Posted on 04/13/2006 3:55:30 PM PDT by jmc1969
The commander who led the elite 82nd Airborne Division during its mission in Iraq has joined the chorus of retired generals calling on Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld to leave the Pentagon.
"I really believe that we need a new secretary of defense because Secretary Rumsfeld carries way too much baggage with him," retired Maj. Gen. Charles Swannack told CNN's Barbara Starr on Thursday.
He also suggested other changes among the top brass at the Pentagon.
"I think we need senior military leaders who understand the principles of war and apply them ruthlessly, and when the time comes, they need to call it like it is,".
"Specifically, I feel he has micromanaged the generals who are leading our forces there," Swannack said in the telephone interview.
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...
Cool.
Ok. The Whiney Ex-General Count is up to what? 6? 7?
There's something like 881 Generals and Admirals currently in the Armed Services. How many retire each year? 75? 100?
LOL! I like Rummy. I have always liked Rummy. ... but, you KNOW Rummy has to rub some of 'em the wrong way. A handfull of malcontents is expected.
Wake me up when we get to 50 or something.
Former SecDef Cohen has the experience, probably unemployed, and all these Generals worked for him and you know how effective he was.
Yeah, let's bring back Cohen and Albright. That's the ticket. /sarc
It not just at DOD, their approach to the Department of Homeland Security has been pretty much the same.
That, or something similar, is quite likely the truth of the sudden emergence of the chattering class 'retired' generals. Not just one but now six all of a sudden claiming they know better than any other general how Rumsfeld should be doing his job. Rumsfeld has a real problem in deciding which of the retired as well as unretired generals holds the wisdom of perfected warfare. Remember how the past presidential political season was littered with ex military officers hounding and carping at Republican candidate George Bush and the Iraq war. As has been mentioned, the RATS have called for recruiting the military to speak out against Pres Bush in the '06 elections. Since the unretired military cannot safely do so, they are running the retired ones.
Having ex-Generals coming out in war time and bashing the SoD is pretty unpresidented in US history. But, I will tell you that there probably is enough dislike of Rummy to hit 50 generals.
This is going to continue that much is certain.
Check this out:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1614702/posts
Can Rumsfeld withstand backtalk of former commanders? - Rumsfeld flunking, ex-generals charge
BUMP!
I keep hearing some critics saying this, but with the sweeping lightning fast victory how do you say such a thing?
Ah, but will it matter?
Ex-Generals never fought or won a war.
You don't seem to understand it didn't matter if we took Baghdad in one day or 100 days. What mattered was that we had enough troops to maintain order in Iraq after major combat operations.
If we reconstituted the Iraqi Army we would have had enough troops if we brought an extra 200,000 troops we would have had enough.
Hell, it doesn't even bother me that he invaded with 150,000 troops it that no one thought when we didn't have enough troops to police western Iraq where the insurgency was getting started to bring in more.
Ohhhhhhhh. Please. Do go on.
"If you understand what Secretary Rumsfeld has done in his time in the Pentagon, he personally is the one who selects the three-star generals to go forward to the president for the Senate to confirm."
Awwwww. Did poor widdle Chawuhls get his widdle feewings hurt by that mean old Donald Rumsfeld because he didn't select him to be a three-star general?
Tough.
Last time I checked there are only 102 people who get to determine who the SecDef is: The President who nominates him and the 101 members of the U.S. Senate (The 100 Senators, and if necessary, in the case of a 50-50 tie, the Vice President who by the Constitution presides in the U.S. Senate.) Rumsfeld was nominated and confirmed so now there is only one man who can "fire" him, and that is George W. Bush. There are 536 men who might also be able to fire him, the 435 members of the House of Representatives were they to impeach him (for what I do not know) and the 101 members of the U.S. Senate. Someone ought to remind these generals that I can take their opinion to Rapid Refill and get a large coffee for $1.46 which is the exact same price I get the coffee for without their learned opinion. So, Charles Swannack, Major General, U.S. Army (ret.), have a nice $1.46 cup of shut the heck up.
Bud, you don't have a clue what you are talking about. Not a clue and that is the reality. That you see a few (we are talking less then a dozen ex-Mil here. Get a grip!) but that you see a few ex-Mil bad mouthing the SecDef in the middle of war to the MSM speaks volumes about them about them....not him.
SecDef Rumsfeld has been a tremendous asset to this Nation during this WOT. Absolutely the best kind of SecDef we could have wished for. We should be thankful. Those in the Armed forces by a large margin absolutely agree and support SecDef Rumsfeld. That is the reality. There is a small group of old Mil dinosaurs and old Big Green types who don't like the man because he is adjusting the military to be more effective (and they don't like change).
Within this segment of anti-Rumsfeld types are also a number of candyass$s who constantly like to come up with excuses for why this or that can't get accomplished....but on the other hand constantly demand the lions share of every budget.
SecDef Rumsfeld has done more for our actual warriors and shooters then any SecDef in the last 50 years. He continues to demand ways for our shooters to be less dependent and more autonomous in their actions (shortening that crucial OODA loop in the process) by finding ways of cutting out the constant need of CIA spooks or OGAs.
Again, you don't have a clue what you are talking about.
guess the complainer didn't get his third star.
LOL.
Is it possible that they have only spoken among themselves?
First off again, get the slightest beeping clue!! - There is always inner warfare (which from time to time goes public when the MSM can use it) going on within the Pentagon (and State). This is nothing new.
That you suggest this is something new....only again shows how clearly empty you are regarding this subject.
Take some advice, let the adults that we have in charge take care of things. Or go have a circle jerk with some friends and all hold hands to help calm your nerves regarding the "open warfare IN the Pentagon now".
Unbelievable how some people don't know...and don't even have a clue they don't know they don't know what they are talking about.
If these old brass-terd are so great why are they retired while we are still at war? Don't recall Bradley or Patton putting in papers in 1944.
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