and privileged to have a few casual conversations with him. Super decent man. Dirty way he was killed, and now forgotten. Only read of Meadows. Only saw Simmons old Cadillac with a canoe on roof racks.

[Archangelsk]

Had Col. Rowe as a commander

You were very privileged then, I only read his book (Five Years to Freedom for those who are interested). Yes it was a shame.

[blam]

Rumsfeld choice of army chief angers top brass

By Toby Harnden in Washington
(Filed: 11/06/2003)
The Telegraph (UK)

Donald Rumsfeld, the American defence secretary, yesterday selected a retired general as head of the US army, bypassing the military's top brass and stoking tensions within the Pentagon.

Gen Peter Schoomaker, who retired after heading the US special operations command from 1997 to 2000, is to become chief of staff, according to US defence sources.

The extraordinary break with convention is the latest episode in a series of confrontations between Mr Rumsfeld and the US army leadership.

Gen Tommy Franks, commander of US forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, and Gen John Keane, the army vice-chief, both opted to retire rather than take the top job in their service.

Recently Mr Rumsfeld sacked Thomas White, the army secretary, and publicly berated Gen Eric Shinseki, the retiring chief of staff, for suggesting on the eve of war that hundreds of thousands of troops would be needed in post-conflict Iraq.

The choice of Gen Schoomaker, which is subject to confirmation by the US Senate and has yet to be announced officially, is in line with Mr Rumsfeld's belief in the importance of special forces.

[Leisler]

Great Book. I never complain about my temporary circumstances because of stuff like that. It was real, didn't break him and even he said it made him better. I can understand concept wise, although I don't ever wish that route on anybody.

What happen to Rowe is still connected with what is still going on today in the Phillipines.

[Leisler]

I am a big SF fan, but this is getting the cart before the horse. Although it does send signals that all these slimy two faced thugs better start watching their back door. Or front door. Or cloud cover. Or that disturbance near the boarder. Or...

[Dog Gone]

It would be nice if someone explained how Shoomaker is not qualified.

[joesnuffy]

What an honor to have spoken with Col Rowe
I have visited the U Minh Forest..
What he and others endured was super human
The VC/Communists killed him in the Phillipines for being the only American to escape...
And we did nothing in return...now we want to normalize relations with these sobs...
oh oh I am getting myself started...

[Calvinist_Dark_Lord]

Yeah, I thought of putting him in there with Cols. Beckwith and Simmons, but I thought it would be overkill. Another one, Nick Rowe, would also make the list.

Bob Howard, at least he's still alive. Blackjack Kelly would have been a good guy too. God bless all of them

[Leisler]

The first time I met the Colonel was at night, in the rain, standing at the end of chow line at Camp MacKall. The cooks were serving us out of the metal insulated tubs. Rainwater was filling my serving kit and everyone was just back from the field, wet, dirty and smelly. I noticed two more shadows join behind me and turned to talk to them and noticed they were officers and the nearest was Col Rowe. I told them this was just enlisted, and students at that, and said something about making way for them to the front. Col Rowe said no thanks, they were late and would just stand in the rain at the end. I think he just wanted to get something to eat, but more likely to see that there was enough good food even at the end. He quizzed me about myself, the training, what I thought, etc..The cooks were really stunned when we got there. And there was enough food. This was around ’82.

[Archangelsk]

Sounds like back from Drowning Creek.

[Leisler]

No, just a wet Carolinian winter.

[razorbak]

I just did a Google search on Col. Rowe. Unbelievable what happened to this man at the hands of the Jane Fonda\Bill&HillClinton hell-bound reprobate leftists in this country. And the U.S. State department. Why doesn't somebody clean out that rat's nest? Maybe watching the Tears of the Sun DVD that my wife rented for me will calm me down. [I have peripheral neuropathy in both feet and lower legs--constant severe burning pain--I'm fighting for a medical retirement now with my disability insurance and Social Security--FR, the Internet, my computer and my TV and movies are the only entertainment I have outside of my loving family and wonderful church.]

[Archangelsk]

No, just a wet Carolinian winter.

It's 95 degrees where I'm at and that thought just sent a cold streak down my spine....:-)

[Cannoneer No. 4]

Colonel Howard is too rough a cob to be Chief of Staff, and, IMHO, upward mobility for non-politicians ends at O-6. He would sure bring hellfire and scunnion on the non-hackers, though.

[Calvinist_Dark_Lord]

Colonel Howard is too rough a cob to be Chief of Staff, and, IMHO, upward mobility for non-politicians ends at O-6. He would sure bring hellfire and scunnion on the non-hackers, though.

God help us then.

Thanks for the link. i read about Col. Howard in John Plaster's book on SOG, and had some freepmail talk with somebody who served with him. His assesment of Col. Howard agrees with yours BTW. Still, a man put in for the MOH 3 times needs to be listened to. For God's sake, at least keep these guys around to train the kids properly. Maybe one of these days, there will be a COSA who will stand in the door, and be willing to end his carear to keep more kids from getting killed for some politically correct bulls#!t. Hackworth would have been too much a publicity whore, hell of a fighter though. Of course, if MacAuthur (who was a political whore) couldn't get it done, i guess nobody could.

You guys have an opinion on Hugh Shelton?