Bush to Name Marine To Lead Joint Chiefs

WASHINGTON POST.COM ^ | APRIL 19, 2005 | BRADLEY GRAHAM, STAFF WRITER

[CHARLITE]

President Bush intends to name Marine Gen. Peter Pace the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, officials said yesterday, replacing Air Force Gen. Richard B. Myers, whose term ends this autumn.

Announcement of the decision is due soon and probably will include the nomination of Navy Adm. Edmund P. Giambastiani Jr. as the new vice chairman, officials said.

The selection of the two officers for the Pentagon's top military posts would team Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld with a pair of senior officers with whom he is very familiar.

Pace, 59, has served as vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff for 3 1/2 years, helping to manage the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan and furthering a reputation as a smooth political operator.

[CHARLITE]

Link to rest of article. Apologies for having left it out.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A2642-2005Apr19.html

[SteveMcKing]

I nominate...

[ProudVet77]

I'm Navy, but give be a Marine as CJCS. They tend to send the mesage in a very clear form to our enemies. A Navy guy as #2 works as well. The next few years require the Navy to transition to smaller, faster ships so he may help make it happen.

[Rokke]

This is outstanding news. Our military deserves the leadership of a great Marine. And no service more than the Marine Corps understands the direction our military needs to be heading.

[MJY1288]

Maj Gen. Peter Pace is a Great American and a Marines Marine. I love the way General Pace smiles when commenting on how Marines either find a way or make one.

[Smoote]

Looks like it will be "Hey diddle-diddle straight up the middle" at the Pentagon from now on.

[Darkwolf]

I'm sure Joe Biden will be "concerned" that he looked at a woman in a hotel lobby once, or some equally planet-quaking thing.

[Lancey Howard]

Excellent!

[Lancey Howard]

ping

[Michael Barnes]

Looks like it will be "Hey diddle-diddle straight up the middle" at the Pentagon from now on.

"You don't hurt 'em if you don't hit 'em."

[CHARLITE]

Your tagline is so funny that I just had to comment on it! Hilarious!

"LIBERALISM IS FOR INVERTEBRATES!"

[ProudVet77]

Looks like it will be "Hey diddle-diddle straight up the middle" at the Pentagon from now on.

My guess is you are way off. No Marine ever does what the enemy expects. General Pace was born in Brooklyn, N.Y., how much tougher do you want. He was also a rifle platoon leader in Vietnam. And his #2 is a sub sailor, and the enemy never knows what those guys do.
Rumsfeld is leaving his legacy. Well done Rummy. These are good men.

[Smoote]

You said it brother. Hit 'em and hit 'em hard.

[stylin19a]

Pop quiz:
Which is more coveted: Chair of JCS or Commandant of The Marine Corps ?

Semper Fi !

[SaltyJoe]

His cheerful disposition, even under fire, may be Gen. Pace's most notable strength.

About 10 years ago, I told a worried Marine SSgt that Marines shouldn't fret over its size, budget, or that the other sister services might try to take (again) the USMC mission as their own. Given the operational experience and historical success of the US Marine Corps, the other services should have been more worried about the US Marines taking over the US Armed Forces. General Krulak gave me confidence that other services couldn't touch us. Because of his confidence and leadership, I figured that we probably needed to expand our responsibilities and help Uncle Sam get more bang for our tax buck.

I met General Pacer while in TBS. He looked younger than me back then and it looks like the salty Vietnam Vet can still kick my butt.

http://www.dtic.mil/jcs/core/vcjcs.html

[Smoote]

I think you misunderstood my post. It has long been Marine Corp doctrine to take the battle straight to the enemy. Their belief is that ultimately this minimizes casualties. The sooner the war ends, the sooner the killing stops. My comment was in no way meant to be critical of General pace or the Corp whom I have the highest regard for.

[Michael Barnes]

I'm with you...And it's a nice message to the rest of "International Community".."Hello, world? Our JCS's is now lead by a Marine; anything we need to discus?"

[ProudVet77]

I bet he can kick your butt and mine ;)
There ain't no fat on this Jarhead.

[Marine_Uncle]

About time we got a Marine General to run the show. I continue to be a little amazed at how the POTUS works. He seems to have the right answers at the right time on a lot of issues. He is not perfect, no one is, and I am a bit pissed at his stance on immigration issues for one. But then he turns around and makes a quite good move. Imagine what kind of loser would be suggested for the JCS if a bird brain like Kerry was elected.
Pace and Giambastiani will do well in those posts. World conditions as they are developing need a JCS that will have the guts to say and do what must be done. Of course this is probably a sign of reductions in military spending down the line. So perhaps the required thrifty behavior of the Marines due to their small force, was in the mind of the POTUS. In other words, the POTUS is thinking ahead as who will best serve the countries needs beyond his time in office, when domestic affairs take the spot lite over military needs. Especially if for some horrible gross reason madam hillary where to be elected as CIC. You will need a tough Marine to make sure her DoD candidate is somehow keeped in line. God forbid it coming to that.