Posted on 09/30/2005 8:10:13 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
FORT MYER, Va. – Marine Corps Gen. Peter Pace was sworn in Friday as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, becoming the first Marine to hold the nation's highest military post.
Pace succeeded Air Force Gen. Richard B. Myers, who retired after 40 years of military service, including two years as vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs and four years as the chairman.
During his career, Pace has been stationed three times at Camp Pendleton in San Diego County.
Pace first saw combat as a platoon leader in Vietnam assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division, which is headquartered at Camp Pendleton. He returned to Camp Pendleton in the mid-1970s and served a third time at the base in the early 1980s to command the 2nd Battalion, 1st Marines.
At a retirement ceremony on this ceremonial post adjacent to Arlington National Cemetery, President Bush and Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld thanked Myers for his service. Bush noted that Myers became chairman just weeks after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks and oversaw the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq.
"He helped design a broad and innovative military strategy to win the war on terror," Bush said. "His leadership and flexibility were essential to the liberation of Iraq, and to adapting our tactics to defeat the terrorists and help Iraqis build a peaceful democracy. "
Bush also praised Pace, saying he looked forward working with him. The Joint Chiefs chairman, by law, is the senior military adviser to the president and the secretary of defense. He commands no troops and is not in the formal chain of command, which extends from the president to the defense secretary to combatant commanders.
Pace, who was born in Brooklyn, N.Y., and raised in Teaneck, N.J., had served the past four years as vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs. He was the first Marine to hold that position and also is the first to be chairman.
Associated Press President Bush and Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld participate in an Armed Forces farewell tribute in honor of Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Richard B. Myers, left, and Armed Forces Hail in honor of Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Peter Pace, right, who replaces him.
Ping
General Peter Pace was sworn in as sixteenth Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on Sep. 30, 2005. In this capacity, he serves as the principal military advisor to the President, the Secretary of Defense, and the National Security Council. Prior to becoming Chairman, he served as Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from October 1, 2001 to August 12, 2005. General Pace is the first Marine to serve as Chairman. He also holds the distinction of being the first Marine to have served as the Vice Chairman.
General Pace was born in Brooklyn, NY and grew up in Teaneck, NJ. A 1967 graduate of the United States Naval Academy, he holds a Master's Degree in Business Administration from George Washington University and attended Harvard University for the Senior Executives in National and International Security program. The General is also a graduate of the Infantry Officers' Advanced Course at Fort Benning, Ga.; the Marine Corps Command and Staff College, in Quantico, VA; and the National War College, at Ft. McNair, Washington, DC.
In 1968, upon completion of The Basic School, Quantico, Va., General Pace was assigned to the 2d Battalion, 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division in the Republic of Vietnam, serving first as a Rifle Platoon Leader and subsequently as Assistant Operations Officer. He was later assigned to Marine Barracks, Washington, DC, where he served in a number of billets, to include Security Detachment Commander, Camp David; White House Social Aide; and Platoon Leader, Special Ceremonial Platoon.
General Pace has held command at virtually every level, and served in overseas billets in Nam Phong, Thailand; Seoul, Korea; and Yokota, Japan. While serving as President, Marine Corps University, then Brigadier General Pace also served as Deputy Commander, Marine Forces, Somalia, from December 1992 - February 1993, and as the Deputy Commander, Joint Task Force - Somalia from October 1993 - March 1994.
After an assignment as the Director for Operations (J-3), Joint Staff, Washington DC, then Lieutenant General Pace served as the Commander, U. S. Marine Corps Forces, Atlantic/Europe/South. He was promoted to General and assumed duties as the Commander in Chief, United States Southern Command in September 2000.
As the Vice Chairman from October 2001 to August 2005, General Pace served as the Chairman of the Joint Requirements Oversight Council, Vice Chairman of the Defense Acquisition Board, and as a member of the National Security Council Deputies Committee and the Nuclear Weapons Council. In addition, he acted for the Chairman in all aspects of the Planning, Programming and Budgeting System including participation in the Defense Resources Board.
General Pace's personal decorations include: Defense Distinguished Service Medal, with two oak leaf clusters; Defense Superior Service Medal; the Legion of Merit; Bronze Star Medal with Combat V; the Defense Meritorious Service Medal; Meritorious Service Medal with gold star; Navy Commendation Medal with Combat "V"; Navy Achievement Medal with gold star; and the Combat Action Ribbon.
General Pace and his wife, Lynne, have two children, Peter and Tiffany Marie.
Thank you General Myers for 40 years of service to our country.
Best wishes to General Pace and Godspeed.
Good to have you in charge, sir. Lets go get those terrorist.
The Marines' Hymn
From the halls of Montezuma
To the shores of Tripoli,
We fight our country's battles
In the air, on land, and sea.
First to fight for right and freedom,
And to keep our honor clean,
We are proud to claim the title
Of United States Marines.
Our flag's unfurl'd to every breeze
From dawn to setting sun;
We have fought in every clime and place
Where we could take a gun.
In the snow of far-off northern lands
And in sunny tropic scenes,
You will find us always on the job -
The United States Marines.
Here's health to you and to our Corps
Which we are proud to serve;
In many a strife we've fought for life
And never lost our nerve.
If the Army and the Navy
Ever look on Heaven's scenes,
They will find the streets are guarded
By United States Marines.
"While the storm clouds gather far across the sea,
Let us swear allegiance to a land that's free,
Let us all be grateful for a land so fair,
As we raise our voices in a solemn prayer. "
God Bless America,
Land that I love.
Stand beside her, and guide her
Thru the night with a light from above.
From the mountains, to the prairies,
To the oceans, white with foam
God bless America, My home sweet home.
I'd be happy if they kept Montezuma's natives south of the border until such time as they can legally visit/migrate.
The picture on the left is just incredible when enlarged.
No question, no doubt.
So what do our Marine Freepers think? Good choice? Sounds impressive so far.
Great post. And truly great men shown in the pictures. Surely General Pace shall give a different viewpoint in some areas as his predecessor.
Top Notch selection, imo ... but I am kind of prejudiced. ;-)
I'm hoping to see my old Series commander Lt. Gen. Jan Huly make General and maybe get a shot at a top slot working with General Pace. He's currently Deputy Commandant for Plans, Policies, and Operations, U.S. Marine Corps, Washington, D.C
Do you have a ping list?
"Top Notch selection"
No doubt, and probably about time. If we are going to repeatedly engage in unconventional warfare, I want someone who has been in it, understands the emotional intensity of our troops under fire, and feels candid enough to convey thoughtful, meaningful recommendations to the command-in-chief, especially if the CINC is inadvertently listening to "aides" and starting to engage in mission creep. The morale of our troops hinges on our government's ability and commitment to articulate the mission, give our troops the tools and flexibility to do the job, and then get out guys out. Lets focus our strategy around that and we won't have recruitment issues. Our troops want to serve. So let them.
Long overdue.....
Nice to see that our guys can sit at the head of the table, we've bled to defend..
Semper Fi
From those who take you where you're going, a smart salute and we stand ready!
LCDR, U.S. Navy
Nice to see that our guys can sit at the head of the table, we've bled to defend..
Semper Fi
Repeat!
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