Posted on 04/21/2008 7:19:57 AM PDT by TigerLikesRooster
Pentagon chief says Air Force should do more
By ROBERT BURNS
16 minutes ago
Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Monday the Air Force is not doing enough to help in the Iraq and Afghanistan war effort, complaining that some military leaders are "stuck in old ways of doing business."
Gates complained in a speech at Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala., that getting the Air Force to send more surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft to Iraq and Afghanistan has been "like pulling teeth."
The Pentagon chief praised the Air Force for its overall contributions but made a point of urging it to do more and to undertake more creative ways of thinking about helping the war effort.
He said he has been trying for months to get the Air Force to send more surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft, like the pilotless Predator drone that provides real-time surveillance video, to the battlefield.
"Because people were stuck in old ways of doing business, it's been like pulling teeth," Gates said. "While we've doubled this capability in recent months, it is still not good enough."
To push the issue harder, Gates said he established last week a Pentagon-wide task force "to work this problem in the weeks to come, to find more innovative and bold ways to help those whose lives are on the line."
Questions:
Q: What does the USAF call the bubba who flys the model airplane? A:Major. After “flying”, he returns to his BOQ to nurse his grudge about not being in a cockpit by checking to make sure his flight pay is current.
Q: What does the USA call the bubba who flys the model airplane? A:Specialist. After “flying”, he reports to the 1SG for his shift on guard/ serving chow/ etc. etc.
Q: Which method serves the 11B10 kicking in doors and the American taxpayer best? A: You decide
I suspect that Bush has been wrestling with some of the top leaders in the Pentagon ever since he came into office. He fired a few of the worst clintonoids, but I’m sure many still remain in place. Rummy put the pressure on them, and there was nothing but whining and complaining to the MSM from many top officers, until he was finally made a scapegoat and dismissed.
Bush sometimes also dealt with the problem by bypassing the chain of command. Tommy Franks was put in charge of the invasion, for instance, and the top brass were simply taken out of the loop, bitching and moaning and telling the MSM it would be a quagmire.
It’s not an easy problem, because civilians give the orders, but need to rely on military people to know how to carry them out. It’s not a good idea to second guess the advice of expert subordinates, the way LBJ sometimes did in Vietnam. I’m sure the top brass in the airforce have a million excuses why they need more time and more funding before they can do what Gates asks.
Gates must be really frustrated to come out openly like this, because he knows what happened to Rumsfeld.
Top shouldn't have to micromanage that way.
The spec 4's Squad Leader should have taken care of the detail assignment.
I think you are feeding us a bunch of crap.....AF retiree here, with 4 tours in SEA. The 67 tour, along side the Mekong River was no day at the beach...
You know the difference between being on welfare and being in the Air Force?
When you're on welfare, you have to go get your check.
damn skippy -
I was speaking a little figuratively.
Getting them to? WTF?
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2002373/posts
The Air Force insists that UAV operators be rated officers, a complete waste of million dollar training.
It was fine when the Air Force was dropping flying billets and a bunch of rated officers were facing reassignment or separation, but that was peacetime.
The Air Force should allow either senior NCOs or at least non-rated officers to train to become UAV operators.
Yeah, you gotta wonder about Gates' mindset. Either that or he's still trying to be the anti-Rumsfeld.
One of my offspring in an Ensign in the Navy. When in ODS one of the tests they gave them was that there are 100 tons os supplies on the dock; you are responsible for getting it on the ship and stowed away. My kid was the only one out of 75 that passed the test. When asked my kid turned to the Master Chief and said "Master Chief load these supplies on the ship and stow them properly." It was a Master Chief that was grading the class. All of the others were drawing diagrams and plans and trying to figure out what to do. When I went to my kid's graduation the Master Chief took me aside and shook my hand and thanked my for making his job easier. He added that in two years of instructing ODS that this was the first time a candidate had ever done it exactly correctly. Point is giving orders is what is all about and the brass have become to political.
But you can't 'accept' those excuses in private, then turn around & publicly b*tch that your desires aren't being fulfilled. It just makes you look like a weak, ineffectual leader who can be rolled by his underlings.
Ooooah!
Thank you for your service ONEBYONE; looks like another day to mock the AF.
I don’t disagree with you. I’ve been saying since 2000 that Bush’s biggest failing is not to broom out his agencies. That goes especially for all the clintonoids in the FBI and the CIA, but also the State Department and the Pentagon.
It’s not easy to do, but clinton did it. It was Job #1 for clinton, to install loyal flunkies at all the levers of power. Bush never really confronted this inheritance, and as a result it has continually bit him in the *ss as well as undermined our country.
But Gates can’t do it without Bush’s total support. Rumsfeld tried to work on it, but I don’t think he had as much support as he needed, and in the end he was made a scapegoat—just like the guy assigned to broom out the CIA.
The clintonoids are still sitting at the levers of power.
Maybe they should learn and perform their primary mission as opposed to the great stories of the last 6 months:
Report Finds Air Force Officers Steered Contract:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/17/AR2008041702248.html?hpid=moreheadlines
F-16 fires on SUV while training at Utah Test and Training Range:
http://www.f-16.net/news_article2825.html
US Mistakenly Ships Missile Parts to Taiwan:
http://www.voanews.com/english/2008-03-25-ustaiwan.cfm
Air Force Mistakenly Flies 6 Nuclear Warheads Over U.S.:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,295797,00.html
As a towed Vulcan platoon leader 30 years ago, three of my four squad leaders were Spec 4s. I had a good (senior E-6) Platoon Sergeant, and had several Tac Evals under my belt as a Chaparral Plt Ldr.
It was a blast to watch these young men grow before my eyes ...young men, LOL, I was 24! My squad leaders were barely 21-22, but they were far more receptive to constructive criticism than the more experienced squad leaders in the other platoons. I let my PSG handle the day to day stuff, and he took care of it, as a professional NCO should.
The other platoons looked down on us, and I developed a real chip on the shoulder, and my guys took my lead. It was such a great feeling when ours was the only platoon to pass the Tac Eval that had the highest level of visibility in our command.
We Soldiers do appreciate your support.
People on rats were alloted a specific amount for each day. It didn’t matter which branch they were in. The USMC didn’t give a dam about plates..
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