Obama Nominates Rodriguez as Next Africa Command Chief (4-Star Carter Ham relieved of command_

American Forces Press Service AFRICOM.mil ^ | Oct 19, 2012 | By Jim Garamone

[combat_boots]

WASHINGTON, D.C., Oct 19, 2012 — President Obama has nominated Army General David M. Rodriguez to succeed Army General Carter F. Ham as the commander of U.S. Africa Command, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta said, October 18, 2012.

U.S. Africa Command is the newest combatant command, and its headquarters is in Stuttgart, Germany. The command encompasses all of Africa and its adjacent waters except for Egypt.

The Senate must confirm Rodriguez, who currently is commander of U.S. Army Forces Command at Fort Bragg, N.C.

"He has served in a variety of key leadership roles on the battlefield," Panetta said in announcing the nomination. Rodriguez was the first commander of the International Security Assistance Force Joint Command, the corps-level command in Afghanistan. He was the commander during the surge into Afghanistan, "and was a key architect of the successful campaign plan that we are now implementing," Panetta said.

Ham has served as the Africa Command chief since March 2011. "Under his leadership, Africom has played a very central role in some very important missions," the secretary said. "From the NATO campaign in Libya that led to the fall of Gadhafi to successful counterterrorism efforts in Somalia [and] Yemen to efforts we are now involved in in Nigeria and Mali and elsewhere, General Ham has really brought Africom into a very pivotal role in that challenging region."

The nation is "deeply grateful for his outstanding service," he said.

Panetta also announced the nomination of Lt. Gen. John M. Paxton Jr. to receive his fourth star and serve as the next assistant commandant of the Marine Corps. He would succeed Gen. Joseph F. Dunford Jr., whom the president has nominated to command coalition and U.S. troops in Afghanistan. Paxton is commander of Marine Corps Forces Command, Marine Fleet Force Atlantic and U.S. Marine Corps Forces Europe. Paxton and Dunford also must be confirmed for their jobs by the Senate.

[puppypusher]

General David M. Rodriguez.

Is this another Perfumed Pantagon Prince or can he actually do something to defend the country?

Sorry about the error,but I misspelled Pentagon.My damn fingers are typing to fast.

[Cicero]

It’s extremely hard to know whom to ask and whom to trust. But it would be good if the next C-I-C, assuming it isn’t the Traitor in Chief again, were to look into the top ranks of the military and retire a number of the bad guys.

One clue, I think, would be to fire everyone who was fast-tracked by Obama or Clinton.

It’s a pretty safe rule that Obama hasn’t made one good appointment anywhere during his time in the White House. Not one.

A baby killer as head of the health department. A Communist as head of the military. Insane Czars all over the place. Lesbian whackos on the Supreme Court. He has an almost perfect record of promoting and appointing the worst possible people imaginable.

Would Romney clean out this mess? Frankly, I doubt it. Bush did little or nothing to clean out Clinton’s mess, even though clinton appointees constantly undermined his administration for eight years. I fear that Romney will do no better.

[WilliamofCarmichael]

They hijacked the Democratic Party in the 1970s.

He's their ideological issue..

and others of that ilk occupy the federal government.

Bill Gertz wrote in his 2008 book, The Failure Factory..

One of the biggest danger to America is the professional bureaucrats in State, Defense, Justice and the White House executive staff. Many have an agenda that is "overwhelmingly dominated by the long-discredited left-liberal policies that came to dominate the worst of the Democratic Party in the 1960s and 1970s." During the Bush Administration the upper ranks of the military included "Clinton's generals" who had been schooled in political correctness and opposed Bush policies and programs.

So maybe Obama is cleaning house of the Bush generals.. getting ready for term two.

That of course will led to the much-awaited crisis Abe explains from "the other side."

You initiated a policy to tolerate the Marxist-Alinsky radicals and let them rant; not only has it not ceased but was constantly augmented by decades of infiltration and indoctrination. You now have two Americas. In my opinion, it will not cease until a crisis shall have been reached and passed. "A house divided against itself cannot stand." I believe this government cannot endure, permanently, half statist and half free; I do not expect the house to fall; but I do expect it will cease to be divided. It will become all one thing, or all the other.

As we approach that crisis the military will have to choose sides.

[downtownconservative]

Then let’s hope he hasn’t been turned!

[LibertyOh]

I don’t think Romney got his reputation as a turnaround artist by trying to leave things alone. He’ll go after identifying and correcting the problems in a big way. If this means, as it must, big changes in “management” - he will do it. Like Reagan, he knows how to surround himself with smart people and use their talents to achieve his stated goals.

[blueunicorn6]

If Rodriguez was the key architect of the campaign plan we’re so successfully following in Afghanistan, then, no, he deserves to be retired. Victory is all that counts in war, and Afghanistan is getting ready to go down in the record books as a loss. 11years. Over 2000 dead Soldiers. I love our Soldiers and I honor their service, but folks, this one is going down as a loss. And there are way too many losers getting promoted and being allowed to retire.

[Wuli]

“and was a key architect of the successful campaign plan that we are now implementing,”

Panetta has a really funny way of measuring “success”. Our combat deaths are up and not from deaths while on patrols or engagement missions but deaths from our guys and our bases coming under attack and more successful attacks. That’s sucess?

[Verginius Rufus]

They need to update their map. South Sudan is now an independent country as of 2011, and a member of the United Nations.

[Nifster]

Good Lord they seem to be making a sweep of anyone who would disagree with them.....this is way too scary

[Cicero]

I hope you’re right. One of Bush’s worst failures was his failure to shovel out the manure that Clinton left in his administration.

The Democrats have a habit of making lots of appointments of fanatics who think their way, and the Republicans have a habit of going along with it.

Let’s hope that Romney is different. The story of the Augean Stables comes to mind. A whole lot of shoveling out is desperately needed.

[CodeToad]

[plangent]

I think you are referring to William Ward who was releived of AFRICOM in March for lavish spending. Ham succeeded him and has done a fine job in a politically charged environment of growing Islamic agitation pitted against Obama’s insistence that all is right in the Arab Spring.

[ViLaLuz]

I hope not... I saw him angrily walk out of a press conference because of stupid reporter questions... He got my admiration that day.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Info on Benghazi keeps coming out.....

Check the keyword for Benghazi....absolute torrents of articles and statements.

Saw an abbreviated Brett Baer Special Report on the Benghazi coverup ,...attack this morning.

Expect more to be shown tonight and Sunday ...believe at 10 pm EST.

[muffaletaman]

OMG... this is like the new TV series “Last Resort” except it is for real!

Not Good...

:-(

[DManA]

It’s out there. Here for example:

http://www.tigerdroppings.com/rant/p/37144547/Interesting-Rumor-Concerning-General-Carter-Ham-and-Stand-Down-Order.aspx

[Sioux-san]

Good grief - I did get that wrong - I had no idea that Ward was already replaced by someone that is trying to do the right thing...which would be the opposite of what our PINO wants.

[Triple]

Interesting - He needs to be in front of a camera. He reminds me of Ron Brown right now.

[Triple]

Interesting - He needs to be in front of a camera. He reminds me of Ron Brown right now.

I would believe it if he said “not on my watch do we let them fight this out alone on a rooftop in Benghazi. - If I can’t act to save them, I’m out!”