Bush Likely to Tap Marine to Head Military

Associated Press ^ | 4-20-2005 | ROBERT BURNS

[kingattax]

WASHINGTON (AP) - Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld has recommended to President Bush that he nominate Marine Gen. Peter Pace to be the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, a senior official said Wednesday.

Bush was expected to announce his choice soon, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Pace, 59, currently the Joint Chiefs vice chairman, would be the first Marine to hold the top job in the military. The Joint Chiefs chairman is the senior uniformed adviser to the president and the secretary of defense.

It is widely expected that Bush will name Navy Adm. Edmund Giambastiani, Jr., to succeed Pace as vice chairman. Giambastiani, 56, was Rumsfeld's senior military assistant before being named commander of U.S. Joint Forces Command in 2002.

The Pace and Giambastiani moves are among many changes in the works at senior levels of the Pentagon. The Navy's top officer, Adm. Vern Clark, is due to retire this summer, and the Air Force chief of staff, Gen. John Jumper, is due to depart this fall. The job of Air Force secretary is vacant, and the current Navy secretary, Gordon England, has been nominated to replace Paul Wolfowitz as deputy defense secretary. Rumsfeld's top policy aide, Douglas Feith, also is leaving.

If confirmed by the Senate, Pace would succeed Air Force Gen. Richard Myers, who is scheduled to retire late this summer after four years as chairman.

Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., and raised in Teaneck, N.J., Pace graduated from the Naval Academy and got a master's degree in business administration from George Washington University.

After basic training in 1968, he was sent to Vietnam as a rifle platoon leader. He later served in Korea, as a commander for two years during the Somali intervention, in Japan and as head of the U.S. Southern Command.

He became vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs in 2001, shortly after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

The Joint Chiefs chairman has the authority to transmit communications from the president and defense secretary to leaders of the nation's combatant commands, but does not exercise direct military command over any forces.

[Mudboy Slim]

"Generally speaking, the USMC is ever bit as good as the Army and don't let anyone tell you different! Know why Marines have T.G.I.F on the sides of their boots? Toes Go In First"

Nuthin' personal, but the way I was raised, you got yer Navy folks, and then you got everybody else!!

LOL...mmmmmmmMUD

[Mudboy Slim]

I'm with you until the End of Time, mi hermano...MUD

[You Dirty Rats]

Ping.

[txradioguy]

So if Gen. Pace becomes the Joint Chief....does that mean all of the Naval Infantry gets a week off to celebrate?

LMAO!!!!!


(Sorry couldn't resist a bit of good natured inter-service good humor).

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

And now a word from our Sponsors of Free Speech Click on a service emblem to send an online
Thank You to a service man or woman in any branch.

Army	Navy	Marines	Air Force	Coast Guard

[Mudboy Slim]

"...does that mean all of the Naval Infantry gets a week off to celebrate?"

Heck!! Considering all the good work our military has been doing, let's give them ALL an extra week of R&R...MUD

[IGOTMINE]

I was expecting Jones to come back from EUCOM.

Didn't Pace request to retire a year or so back after some silly press flap?

[IGOTMINE]

WOW! A three war Marine.

I salute your father's service. I wish I could have met him.

Semper Fi!

[Coop]

I don't recall the retirement request. Doesn't mean it didn't happen, though.

[Chieftain]

You gotta see this! Marine Corps BUMP for General Peter Pace!

[quadrant]

Given the disarray in the Army and the disfavor into which the service has fallen, the Army will be lucky if a Marine General is not appointed Army Chief of Staff.

[TomasUSMC]

O Hot diggiddy dang! A GERMAN POPE AND A MARINE IN CHARGE HERE! muslim terrorist are starting to see


DA PATTERN!

[quadrant]

Only two things I don't like about this guy.
First, he's been through airborne training, and there is no indication in his bio that he was ever assigned to a unit that requires that sort of training.
Unless one is assigned to a unit that jumps, there is no reason for a Marine to earn paratrooper wings.
Unfortunately, the Army's tendency to collect badges has seeped over into the Marine Corps.

Secondly, he has a Master's degree. There is no particular reason an officer needs to go graduate school. A better place to spend a year or so would be in command of an operational unit.
Again, the Army's practice of sending officers to earn graduate degrees has seeped into the Corps.

[streetpreacher]

LOL

[ChildOfThe60s]

He used to tell me about some of the great ones from WWII. The Marines were small enough in number that he had been around many.

Interesting trivia, if I could remember it. My mother changed the diapers of a future Commandant, but I can't remember his name.

I also inherited this brass ashtray commemorating the 178th birthday of the corps. I believe he also brought this back from Korea as that was the time he was serving there.

[Last Dakotan]

Pace is a Catholic to boot.

Schumer know this? He hates Catholics.

[TomasUSMC]

AH HELL, aH SHIITE, ITS ON NOW BOY!




Hahahahahahaha

[opbuzz]

As I recall, during Somalia, Gen Pace was still running 15+ minute three miles! This was when I was at SOCCENT.

OBTW Chieftain..

Damn! I'm glad!

Doubly Glad!

The second glad that they got their looks from Mom!

Twin Semper Fi's!!

Both my sons were Marines.
Buzz


(Chieftains twins gonna join the USMC)

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the ping!

[BIGLOOK]

Although I was Navy and surrounded by Marines for years, I like the choice.

Semper Fi! DevilDog!