General Wayne Downing dead

Retired Four Star General Wayne Downing died earlier today. He was born 10 May 1940.

Military career
Commander in Chief of the United States Special Operations Command
1991-93 : Commanding General, U.S. Army Special Operations Command, Fort Bragg, North Carolina
1989-91 : Commanding General, Joint Special Operations Command, Fort Bragg.
commanded all U.S. Special Operations Forces during the Operation Just Cause, Panama
commanded a joint special operations task force during Operation Desert Storm, Iraq
1984 and 1985: Commanded the 75th Ranger Regiment at Fort Benning, Georgia

Post 9/11
In 2001, Downing came out of retirement to coordinate the national campaign "to detect, disrupt and destroy global terrorist organizations and those who support them." [2].
He held the title of National Director and Deputy National Security Adviser for combating terrorism.
He reported to then-NSA Condoleezza Rice and Homeland Security director Tom Ridge.

THE FINAL INSPECTION

The soldier stood and faced his God,
Which must always come to pass.
He hoped his shoes were shining,
Just as brightly as his brass.

“Step forward now, you soldier,
How shall I deal with you?
Have you always turned the other cheek?
To My Church have you been true?”

The soldier squared his shoulders and said,
“No, Lord, I guess I ain’t.
Because those of us who carry guns,
Can’t always be a saint.

I’ve had to work most Sundays,
And at times my talk was tough.
And sometimes I’ve been violent,
Because the world is awfully rough.

But, I never took a penny,
That wasn’t mine to keep...
Though I worked a lot of overtime,
When the bills got just too steep.

And I never passed a cry for help,
Though at times I shook with fear.
And sometimes, God, forgive me,
I’ve wept unmanly tears.

I know I don’t deserve a place,
Among the people here.
They never wanted me around,
Except to calm their fears.

If you’ve a place for me here, Lord,
It needn’t be so grand.
I never expected or had too much,
But if you don’t, I’ll understand.”

There was a silence all around the throne,
Where the saints had often trod.
As the soldier waited quietly,
For the judgment of his God.

“Step forward now, you soldier,
You’ve borne your burdens well.
Walk peacefully on Heaven’s streets,
You’ve done your time in Hell.”

Author unknown.

I don't really know much about Gen Downing, but I remember his name from the The Downing Report he wrote for the DoD during Clinton's administration.

Gen Downing was commissioned to write a report about the Khobar Towers terrorist attack.

One of the reasons that Gen Ron Fogleman, then the Air Force Chief of Staff, resigned was because he vehemently disagreed with Gen Downing's assestment and the repercutions thereof.

Gen Downing found great fault in Gen Schwalier - who took the fall and was disgraced. Many Generals, in all branches of the service, were outraged. It came to light that Gen Schwalier had taken security measures that incredible at the time - to include measures that ticked off the Saudis.

Moreover, Gen Downing gave recommendations that the military should have invested in more high tech security equipment - equipment that Gen Downing had a large financial interest in as a contractor.

Here is but one link to one story on the net - there are many others:

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“The station chief’s analysis was that ‘the primary threat was Riyadh but other areas were possibilities as well,’” Schwalier said. “When I asked what else I should be doing in light of this new input, the station chief response was (I remember it well), ‘just keep doing what you are doing&’

“Contrary to what the intelligence community may have suggested, I was never advised of a specific terrorist threat to Khobar Towers,” Schwalier told me.

On his own initiative, Schwalier had posted roof top guards at the housing complex several months before the attack. Khobar Towers was the only U.S. military housing in Saudi Arabia to have such tight security. Those guards managed to clear half of the building in the three to five minutes between the time they first saw a suspicious truck ram into the rear gate and the explosion. Without Schwalier’s foresight, and their alert reaction, the death toll would undoubtedly have been much higher. As often happens in Washington, Schwalier was not rewarded for his actions, but punished. A hasty investigation, chaired by General Wayne A. Downing, a retired Army officer and former commander of U.S. Special Operations Command, blasted Schwalier for having failed to “adequately protect his forces from a terrorist attack.”

________________________________________________________________________________

As a former Brig Gen told me (he is since retired), "The Clinton Administration wanted a fall guy, and Gen Downing provided them with one - Gen Schwalier. The truth is Schwalier went above and beyond to protect his folks, and was cut off at the knees. That is one reason Gen Fogleman resigned - in disgust."

Like I said, I don't know much else about Gen Downing. I know he made 4-star and served his nation greatly. But, that report he authored didn't set well with many people. He could have done a better job in my opinion - and perhaps it could have served as a wake up call to Islamic Fascism years prior to 911.

Khobar Towers was a disgrace. It was a disgrace because of grossly negligent leadership that allowed an enemy within 30 METERS of a using barracks. Absolutely undeniably negligent.

Just to set aside any doubt about Gen Downing, he was our overall JSOC commander when we went into Panama. That was during GHW Bush's presidency, so the man got his stars under Reagan and Bush. Clinton was FORCED to use Downing, because of his stellar reputation and because Downing was the acknowledged expert on security. Downing led from the front, and was with us in Panama when it was hot, he grieved with us over the fallen, and he didn't play pantywaist army games handing out awards like candy. He expected his Special Forces to be brave. You pretty much had to be dead to get a "V" out of Wayne Downing. He was tough as nails.

At Khobar Towers the enemy packed a truck with the equivalent of about 30000 pounds of TNT and got within mere meters of our barracks DURING A THREATCON CHARLEY period of time! Some leader was negligent. There is no doubt. Who every approved walls being no further away than 30 meters in an anti-American culture? Who didn't have watchers available around the perimeter of an American compound? Who hadn't extended the perimeter by the use of barriers and the blocking of roads during a threatcon Charley? Absolutely unbelievable.

Whoever had approved such a security plan in an anti-American culture had to be either crazy or grossly negligent. The same with anyone who perpetuated it.

30 METERS -- That's about the length of an average American house and garage. Unbelievable.

Finally, Downing was in charge of a security firm because he was an expert in SECURITY.

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