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| Replacing Gen. Petraeus no easy job |
| 2010-06-24 |
| Whomever becomes the next head of U.S. Central Command will be facing no small task: running the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq while dealing with one of the most volatile areas of the globe. Oh, and getting along with the last guy who held the job - Gen. David Petraeus. The added issue of commanding Petraeus – highly visible, widely considered a success in the job and someone with great rapport with leaders in the region - will be one of the biggest challenges facing the new Central Command leader, says Gene Deegan, a retired Marine Corps Maj. Gen. who served on the command of Colin Powell during the first Gulf War. "On that level, egos can be a problem," says Deegan, who once ran Parris Island for the Marines and now lives in Tampa and works for Allegheny Petroleum. "Admiral (William) Fallon is example No. 1." In early 2008, Fallon stepped down as Central Command commander after an article was published in Esquire in which he – like Gen. Stanley McChrystal – criticized his boss. For Fallon, the criticism was directed at then-President George Bush. Given that there is already a major rift between the military and the State Department over how to prosecute the war in Afghanistan, the new Centcom commander will have to be given the word by President Obama to stay out of Petraeus' way in Afghanistan, says Deegan. "It's a real tough choice to find someone to sit titularly over Petraeus," Deegan says. Which brings Deegan to the question: What kind of person should you pick if you are going to be head of Central Command but only have half the job? There is plenty to do beyond Afghanistan, says Deegan. There is still the ongoing conflict in Iraq and the ceaseless tensions with Iran as well as Pakistan, India and the Saudi Peninsula to deal with. Two names jump out at Deegan to succeed Petraeus. Not surprisingly, both are Marines. The first is Lt. Gen. John Allen, the second in command at Central Command. Deegan says he would be a great choice to succeed his boss, because the two men work so well together. "Gen. Allen could be it," he says. "When Petraeus was nominated to (run U.S. Central Command) one of the first things he tells Secretary of Defense (Robert) Gates was that he wanted Allen to be his chief of staff." It was no simple request, says Deegan. Allen had just been promoted by the Marines and Petraeus in essence swooped in and took him away from the Corps. That, says Deegan, is a clear indicator of the relationship the men enjoy. The second name Deegan mentioned – Gen. James N. Mattis – is currently commander of the U.S. Joint Forces Command. Mattis had tremendous success as a ground commander in both Afghanistan and Iraq, says Deegan. "He did a masterful job with the Marine brigade that went into Afghanistan," says Deegan. "In Iraq, as a division commander, his rapport with the troops was unbelievable. He was an upfront leader." But the skills that made Mattis such a great field commander might not necessarily translate to running Central Command, says Deegan. "Mattis is such a competent guy himself, the question is can he limit his strong personality and interests in tactical, operation and strategic thinking to stay out of Petraeus' hair?" says Deegan. |
| Posted by:tipper |