Free Republic

General James Conway, the Marine commandant, told reporters at the Pentagon Tuesday that his 202,000 Marines are "pretty macho" compared to the 1.2 million Americans in the other services. He might just as well have been speaking about himself and his willingness to say what he thinks. After all, the Marines are the smallest -- and like to think of themselves as the most exclusive -- of the nation's military services. So they, and their leaders, exhibit a certain swagger that seems to free up their mouths a little more than those belonging to the Air Force, Army and Navy....

The Marine Corps commandant said Wednesday that the ability of U.S. troops to fight and win wars must trump other concerns as the United States considers whether to let gays serve openly in the military. In testimony before a House committee, Gen. James Conway said he supports a Pentagon assessment to determine how to lift the ban. He also suggested that civil rights ultimately would have to take a back seat if it meant tampering with the military's ability to protect the country. "That's what they have been built to do under the current construct, and I would argue that...

Professionals that cannot change themselves from within, cannot respond to the needs of their constituencies while also inspiring the admiration and loyalty of their own members are in trouble.--"Tarnished Brass: Is the US Military Profession in Decline?" by Richard H. Kohn, World Affairs, Spring 2009 When General Conway took over as the Marine Corps Commandant, he went on the speech circuit talking about the “long war”. One speech was made at the Marines’ Memorial Association and World Affairs Council, in San Francisco, California on July 10, 2007. In that speech, General Conway stated, “we have a couple of incidents in...