Army Maj. Gen. found dead in home two days before assuming new command

PopularMilitary.Com ^ | 2 August 2016 | Michael Swaney

[amorphous]

The former commander of the the Army Fires Center of Excellence and Fort Sill, Oklahoma was found dead in his on-post home at Redstone Arsenal on Sunday.

Maj. Gen. John Rossi, 55, had just arrived Redstone Arsena to take over as the commander of the Army Space and Missile Defense Command since relinquishing command of Fort Sill on July 21st, according to KSWO.

Rossi and his family only moved into their house on-post less than two weeks ago, according to John Cummings, a spokesman for Army Space and Missile Defense Command.

Today, he was scheduled to be promoted to lieutenant general and take over command from Lt. Gen. David Mann. Mann, who was scheduled to retire, will remain in command of Army Space and Missile Defense Command/Army Forces Strategic Command, said Cummings.

“He really was a very out front, very polished, professional leader. He was the first non-field artilleryman to command Fort Sill, that had challenges which he met very adroitly, very professionally. He just really stepped up to be a true leader in the community which is what was expected and what he did,” said Retired Major General Lee Baxter (former Fort Sill commander).

According to Baxter, Major General Rossi served all around the United States, Korea, Germany, Southwest Asia and Iraq with the Air Defense Artillery. He said he Rossi became great friends over the years at Fort Sill and rarely went more than a week or 10 days without talking.

[browniexyz]

The very one!
“Army Space and Missile Defense Command” — hmmm that fits.

[Whenifhow]

PING!!!

Maj. Gen. John Rossi, 55, had “just arrived Redstone Arsena to take over as the commander of the Army Space and Missile Defense Command”

Article and comments, esp #16

Thanks, MarchonDC09122009 & amorphous

[Chickensoup]

wow!

[TribalPrincess2U]

The cause of Rossi’s death has yet to be determined and the investigation is underway. “At this point we don’t have any indication of foul play,” said Chris Grey, a spokesman for Army Criminal Investigation Command, to the Army Times.

[vetvetdoug]

The excitement of getting away from Lawton to such a beautiful place as Huntsville may have been too much for him. Both places are noted for tornadoes.

[piasa]

Rear Adm. Charles M. Gaouette

Finally found out what this guy did that got him in trouble... recall he was axed at the time of Benghazi.

Apparently he was accused of using a racial expletive. Someone’s feelings got hurt. Wouldn’t be surprised if it was in response to finding out there would be no response to the Benghazi attack and if he was not in theater as reports claim, there was nothing he could do about it.

[Pontiac]

Great info.

I was not aware it was this bad.

[Mark17]

Did Stalin purge that many?

[maggief]

(no link)

Army, Guard Chiefs Strive For Compromise As Subordinates Quarrel
Breaking Defense (USA) - March 13, 2014
Author/Byline: Sydney J. Freedberg Jr.

WASHINGTON: Poor General Ray Odierno. While the Army Chief of Staff took pains this morning to have only kind words for the National Guard (watch the video clip), one of his subordinates’ statements about the Guard’s post-9/11 performance keeps causing angry ripples across the Internet.

Those ripples started spreading after I reported what Maj. Gen. John Rossi told me: that Guard brigades couldn’t handle the most tactically complex counterinsurgency missions in Afghanistan and Iraq. Since we published Rossi’s remarks, our website and that of military satirist, cartoonist, and commentator Doctrine Man, who picked up the story, have been deluged with hundreds of comments pro and con. There are active-duty troops who feel relieved that someone has finally attacked a sacred cow, and there are Guard soldiers who feel personally insulted. Those comments include a fierce refutation by Maj. Gen. David Baldwin, no less a figure than the state commander of the California National Guard.

(snip)

[Mark17]

If Hillary had anything to do with it, he probably had two gunshots to the back of the head. It will ruled a suicide.

If Hildebeast had anything to do with it, he would have 6 shots to the back of the head. Maybe they didn't have time to dump his body in Fort Marcy Park. It's a little further away, but I am sure they thought about it.

[maggief]

(no link)

Big Army For Big Wars? Yes! GCV? Probably Not.
Breaking Defense (USA) - November 13, 2013

Author/Byline: Sydney J. Freedberg Jr.
The Army won’t be able to replace its ’80s-vintage M2 Bradleys, like the one shown here in Iraq, for years to come.

PENTAGON: Do we still need a big Army that can wage big wars? Hell yes, the Army generals say. Will the Army get a new Ground Combat Vehicle to replace the 1981-vintage Bradley Fighting Vehicle that currently carries foot troops into battle? Probably not for a long, long time.

That’s my assessment based on an exclusive interview with two two-star generals and a senior Army civilian: the director of the Army office supporting the Quadrennial Defense Review, Maj. Gen. John Rossi; the G-s director of “force development,” Maj. Gen. Robert Dyess; and the director of the Army’s QDR office, Timothy Muchmore.

“There’s still a requirement out there to defeat a large ground army,” Maj. Gen. Rossi said. “It’s a deterrent. The ground force is going to be the singular force capable of what we term ‘regime change.’”

Wait, “regime change”? I asked. Isn’t that the phrase the now-reviled Don Rumsfeld used to describe the US invasion of Iraq?

“I don’t know if you can find another term for it,” Rossi replied.

(snip)

“We have a long-term view that we’ll get through this period,” said Maj. Gen. Rossi. “The Army will still be here.”

“It would be easy to sit back and say, woe is us,” Rossi went on. “But we’re not sitting on our hands, saying ‘let’s just get through it…. I don’t see it as ‘a hurricane’s coming, so get in the shelter and we’ll stick our heads out in five years.’”

The Army will still modernize its equipment, still deploy “regionally aligned forces” to build up allies abroad, and, for that matter, still fight in Afghanistan through at least the end of 2014. It’s just that, for the foreseeable future, the only dramatic change the Army will make is to get smaller.

[Engedi]

My ex husband was stationed in Ft. Sill, we lived off base, Lawton, Oklahoma back in 1978. I remember the thousands of Buffalo, the beautiful Lakes around the area. Visited Geronimo’s grave. We were there when the big tornado tore through there and Wichita Falls, Texas.

RIP, carry on soldier.

[BBell]

ping

[Whenifhow]

Thanks Maggief!

[arthurus]

So, the Purge is still on.

[arthurus]

Suspicious happenings

The leadership has been almost entirely purged and replaced by "reliable" officers.

[17th Miss Regt]

TWO gunshot wounds to the back of the head? That sounds like a heart attack, not suicide.

[XRdsRev]

I spoke with someone on post this afternoon that said it was suicide by hanging but that has not been confirmed.

[Jet Jaguar]

Active Duty ping.

[wintertime]

Recently, that is the first thought that comes to my mind.