Posted on 03/29/2002 10:27:59 AM PST by Pancho13
Rumsfeld Blasts Top Brass General, admiral had complained publicly
By RICHARD SISK Daily News Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON
Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld ripped two four-star officers yesterday for saying U.S. service members were tired and running out of a key weapon in the war on terror.
Rumsfeld also announced the death of a Navy SEAL, who stepped on a land mine near Kandahar, Afghanistan.
In a rare public rebuke for the top brass, Rumsfeld and Gen. Richard Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, used a televised Pentagon briefing to criticize Army Gen. William Kernan and Adm. Robert Natter, commander of the Atlantic Fleet.
Rumsfeld said Kernan, chief of the Joint Forces Command, was out of line for telling a House panel two weeks ago that the troops were tired because "we are busier than we have ever been."
Rumsfeld said the 1.4 million men and women on active duty don't "begin to fit that characterization."
Natter came under fire for saying the Navy had run short of joint direct attack munitions, or J-DAMs, and had to borrow some of the satellite-guided bombs from the Air Force.
"We damn near ran out in Afghanistan," Natter said three weeks ago.
"The inventory is not depleted," said Myers, who then got into trouble himself. "Even my wife understood this one."
That drew oohs from the media crowd.
"You're in trouble everywhere now," Rumsfeld said in mock horror. "When you say, 'even my wife' — even I know better than to say that."
Myers sheepishly sought to recover by saying, "Mary Jo, turn off the TV."
Uncertainty Persists
After giving an overview of the war, which they said showed steady progress, Rumsfeld and Myers bristled at questions about the troops' readiness.
But concern is widespread at the Pentagon that U.S. forces may be overextended by worldwide commitments.
Top Pentagon officials also have acknowledged that they are pressing manufacturers to churn out more J-DAMs.
Retired Rear Adm. Eugene Carroll said the rebuke of two top officers was highly unusual.
"Reprimands are usually done in private for going off the reservation," he said.
In other developments:
Chief Petty Officer Matthew Bourgeois, 35, a Navy SEAL from Tallahassee, Fla., was killed when he stepped on a land mine during a training exercise near Kandahar. Another serviceman, who was not identified, was wounded in the blast but was expected to recover. Pakistani police arrested more than 30 Islamic militants, including some alleged members of Al Qaeda, in raids in the cities of Lahore and Faisalbad in Punjab province. One suspect was killed and four wounded in shootouts during the raids, the Interior Ministry said.
Original Publication Date: 3/29/02
The media have their own agenda and will go to any lengths to push it.
Sure, algores vast military experience was a big factor, and Sec Def. cohens vast military experience was a huge factor, too.
Sorry, troll, leadership is not an issue here.
Rummy was a combat pilot as well as serving in the defense department before. GW was a jet jockey, and there are others.
This admiral and general are the pos that you are!
Our military is running better than it has since WWII, and that is driving you up the wall!
Read the transcript of this meeting, and you might learn something!
Some folks equate being busy, with being stressed out, tired, sore, worn out... at the very end of their rope. To them happiness is a day at the office copier.
Other folks equate being busy, with meeting a mission in life, doing a great job, getting things done, enjoying their work (even if it is slitting throats), and absolutely LOVE what they do... and warriors actually LIKE war, KILLING the enemy, BREAKING things, SNAPPING spines and honoring their families, nation and friends by laying their lives down EVERY DAY.
During the Clinton years, a LOT of the first kind of folks made advances in their careers. These are the "coffee shop" promotions. I think it is safe to say that these clowns are NOT going to progress any further. We need to call back some of our older warriors, and insist these idiotic pukes resign. Today.
A question or two for you. Who in the military does NOT know to keep the pie hole shut during a time of war? PERIOD?
And HOW the hell did these ever guys get an officer's commision to begin with?
Do you think this could possibly be a contrived "spat" for international consumption? I hope so.
The military men I have in proximity to me, cannot wait to get orders. Look forward to doing their job, winning the war, and kicking the bad guys arses, wherever they are sent. To a man.
Why would we be telling the evil axis that we are incompetent, tired, unprepared and at our wits end, unless the "game were afoot?" I just don't get it. That MAY be a good thing. heh heh.
Remember on each reply form here on FR is the slogan "Loose lips sink ships." That saying is definitely aimed at this type of blunder made by these senior officers.
Military Readiness should be discussed with Congress by Rummy. PERIOD Oh to be sure he could carry along any "stars" he wished, but decissions to discuss readiness should be his alone, and I am quite certain not only these two officers know that but every other officer in uniform. They should have know it before they shot their mouths off.
Times are a changing and when the Top Brass shoots off their fat mouths and put not only they military in danager but also all Americans in danager then they should be blasted for it ..
Good for Rummy
Rumsfeld: Well, first, I don't believe some of the CINCs did say, quote, "that the American troops are overextended and exhausted." There may have been a CINC who said it. And there's no question but that if you looked around the world, you could find a troop or two who's tired, and with good reason. They've been doing a great job.But I think it would be a fundamental misunderstanding for him to think or for anyone to take his words and believe that the men and women in uniform around the world for the United States would even begin to fit that characterization. They don't. Those of you have been out and talked to them, you know that. You know they're up. Their morale is high. They're doing a great job. They're proud of what they're doing. They recognize the importance of what they're doing. And it's a disservice to them to leave that impression, in my view.
[The italics are, obviously, mine to emphasize an important distinction that Rumsfeld made.]
Also there is the spectre of Kerry complaining about admin decisions last week.
Perhaps they didn't think a congressional House Panel were the bad guys. Should have know better I suppose. Incidently this looks like a security briefing to me. Were they supposed to lie to them?
I know congressional Reps lie to everyone else, but it might be that they thought they were doing the right thing by being honest. Would it be asking to much for the Congressional Reps to keep their mouths shut?
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