I’ve been retired since 1997 and have been out of the civilian-military loop since then. All I know about Gen. McChrystal is what I’ve read in the papers. Seems like a pretty straight shooter. I would’ve thought that anyone who earned four stars and rose to command one of the U&S Commands, (do they still call them that?) would’ve had something on the ball, and commanded the respect of his troops.
That, or he’s a successful lobbyist who excels at memo-writing, politicking with the right politicians, punches the right tickets, and made sure the troops under his command looked good on inspection. Not everyone rises based on merit.