Posted on 06/09/2005 10:33:12 AM PDT by calcowgirl
The Atascadero man appointed to lead the California National Guard on an interim basis told The Tribune on Wednesday he is strongly interested in having the job permanently.
Brig. Gen. John Alexander was appointed Monday to command day-to-day Guard operations.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger will appoint the permanent adjutant general, a decision that typically takes between four and six months, though no timeline has been set for a decision, military officials say.
"I'm absolutely interested (in the permanent position)," Alexander said in a phone interview. "In the past two and a half years, I've had outstanding exposure to the job."
The 61-year-old's new assignment comes in the wake of the resignation Monday of Maj. Gen. Thomas Eres, amid allegations Eres failed to prove his shooting skills for a trip to Iraq and arranged a military flight for a Republican group.
Alexander, who was second in command of the Guard, plans to continue the path Eres set and has no new plans for Camp San Luis Obispo or Camp Roberts.
In his new role, Alexander said he will pursue goals of boosting recruitment and retention of Guard members and providing more support throughout California in emergencies.
Part of the duty of the National Guard is to help provide security during riots, earthquakes, floods and other natural disasters.
Around 4,900 of the more than 19,000 state Guard members are now stationed overseas; 90 percent of those deployed are based in Iraq, according to the state military reserve department.
Alexander said that over the next year and a half he expects a reversal of a recent trend of more soldiers leaving for mobilizations overseas than the number returning.
"We predict a 30 percent increase in returning soldiers to California," he said. "We'll have more of a base here at home."
Alexander acknowledged the challenges the Guard faces in attracting young men and women who could end up with long tours of duty in Iraq.
He hopes to appeal to "patriotic" 18-to-25-year-olds by recruiting where they tend to be, such as concert venues.
The brigadier general worked his way up through the ranks and has lived locally since coming to Camp San Luis Obispo in 1971.
He now works in Sacramento, he said, but drives two or three times a month back to Atascadero, where he has a home with his wife, Linda. She works at the Camp San Luis Obispo office of Carlson Wagonlit Travel, a private, nationwide travel agency.
Alexander was the U.S. property and fiscal officer for California for 13 years, based at Camp San Luis Obispo. His duties included managing federal funds and equipment allocated to the California Guard.
Alexander also defended Eres, calling him "a terrific person who took the moral high ground" and saying he stepped down to avoid months of investigations that would be a distraction to the Guard.
"I think it was very important for me to quickly establish stability," Alexander said. "Our goals and effort won't change much. Everything the Guard has been in the past two-and-a-half years, it will continue to be."
Why is "patriotic" put in quotation marks? (Yes, I'm afraid I already know the answer.)
>>Why is "patriotic" put in quotation marks?
I assumed it was the word Alexander used, hence the author put it in quotes. I don't understand your suspicion - left-wing media?
This whole thing stinks. First, they have a guy (Eres) who earned his stars as a real estate and development attorney. He resigns in shame, and Alexander now praises him as he vies for the top job. Alexander's specialty is property management and federal funding issues.
Why do I get the idea these appointments have everything to do with land, base closures and development and little or nothing to do with choosing the best leader to react in the event of a crisis or emergency?
I share your feelings about this. Since the 1600's we've had a problem with state military positions that are filled like any other patronage jobs.
Even now, with the Guard being used more and more, state governors sometimes treat the war on terrorism like a joke.
Yep. It is maddening. Meanwhile, in other news...
Feds Probe Possible California Terror Cell
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