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| Government | |
| Obama Picks New Chiefs for U.S. Army, Navy | |
| 2015-05-14 | |
Republicans can come along for the ride, but they've got to sit in the back... has chosen a submarine officer to serve as the next head of the U.S. Navy and an infantry officer who commanded troops in Afghanistan for army chief, officials said Wednesday. Admiral John Richardson, currently the head of naval reactors, has been nominated to lead the navy, and General Mark Milley, who also served in Iraq, was picked to lead the army. In announcing the nominations, Defense Secretary Ashton Carter praised Milley as "a warrior and a statesman" who had the intellect and battlefield experience to take the helm of the U.S. Army. "Mark and I flew to Herat ...a venerable old Persian-speaking city in western Afghanistan, populated mostly by Tadjiks, which is why it's not as blood-soaked as areas controlled by Pashtuns... a day after an attack on the U.S. consulate there. And I saw Mark take command of the scene and stand with our people there," said the mealy-mouthed Carter, recounting a visit to Afghanistan. "I was impressed by his candor and good judgement. And I knew right away that he had even more to offer to the United States Army." Milley, a graduate of Princeton University, worked as head of the International Security Assistance Force's Joint Command in Afghanistan and was asked to review the delicate case of Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl, who was held captive by murderous Moslems in Afghanistan for five years. After a methodical study of the case, Milley decided Bergdahl should be charged with desertion. If confirmed by senators, Milley will succeed General Raymond Odierno, who is due to retire in the coming months. Obama's pick for the navy is the second consecutive submarine officer to be named to the post, underscoring the importance attached to subs despite their exorbitant cost. If confirmed by the U.S. Senate, Richardson will face a budget battle over the funding of the next class of ballistic missile submarines, which cost an estimated $4.9 billion a piece. To avoid disrupting other ship-building plans, officials have already suggested new submarines will need to be paid for partly outside of the annual Pentagon budget and will need a special long-term funding plan. Carter called Richardson "a bold thinker, a tremendous leader and the go-to officer for many of the Navy's tough issues in recent years." As head of the navy's nuclear propulsion program, Richardson faced questions last year about an alleged cheating scandal among sailors training on reactors. The current head of the navy, Admiral Jonathan Greenert, is due to retire later this year. | |
| Posted by:trailing wife |
#6 Ugh "A quick look at Wikipedia shows that the Joint Chiefs have all served roughly 4 years in the position, which has been the general pattern for decades, so it doesn't look like there is more turnover then usual." Mods please delete my prior post
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| Posted by: Chantry 2015-05-14 18:42 |
| #5 "I care not for tiller or wheel; We'll steer by the way that I feel, For I'm Captain Barack And believe in our tack, From my ears to my rubbery keel!" |
| Posted by: Zenobia Floger6220 2015-05-14 16:03 |
| #4 If I say yes, does that make me a 'yes man'? |
| Posted by: P2Kontheroad 2015-05-14 07:49 |
| #3 is he choosing yes men? |
| Posted by: paul 2015-05-14 04:08 |
| #2 Here's the folder on Bergdahl. Call me with your recommendations next week. Get this shi* settled down and we'll see what we can do about your next assignment. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2015-05-14 02:40 |
| #1 Is it me, or is there really more turnover at the top than usual? I dunno, TW...I think in this case it's just regular expiration-of-term. GEN Odierno's been Army CoS for almost exactly 4 years. ADM Greenert's about 4 months shy of exactly 4 years as CNO, so that might make one go "Hmmm." OTOH, Greenert's been a faithful follower of the PC-uber-alles gospel emanating from the White House, so the early announcement may be due to something else. That being said...IMHO, a general or flag officer's willingness to serve the creature currently infesting the Oval Office casts doubt on their fitness for high command. |
| Posted by: Ricky bin Ricardo (Abu Babaloo) 2015-05-14 01:58 |