Like so many others, I really, really want that day of meetings to start with Secretary Hegseth leading all of them in PT. At least the comedic value of it would be epic.
I'm nastier; I want a publicly collected and evaluated piss test. Let's find out whose command decisions and presence came from the brown acid or other recreational pharma. I guarantee it will be more than one; I'll not be surprised if it hits triple digits.
When risk averse GOFO won't lead for fear of damaging their retirement and future employment opportunities, you get the mess our military is in. Every GOFO I've ever met since the 90s was risk averse.
Junior officers flying their helicopters into airliners. Carrier commanders making a 'right turn, Clyde' and dropping aircraft, forklifts, and assorted crew in the Red Sea. And the forceful vaccination of a soldier by a group of thugs in uniform (I saw that video again this morning, raising my hackles).
This Gordian knot needs an Alexander to cut through it, IMHO. I hope Hegseth has the sand for it. 🙏
No military background, but I've known and talked with many former military folks. I watched the Charlie Foxtrot that was "withdrawal" from Afghanistan on television, like most Americans. I was appalled at the lack of planning, lack of organization, and lack of competence demonstrated by the command structure starting with China Joe lying to us about how "successful" this was, and after promising "No American left behind" not even apologizing for leaving Americans, and Afghanis who worked with us to the tender mercies of the Taliban. Then there is the famous picture of China Joe checking his watch in front of the families as the dead Marines were returned to Dover AFB. The rot definitely flows from the top.
Bravo sir. BRA-VO. The Army has 12 divisions. That should be 12 Major Generals commanding and 12 Brigadiers as #2. Give SOF a MG and BG. Split the divisions into two Corps or Armies and give them each a 3 star CO and 2 Star XO. One 4 star over them all. Fire the rest.
No matter what Sec. Hegseth does to attempt a fix; the damage has already been done.
Mixed Male and Female training in the Marines, Reliance on scopes on the M4, Degrading the USMC rifle range training, the whole 2030 plan for the USMC. "Space Force" being set up as its own service instead of a Corps under the Air Force. Tanks, Artillery, a lot of air power being stripped from the Marines. I could make an argument that what has happened to our intelligence services (CIA, NSA, and "Other"), our Military, and the rise of militant Islam can be laid in the lap of Jimmy Carter.
Would be nice if the intel community was allowed to refute accusations of negligence or missing important information. Politicians love to lay things at the feet of the intel community because they know intel can't respond in most cases.
In the end, it's the people at the top that decide what gets shared even with the president. Opposing opinions are discarded or derided and never see the light of day regardless of what happens.
Intel is absolutely responsible for many of the missed signs and lack of information. The leadership there is no better than in the more pointy-end parts of the NatSec complex, and is often more risk-averse.
Says someone who has no clue what he is talking about. Nearly every intel failure can be pointed right at the people at the top who were appointed by the President because they didn't want to entertain any alternate possibilities besides the one they wanted to be true.
Nah, like the entire fed gov (bodies, laws and regs) it need a reverse decimation. 90% or more. The gov to fit back into it's Constitutional clothes and the general staff to get back into war winning trim.
I have people telling me I needed to stop watching Fox (I don't) because I posted links to the Harvard and Hopkins studies on the potential links between Tylenol and autism and ADHD. My original statement was, "Turns out there is a link". So everyone immediately went to "I took Tylenol and my kids are fine, you Nazi scum!" Whatev. The defensiveness is epic.
Do you dream of Mr. Hegseth calling a Captains mast and humiliating* these petty lickspittles for the edification of the junior officers?
I do. Were it so, may God grant him grace to chose the most deserving.
*Edited: Brevity is not my strong suit. Have a master-at-arms slice the rank off his sleeve, throw it in the trash, and be summarily removed from the service by order of the CinC. Military police present to frog-march them out of Quantico.
**Edited: I lost my temper again. This is no way to be going on; such dreams. We all desire justice tempered with mercy for ourselves and our own. I'll leave this up, though: If one cannot get it right, at least one can provide a useful counter-example.D.V.
“ EIGHT HUNDRED PLUS flag officers??? Are you bloody well kidding me???‘
It’s a pervasive tendency of command structures; lots of chiefs, very few Indians. It’s a tendency that lead C. Northcote Parkinson to formulate Parkinson’s Law. He observed that in the postwar period, when the British Navy was decommissioning ships, the size of the Admiralty was expanding.
Thankful for Hegseth's leadership, but it will take a long time to ID and remove the panopoly of pervert lefties who have contaminated military culture.
Like so many others, I really, really want that day of meetings to start with Secretary Hegseth leading all of them in PT. At least the comedic value of it would be epic.
I'm nastier; I want a publicly collected and evaluated piss test. Let's find out whose command decisions and presence came from the brown acid or other recreational pharma. I guarantee it will be more than one; I'll not be surprised if it hits triple digits.
When risk averse GOFO won't lead for fear of damaging their retirement and future employment opportunities, you get the mess our military is in. Every GOFO I've ever met since the 90s was risk averse.
Junior officers flying their helicopters into airliners. Carrier commanders making a 'right turn, Clyde' and dropping aircraft, forklifts, and assorted crew in the Red Sea. And the forceful vaccination of a soldier by a group of thugs in uniform (I saw that video again this morning, raising my hackles).
This Gordian knot needs an Alexander to cut through it, IMHO. I hope Hegseth has the sand for it. 🙏
No military background, but I've known and talked with many former military folks. I watched the Charlie Foxtrot that was "withdrawal" from Afghanistan on television, like most Americans. I was appalled at the lack of planning, lack of organization, and lack of competence demonstrated by the command structure starting with China Joe lying to us about how "successful" this was, and after promising "No American left behind" not even apologizing for leaving Americans, and Afghanis who worked with us to the tender mercies of the Taliban. Then there is the famous picture of China Joe checking his watch in front of the families as the dead Marines were returned to Dover AFB. The rot definitely flows from the top.
$hit runs downhill.
Bravo sir. BRA-VO. The Army has 12 divisions. That should be 12 Major Generals commanding and 12 Brigadiers as #2. Give SOF a MG and BG. Split the divisions into two Corps or Armies and give them each a 3 star CO and 2 Star XO. One 4 star over them all. Fire the rest.
I really enjoy your work.
Yes. Beyond the politics, there are just too many.
No matter what Sec. Hegseth does to attempt a fix; the damage has already been done.
Mixed Male and Female training in the Marines, Reliance on scopes on the M4, Degrading the USMC rifle range training, the whole 2030 plan for the USMC. "Space Force" being set up as its own service instead of a Corps under the Air Force. Tanks, Artillery, a lot of air power being stripped from the Marines. I could make an argument that what has happened to our intelligence services (CIA, NSA, and "Other"), our Military, and the rise of militant Islam can be laid in the lap of Jimmy Carter.
Would be nice if the intel community was allowed to refute accusations of negligence or missing important information. Politicians love to lay things at the feet of the intel community because they know intel can't respond in most cases.
In the end, it's the people at the top that decide what gets shared even with the president. Opposing opinions are discarded or derided and never see the light of day regardless of what happens.
Intel is absolutely responsible for many of the missed signs and lack of information. The leadership there is no better than in the more pointy-end parts of the NatSec complex, and is often more risk-averse.
Says someone who has no clue what he is talking about. Nearly every intel failure can be pointed right at the people at the top who were appointed by the President because they didn't want to entertain any alternate possibilities besides the one they wanted to be true.
Heh. Funny. Yes, I have no idea what I’m talking about, you’re completely correct.
Decades in the community clearly resulted in no applicable knowledge.
In other words…”shut up, child, some of the adults are talking.”
Goldwater-Nichols. Signed by Reagan. Seemed like a good idea at the time but jointness has led to a lot of surplus GOFOs and their staffs.
“break up into groups of ten officers, and each group draw one of ten marbles from their bag. . . .”
Rinse and repeat? How many times?
If history is a guide once seems to do the trick.
Now, if only the average person would learn that this is the meaning of decimate, and stop using it as a synonym for destroy!
To encourage the others.
I am told that the reason that the Air Force moves all officers every 6-24 months is to limit the damage that a toxic officer does.
Dumb civilian (and sergeant's mother) here - why not remove the toxic ones, or demote them to Dishwasher 2nd Class at the local DFAC?
Don't listen to me. Everyone knows that sergeants don't have mothers, so I don't exist.
Salute fellow NCO's mom!
Nah, like the entire fed gov (bodies, laws and regs) it need a reverse decimation. 90% or more. The gov to fit back into it's Constitutional clothes and the general staff to get back into war winning trim.
I have people telling me I needed to stop watching Fox (I don't) because I posted links to the Harvard and Hopkins studies on the potential links between Tylenol and autism and ADHD. My original statement was, "Turns out there is a link". So everyone immediately went to "I took Tylenol and my kids are fine, you Nazi scum!" Whatev. The defensiveness is epic.
I say fire every 1 star and above and replace them from qualified eagles and oakleaves.
To have a social club instead of a military that doesn't follow orders from the CIC and DoW is shameful.
Do you dream of Mr. Hegseth calling a Captains mast and humiliating* these petty lickspittles for the edification of the junior officers?
I do. Were it so, may God grant him grace to chose the most deserving.
*Edited: Brevity is not my strong suit. Have a master-at-arms slice the rank off his sleeve, throw it in the trash, and be summarily removed from the service by order of the CinC. Military police present to frog-march them out of Quantico.
**Edited: I lost my temper again. This is no way to be going on; such dreams. We all desire justice tempered with mercy for ourselves and our own. I'll leave this up, though: If one cannot get it right, at least one can provide a useful counter-example.D.V.
“ EIGHT HUNDRED PLUS flag officers??? Are you bloody well kidding me???‘
It’s a pervasive tendency of command structures; lots of chiefs, very few Indians. It’s a tendency that lead C. Northcote Parkinson to formulate Parkinson’s Law. He observed that in the postwar period, when the British Navy was decommissioning ships, the size of the Admiralty was expanding.
Hey Ian... don't hold back. Tell us how you really feel. LOL. Excellent article, as usual.
Thankful for Hegseth's leadership, but it will take a long time to ID and remove the panopoly of pervert lefties who have contaminated military culture.
Which is why the way to do it is NOT surgical. It’s brutal. (Comment below, main thread)
I think a lot of people should be demoted to colonel.
Then given bad paper.
But that's just me.
Preach! Can I get a Hallelujah?!
Hallejuh, amen!
Hallelujah Brother!!! Amen!!!
Hallelujah!!! 🙌🏻