Ann Dunwoody First Woman Four-Star General
Ann Dunwoody has been nominated for a fourth star, making her the first woman to achieve that rank in American history. "This is an historic occasion for the Department of Defense and I am proud to nominate Lt. Gen. Ann Dunwoody for a fourth star," said Defense Secretary Robert Gates. "Her 33 years of service, highlighted by extraordinary leadership and ...Posted in Outside The Beltway | OTB on June 23, 2008 21:56
Petraeus Fetishism
Charles Krauthammer makes a rather odd argument in support of continuing on the present course in Iraq. Essentially, it boils down to: Trust in Petraeus. It is understandable that Sens. Lugar, Voinovich, Domenici, Snowe and Warner may no longer trust President Bush's judgment when he tells them to wait until Petraeus reports in September. What is not understandable is ...Posted in Outside The Beltway | OTB on July 13, 2007 14:17
Rumsfeld Stopped Raid on Qaeda Chiefs in 2005
Donald Rumsfeld pulled the plug on a 2005 mission that might have taken out several top al Qaeda leaders for fear of alienating Pakistan, Mark Mazzetti reports in today's NYT. A secret military operation in early 2005 to capture senior members of Al Qaeda in Pakistan’s tribal areas was aborted at the last minute after top Bush administration officials decided it ...Posted in Outside The Beltway | OTB on July 8, 2007 08:28
Serving Officer Blasts Generals’ Failures
The current Armed Forces Journal features a devastating critique of America's generals by Lieutenant Colonel Paul Yingling, deputy commander of the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment. Thomas Ricks runs down the highlights: An active-duty Army officer is publishing a blistering attack on U.S. generals, saying they have botched the war in Iraq and misled Congress about the situation there. "America's generals ...Posted in Outside The Beltway | OTB on April 27, 2007 09:12
Ehren Watada, Free Speech, and the Military
First Lieutenant Ehren Watada is being court martialled for making public remarks disparaging his chain of command. His attorneys say he's covered by the 1st Amendment. Do military officers have the right to publicly voice dissent about their commander in chief and U.S. war policy? That question highlighted last week's pretrial hearing at Ft. Lewis Army base near Seattle for ...Posted in Outside The Beltway | OTB on January 8, 2007 08:52
Bargewell: Officers Covered Up Haditha Massacre
The preliminary report on the Haditha massacre concludes that Marine officers knowingly filed false reports to superiors who in turn failed to exercise due dilligence. The U.S. military investigation of how Marine commanders handled the reporting of events last November in the Iraqi town of Haditha, where troops allegedly killed 24 Iraqi civilians, will conclude that some officers gave false information ...Posted in Outside The Beltway | OTB on June 1, 2006 07:12
Bill Could Force Ex-Cole Skipper into Retirement
Commander Kirk Lippold, who skippered the U.S.S. Cole during its October 2000 attack by al Qaeda, could be forced to retire if a bill working its way through the Senate passes. A U.S. Senate committee is recommending changes in military promotion regulations that could force the former skipper of the Norfolk-based destroyer Cole out of the Navy in 2008. Language quietly ...Posted in Outside The Beltway | OTB on May 16, 2006 12:15
Serving Military Officers and the Rumsfeld Debate
After a couple of weeks of spotlighting a handful of retired generals who are unhappy with Donald Rumsfeld's second stint as Defense Secretary, Thom Shanker and Eric Schmitt apparently decided to see what serving officers think. The result is a front page piece in today's NYT entitled, "Young Officers Join the Debate Over Rumsfeld." While mostly anecdotal, it ...Posted in Outside The Beltway | OTB on April 23, 2006 09:01
Revolt of the Generals?
That a few retired generals have spoken criticially of SECDEF Donald Rumsfeld continues to gather a surprising amount of attention. The Washington Post's lead editorial today is entitled "The Generals' Revolt" and carries the ominous subhead, "There are many reasons for Donald Rumsfeld to leave. Finger-pointing by retired officers shouldn't be one." The nut 'graph: The president's signal failure ...Posted in Outside The Beltway | OTB on April 18, 2006 13:37
Combat Briefing Badge (CBB)
The Army has authorized the Combat Briefing Badge (CBB) for PowerPoint Rangers operating in hostile fire zones. Army Unveils New Award (StrategyPage) Combat Briefing Badge (CBB) Recognizing the need for an award for troops assigned to headquarters units during combat operations, the Army today announced the approval of the Combat Briefing Badge, or CBB. "People don't realize that being in a major ...Posted in Outside The Beltway | OTB on October 22, 2005 09:07
