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For United States Navy rear admirals, a bad week
lowell sun ^ | 2/20 | peter lucas

Posted on 02/20/2015 6:09:09 AM PST by luke1825

It may not have been a shot heard around the world, but it certainly was a shot that reverberated throughout the United States Navy.

No, it was not the scandal involving the censure of three U.S. Navy rear admirals for being on the take, which is bad enough. It was Navy war hero Sen. John McCain calling a fourth rear admiral "an idiot."

(Excerpt) Read more at lowellsun.com ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: kirby; mccain; navy
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To: rjsimmon; luke1825

How many in all services’ upper ranks can you find not to be cowards. Those taking bribes need to be stripped of everything they have and in the slammer including their present boss!!!


21 posted on 02/20/2015 6:42:08 AM PST by danamco (-)
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To: MinuteGal

Actually he was forced out by the new SecDef. To me that was a principled action because he didn’t want a uniformed office to be in this position. The new SecDef hasn’t got a chance.


22 posted on 02/20/2015 6:42:47 AM PST by ImJustAnotherOkie
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To: T-Bird45

McCain would never call barry an idiot


23 posted on 02/20/2015 6:43:26 AM PST by italianquaker
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To: MinuteGal

How much bribes has McPain taken???


24 posted on 02/20/2015 6:46:59 AM PST by danamco (-)
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To: mad_as_he$$
"In answer to your question:aviation, medical and suuply to name a few."

Who commands the Aircraf carriers, medical ships and supply ships? I would think that would be the path for those types. I can understand perhaps a doctor or chaplain never being in command of something, but there aren't that many Admirals that are chaplains or doctors right? Maybe one of each and they are probably in command of all the other chaplains and doctors. Being an old jarhead, to me this is the equivalent of a Marine General never being in command of any Battalions, Regiments or Divisions.
25 posted on 02/20/2015 6:50:52 AM PST by Old Teufel Hunden
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To: Old Teufel Hunden
How the heck can you rise to the rank of Admiral in the United States Navy and never command so much as a tin can?

It used to be that at one time, in my beloved Corps, that no one could rise to the rank of Colonel without having been in combat. Now there are birds that have never even had command. I had more command time than a CoS in one of the last commands I served, and yet he made it to Colonel and I topped out at Major. Gotta know the right people who sit on the boards.

26 posted on 02/20/2015 6:57:59 AM PST by rjsimmon (The Tree of Liberty Thirsts)
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To: Old Teufel Hunden

We are a Navy family...30 yrs.
This guy, Kirby, is a qualified Surface Warfare Officer...see the Surface Warfare pin on his left side...but he’s a PAO specialty meaning after a tour or two as a SWO, he went PAO. He made Rear Admiral in this specialty.
We, in the Navy, consider most of these folks BS artists and getting to flag rank by being a BS artist, well, you do the math.
A lot of flag/general officers get to this rank by who they know, who’s sitting on the promotion board and which “minority status” they are in....


27 posted on 02/20/2015 7:00:56 AM PST by matginzac
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To: rjsimmon
"It used to be that at one time, in my beloved Corps, that no one could rise to the rank of Colonel without having been in combat."

Yes, those days are probably long gone. When I first went into the Corps it was the post Vietnam time where everyone above the rank of Sergeant was a Vietnam vet. Hopefully that is the way it is now for the most part with all of the Iraq and Afghanistan vets being in positions of authority.

Semper Fi.
28 posted on 02/20/2015 7:03:07 AM PST by Old Teufel Hunden
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To: danamco
How many in all services’ upper ranks can you find not to be cowards.

During my tenure I have come across numerous flag officers. Some I would not spit on were they to be on fire. Others, I would follow through Hell and back, but that number is in the single digits. Two stand out in my memory:

-General "Spider" Nyland
-Major General "Tango" Moore

29 posted on 02/20/2015 7:04:25 AM PST by rjsimmon (The Tree of Liberty Thirsts)
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To: Old Teufel Hunden
"Being an old jarhead, to me this is the equivalent of a Marine General never being in command of any Battalions, Regiments or Divisions."

What you wrote makes to much sense. Yet this is today's world. All too many Corporate CEO's have little or no experience in the actual operation of business's they oversee, yet they know how to make money, or as in the case of the military, they now how to please their superiors.

30 posted on 02/20/2015 7:05:57 AM PST by buckalfa (First time listener, long time caller.)
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To: matginzac

I think a lot of General slots are political anymore. I loved Commandant Al Grey. He was the corps Commandant in the late 80’s and early 90’s. He started off enlisted and worked his way up. He was a Korean War vet and a Vietnam vet. He famously took his commandant’s picture in his cammies.


31 posted on 02/20/2015 7:06:30 AM PST by Old Teufel Hunden
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To: Old Teufel Hunden
Hopefully that is the way it is now for the most part with all of the Iraq and Afghanistan vets being in positions of authority.

For a while, anyway. But even that crowd is going to be mixed with political types. My year group that are still in are deep into the O6 band and will soon be making headway into the flags. Most I have undying respect for. Others, not so much.

Semper Fi

32 posted on 02/20/2015 7:08:42 AM PST by rjsimmon (The Tree of Liberty Thirsts)
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To: luke1825

And I may be wrong here but Kirby can’t “resign” from the Navy. He can retire at a future date, i. E. Put in his retirement papers.
He has been reassigned to a different job, I’m pretty sure, so he will still be in uniform until he retires.
He serves, as all uniform personnel do, at the “pleasure of the President” and has to have his retirement request approved by the chain of command...
I think I got that right.


33 posted on 02/20/2015 7:08:49 AM PST by matginzac
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To: matginzac

Officers can resign their commission pretty much anytime after an initial obligation (6 years for Service Academy graduates, 3 year for OTC, Reserves. In some cases they may be asked to stay on but it’s rare to have it forced.


34 posted on 02/20/2015 7:14:50 AM PST by AU72
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To: irish guard

216 is too many.

Think about how many ships we have.

Rank inflation is a major problem.


35 posted on 02/20/2015 7:22:14 AM PST by SampleMan (Feral Humans are the refuse of socialism.)
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To: Old Teufel Hunden
Apparently not an easily googled question. I have met two RA’s(lower) from the Medical Corps. The Carriers are skipperd by Captain's rank and an admiral is over the teask force. However, it seems the captain air group has a lot of power on board.
36 posted on 02/20/2015 7:22:34 AM PST by mad_as_he$$
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To: Old Teufel Hunden

I knew Gen Grey in passing as I was assigned to OpNav in the Navy Annex/ HQ Marine Corps building then...
Great guy as was Gen P. X. Kelly who was Commandant when I was there and whose acquaintance I made....loved the Marines!


37 posted on 02/20/2015 7:23:58 AM PST by matginzac
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To: AU72

Do we know that Kirby is being “forced out” or just being reassigned?
If forced out, that’s pretty bad...
If reassigned, he’ll still serve until he wants out or is not promoted anymore.


38 posted on 02/20/2015 7:25:50 AM PST by matginzac
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To: AU72

And to get out, you submit your request for getting out and have to get it approved....


39 posted on 02/20/2015 7:26:55 AM PST by matginzac
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To: Old Teufel Hunden

***How the heck can you rise to the rank of Admiral in the United States Navy and never command so much as a tin can?***

H.M.S. Pinafore comes to mind.

“I polished that handle so carefully that now I am the ruler of the Queen’s Nave-e!”

“Now landsmen all, whoever you may be,
If you want to rise to the top of the tree,
If your soul isn’t fettered to an office stool,
Be careful to be guided by this golden rule—
Stick close to your desks and never go to sea,
And you all may be rulers of the Queen’s Navee! “


40 posted on 02/20/2015 7:45:43 AM PST by Ruy Dias de Bivar
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