Unceremonious end to Army career: Outspoken general fights demotion (alleges Rumsfeld vendetta)

baltimoresun.com ^ | May 29, 2005 | Tom Bowman

[Destro]

WASHINGTON - John Riggs spent 39 years in the Army, earning a Distinguished Flying Cross for bravery during the Vietnam War and working his way up to become a three-star general entrusted with creating a high-tech Army for the 21st century.

But on a spring day last year, Riggs was told by senior Army officials that he would be retired at a reduced rank, losing one of his stars because of infractions considered so minor that they were not placed in his official record.

He was given 24 hours to leave the Army. He had no parade in review, no rousing martial music, no speeches or official proclamations praising his decades in uniform, the trappings that normally herald a high-level military retirement.

Instead, Riggs went to a basement room at Fort Myer, Va., and signed some mandatory forms. Then a young sergeant mechanically presented him with a flag and a form letter of thanks from President Bush.

So what cost Riggs his star?

His Pentagon superiors said he allowed outside contractors to perform work they were not supposed to do, creating "an adverse command climate."

But some of the general's supporters believe the motivation behind his demotion was politics. Riggs was blunt and outspoken on a number of issues and publicly contradicted Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld by arguing that the Army was overstretched in Iraq and Afghanistan and needed more troops.

"They all went bat s- - when that happened," recalled retired Army Lt. Gen. Jay M. Garner, a one-time Pentagon adviser who ran reconstruction efforts in Iraq in the spring of 2003. "The military part of [the defense secretary's office] has been politicized. If [officers] disagree, they are ostracized and their reputations are ruined."

[Semper Paratus]

contradicted Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld by arguing that the Army was overstretched in Iraq and Afghanistan and needed more troops

So?

[FreePaul]

Thirty nine years in the army and he never learned the command structure?

[marymc]

they should have given Riggs the firing squad as a going away gift!

[RoseofTexas]

Oh gosh, here we go again another tell all book in the making!

[E. Pluribus Unum]

But some of the general's supporters believe the motivation behind his demotion was politics.

There isn't any politics in the military.

</remove tongue from cheek>

[Pondman88]

I ain't never been in the military....but the higher you go in most organizations requires political acumen, and the ability to say yes to the boss.

[The_Victor]

But some of the general's supporters believe the motivation behind his demotion was politics. Riggs was blunt and outspoken on a number of issues and publicly contradicted Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld by arguing that the Army was overstretched in Iraq and Afghanistan and needed more troops.

Don't like the results? Then take your case up the chain of command like a good soldier.

Friggin whiners.

[Destro]

Well if we install commissar officers in the ranks then we can shoot these disloyal soldiers on the spot......

[eastforker]

Lets see, he is now a retired maj. General with 39 years of service, still a nice retirement.

[jude24]

None of you screwup keyboard jockeys have the right to criticize a man who spent 30+ years in uniform.

If the man thinks that we went to Iraq half-cocked, without enough troops, he had an obligation to speak up inside the Army. Looks to me like he did that, and he was declared persona non grata by group-think Army hell-bent on telling the President and Secretary of Defense what they wanted to hear.

You have no right to criticize this man. He deserves more respect than that for his 35 years of service.

[ConsentofGoverned]

just one star lost?? sounds like he got a good deal -

Saying your forces are too thin to respond to attack -anybody guess who would benefit from knowing our forces are too thin?? putting info like this into public records by a 3 star should get him some prison time.

[newsgatherer]

Gee, I guess the Major General could come to Maine and work for Snowe or Collins, the three of them would get along just fine and being a blue state 3-1, the good general could be the next governor or maybe even the speaker of the house.

/sarcasm>

[ken5050]

Funny how the libs never talk about the primacy of civilian control of the military when the Bush administration is being critisized by a senior officer..and BTW, if said senior officer sincerely belivese that his civilian bosses are wrong, he has another option...resign, and then speak out publicly..

[nicko]

second that

[Eric in the Ozarks]

To be a good general, you also need to be a good diplomat.
I'm surprised Riggs never learned that in 39 years.

[IncPen]

None of you screwup keyboard jockeys have the right to criticize a man who spent 30+ years in uniform.

Yes, they have every right. Got constitution?

If the man thinks that we went to Iraq half-cocked, without enough troops, he had an obligation to speak up inside the Army. Looks to me like he did that, and he was declared persona non grata by group-think Army hell-bent on telling the President and Secretary of Defense what they wanted to hear.

On the other hand, maybe he was a grandstanding prima donna with a thing for publicity.

Maybe he was just wrong

You have no right to criticize this man. He deserves more respect than that for his 35 years of service.

It seems to me the guy has invited criticism.

And if time served counts for something who are you to tell me what can or cannot be said on this forum?

[eastforker]

Here is what they made in 2002MONTHLY BASIC PAY TABLE EFFECTIVE JANUARY 1, 2002 YEARS OF SERVICE PAY GRADE <2 2 3 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 COMMISSIONED OFFICERS O-10 8944.80 9259.50 9259.50 9259.50 9259.50 9614.70 9614.70 10147.50 10147.50 10873.80 10873.80 11601.90 11659.20 11901.30 12324.00 O-9 7927.50 8135.10 8308.50 8308.50 8308.50 8519.70 8519.70 8874.30 8874.30 9614.70 9614.70 10147.50 10293.60 10504.80 10873.80 O-8 7180.20 7415.40 7571.10 7614.90 7809.30 8135.10 8210.70 8519.70 8608.50 8874.30 9259.50 9614.70 9852.00 9852.00 9852.00 O-7 5966.40 6371.70 6371.70 6418.20 6657.90 6840.30 7051.20 7261.80 7472.70 8135.10 8694.90 8694.90 8694.90 8694.90 8738.70 O-6 4422.00 4857.90 5176.80 5176.80 5196.60 5418.90 5448.60 5448.60 5628.60 6305.70 6627.00 6948.30 7131.00 7316.10 7675.20 O-5 3537.00 4152.60 4440.30 4494.30 4673.10 4673.10 4813.50 5073.30 5413.50 5755.80 5919.00 6079.80 6262.80 6262.80 6262.80 O-4 3023.70 3681.90 3927.60 3982.50 4210.50 4395.90 4696.20 4930.20 5092.50 5255.70 5310.60 5310.60 5310.60 5310.60 5310.60 O-3 2796.60 3170.40 3421.80 3698.70 3875.70 4070.10 4232.40 4441.20 4549.50 4549.50 4549.50 4549.50 4549.50 4549.50 4549.50 O-2 2416.20 2751.90 3169.50 3276.30 3344.10 3344.10 3344.10 3344.10 3344.10 3344.10 3344.10 3344.10 3344.10 3344.10 3344.10 O-1 2097.60 2183.10 2638.50 2638.50 2638.50 2638.50 2638.50 2638.50 2638.50 2638.50 2638.50 2638.50 2638.50 2638.50 2638.50 PAY GRADE <2 2 3 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 COMMISSIONED OFFICERS WITH OVER 4 YEARS ACTIVE DUTY SERVICE AS AN ENLISTED MEMBER OR WARRANT OFFICER O-3E 0.00 0.00 0.00 3698.70 3875.70 4070.10 4232.40 4441.20 4617.00 4717.50 4855.20 4855.20 4855.20 4855.20 4855.20 O-2E 0.00 0.00 0.00 3276.30 3344.10 3450.30 3630.00 3768.90 3872.40 3872.40 3872.40 3872.40 3872.40 3872.40 3872.40 O-1E 0.00 0.00 0.00 2638.50 2818.20 2922.30 3028.50 3133.20 3276.30 3276.30 3276.30 3276.30 3276.30 3276.30 3276.30 PAY GRADE <2 2 3 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 WARRANT OFFICERS W-5 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 4965.60 5136.00 5307.00 5478.60 W-4 2889.60 3108.60 3198.00 3285.90 3437.10 3586.50 3737.70 3885.30 4038.00 4184.40 4334.40 4480.80 4632.60 4782.00 4935.30 W-3 2638.80 2862.00 2862.00 2898.90 3017.40 3152.40 3330.90 3439.50 3558.30 3693.90 3828.60 3963.60 4098.30 4233.30 4368.90 W-2 2321.40 2454.00 2569.80 2654.10 2726.40 2875.20 2984.40 3093.90 3200.40 3318.00 3438.90 3559.80 3680.10 3801.30 3801.30 W-1 2049.90 2217.60 2330.10 2402.70 2511.90 2624.70 2737.80 2850.00 2963.70 3077.10 3189.90 3275.10 3275.10 3275.10 3275.10 PAY GRADE <2 2 3 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 ENLISTED MEMBERS E-9 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 3423.90 3501.30 3599.40 3714.60 3830.40 3944.10 4098.30 4251.30 4467.00 E-8 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 2858.10 2940.60 3017.70 3110.10 3210.30 3314.70 3420.30 3573.00 3724.80 3937.80 E-7 1986.90 2169.00 2251.50 2332.50 2417.40 2562.90 2645.10 2726.40 2808.00 2892.60 2975.10 3057.30 3200.40 3292.80 3526.80 E-6 1701.00 1870.80 1953.60 2033.70 2117.40 2254.50 2337.30 2417.40 2499.30 2558.10 2602.80 2602.80 2602.80 2602.80 2602.80 E-5 1561.50 1665.30 1745.70 1828.50 1912.80 2030.10 2110.20 2193.30 2193.30 2193.30 2193.30 2193.30 2193.30 2193.30 2193.30 E-4 1443.60 1517.70 1599.60 1680.30 1752.30 1752.30 1752.30 1752.30 1752.30 1752.30 1752.30 1752.30 1752.30 1752.30 1752.30 E-3 1303.50 1385.40 1468.50 1468.50 1468.50 1468.50 1468.50 1468.50 1468.50 1468.50 1468.50 1468.50 1468.50 1468.50 1468.50 E-2 1239.30 1239.30 1239.30 1239.30 1239.30 1239.30 1239.30 1239.30 1239.30 1239.30 1239.30 1239.30 1239.30 1239.30 1239.30 E-1 >4 1105.50 1105.50 1105.50 1105.50 1105.50 1105.50 1105.50 1105.50 1105.50 1105.50 1105.50 1105.50 1105.50 1105.50 1105.50 E-1 <4 1022.70 C/S 13598.10 M/S 5382.90 NOTE--BASIC PAY FOR O7-O10 IS LIMITED TO$11,141.70 LEVEL III OF THE EXECUTIVE SCHEDULE FY2002, Graduated Pay Raise Increase. NOTE--BASIC PAY FOR O6 AND BELOW IS LIMITED TO $9,800.10 LEVEL V OF THE EXECUTIVE SCHEDULE PROPOSED

[CyberAnt]

That's what I was thinking.

[Axhandle]

I think it is a great thing when a General does not get a parade or some military band and other heraldry to honor his retirement and service. That crap is a waste of money and I don't know how it is justified when our resources are stretched as thin as they are. What an obscene waste of money and manpower. I think that we also need to cut back on the perks and outrageous entitlements that General officers get. From personal aids to government vehicles, phones, homes, and a long list of other perks, their lives are beyond pampered. These guys are public servants. Either give them perks or give them a good salary, but not both. If you're in it for the money, then you're in for the wrong reasons, at least if you're an officer.