U.S. General Steps Down from NATO Atlantic Command

Reuters | 7/02/02

[kattracks]

July 2

— BRUSSELS (Reuters) - NATO announced on Tuesday that General William Kernan would step down as the U.S. Army's Supreme Allied Commander, Atlantic, and said his post may remain unfilled pending a review of its command structure.

NATO has launched a comprehensive review of its military high command structure, which will be approved at a NATO summit in Prague this November.

Aimed at streamlining a cumbersome system set up at the height of the Cold War, the review could scrap NATO's Atlantic Command in Norfolk, Virginia, and keep just its European military headquarters outside Mons in southern Belgium.

The command overhaul is part of a drive to gear NATO for new threats underlined by the September 11 attacks on the United States, ensuring it has flexible forces which can quickly be dispatched well beyond the Euro-Atlantic area.

NATO said in a statement that its Defense Planning Committee had agreed to a request from President Bush to release Kernan as Supreme Allied Commander, Atlantic (SACLANT). He would probably step down in October.

An alliance official said the Pentagon needed the general for other duties as part of the U.S. military's "transformation" into a leaner and more mobile force for the 21st century.

NATO said the committee would consider a proposal not to fill Kernan's position "pending agreement on SACLANT's future" and that meanwhile his deputy would take responsibility for day-to-day operations.

Copyright 2002 Reuters News Service. All rights reserved.

[habaes corpussel]

The next Army Chief of Staff? We lost another good guy last week too:

United States - - The Deputy National Security Adviser for Combatting Terrorism, Gen. Wayne A. Downing (ret.) resigned on 27 Jun. 2002 after 10 months in the post. No reason for his resignation was given. He is to be replaced by the current director of the Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration. Downing was the leading proponent of aggressive and unconventional approaches to counterterrorism. [Source: Washington Post, Thomas E. Ricks, 28 Jun. 2002]

[TADSLOS]

The next Army Chief of Staff?

Keane, not Kernan.

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

Why weren't these guys stepping down like this during the Klinton administration? Instead of making Klinton look bad with high-level resignations, they wait for Bush to come in so that they can make him look bad instead. Considering how much Klinton hates the military, I would have expected more from a bunch of military guys.

[Paladin2b]

One question: What the heck was a US **ARMY** General doing as SACLANT in the first place? I thought that posting was reserved for a USN four-star admiral, namely the commander of the US Atlantic Fleet.

[RightWhale]

NATO can be disbanded anytime. Its mission is over.

[kattracks]

NATO said in a statement that its Defense Planning Committee had agreed to a request from President Bush to release Kernan as Supreme Allied Commander, Atlantic (SACLANT). He would probably step down in October.

An alliance official said the Pentagon needed the general for other duties as part of the U.S. military's "transformation" into a leaner and more mobile force for the 21st century.

[fogarty]

One answer is that the press publicizes events like this more often. During Klinton's reign that the resignation of a high-ranking general would probably not even be mentioned by the lapdog press.

[PhiKapMom]

This four-star General and other Generals you are seeing leaving are most likely the ones promoted under clinton who Rumsfeld and company along with the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs have determined should not be there.

General Mike Ryan former Air Force Chief of Staff who retired when his tour was up, is one of the few Generals promoted during the clinton reign that was loyal to the Air Force and his people and not the clintons. He spoke up at the Armed Services hearings to tell the real story of what was happening to the Air Force including all the money that the Air Force had to eat from clinton's lavish trips overseas where on one trip 40+ trips were made by C-117 cargo planes to transport everything him and his huge entourage needed.

SecDef Rumsfeld is surrounded by a lot of Generals who were promoted during the Cohen/clinton years that are not the best and slowly being weeded out. I would tend to think this is one of those!

And why isn't this a 4-star Admiral slot to begin with?

[habaes corpussel]

"Why weren't these guys stepping down like this during the Klinton administration? Instead of making Klinton look bad with high-level resignations, they wait for Bush to come in so that they can make him look bad instead. Considering how much Klinton hates the military, I would have expected more from a bunch of military guys."

As far as I know General Kernan is stepping down for bigger and better things within DoD. Downing, that's another story. This is not good news. This is also not a surprise either. This has been a runor at the Pentagon for a couple of months now. There are a couple of different stories in the loop. A lot has to do with the internal WH Politics, but Downing's wife also had a huge influence. I can't blame her at all. As far as the politics is concerned. Well thats politics. It is a loss to all of us.

[habaes corpussel]

Thank you for the correction. I caught the mistake to late. Names are close though. Though Kernan is not retiring, on to bigger and better things in DoD. Thanks Again.

[pabianice]

An commander at this level stepping down instead of being relieved is most likely because either (1) the Bush Administration wants him out or (2) major reorg coming, or both.

[CyberAnt]

Does anybody have any sense that this recent resignation of military people is the Bush Admin's attempt to get rid of the Clinton people??

[xzins]

Downing was my CG when we went to Panama. He's a good, no nonsense guy.

He HATES giving out worthless medals. If you get a medal under his tenure you either died a hero or you really were one.

He's also the guy who showed the air force where their security broke down at Kohlbar Towers.

BTW, They should get rid of the NATO 4 star slot and swap it between the USAREUR/NAVEUR/AFEUR 4 star slots.

[habaes corpussel]

Yes Downing was a great guy, it will be a loss. You are also correct on the 4 star slot at NATO. Its a waste and always at odds with the other CINC's.

[archy]

NATO can be disbanded anytime. Its mission is over.

Not necessarily. The forces of the former Soviet Union, having divested themselves of the fowmer Warsaw Pact weaker reeds with which they were formerly aligned, now appear to be seeking an aliance with a new partner, upon which the European NATO nations may yet need to maintain a watchful eye. Indeed, Science/Social fiction writer Dr. Jerry Pournelle suggested something of the sort years ago:

Chronology

From The Mote in God's Eye by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle

1969 Neil Armstrong sets foot on Earth's Moon.
1990 Series of treaties between United States and Soviet Union creates the CoDominium.

[habaes corpussel]

"Does anybody have any sense that this recent resignation of military people is the Bush Admin's attempt to get rid of the Clinton people??"

Downing is not a Clintonite, I can assure you of that. Kernan is a decent guy as well. Now the President still has a lot of dead wood he is holding onto for some reason. I hope Rummy gets the dead wood out soon. General Abrams is going in August after his daughter get married at the Knox's Chapel, the real reason for the extension of his command. He was due out in March. Abrams is part of the problem and not part of the solution. Now lets see who gets TRADOC. Thats an important one right now. Hopefully it will not be a heavy guy. It needs to be a infantry guy....

[Grampa Dave]

Everyone needs to take a deep breath and re read this paragraph:

An alliance official said the Pentagon needed the general for other duties as part of the U.S. military's "transformation" into a leaner and more mobile force for the 21st century.

The General is not leaving our Army. He is leaving Nato. Also, from what I read, President Bush will not replace General William Kernan with anyone at NATO!

Now that everyone has re read this, it appears to me at least, this is could be the end of Nato as our heavy involvement. President GW is pulling out a good general and not replacing him. What does that tell you about Nato and President Bush and Rummy?

[ruoflaw]

I hope you are right about NATO!

[snopercod]

Rumsfeld is taking out the clinton-era trash.