Thank you, Gen. Peter Pace, USMC
Once again, Congress shows it’s lack of nads by getting rid of a “real man” who has been the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff for the last (nearly) two years. SecDef Gates wanted to nominate Gen. Pace for another term, but the panty-waists on the Armed Services committee said “Oh, but he’s much too masculine and smart for the job. We want someone who will cry and and constantly apologize!” Hhmmpph!!
This is my pick for who should replace Pace.
Lt. Gen. Honore
I’m not holding my breath, though. Congress is definitely stuck on stupid!
Commenter Steve has brought up a very good point about our top military leaders not having sufficient (or even any) combat experience. However, he is incorrect about Gen. Pace.
I found this article, “Fighting door to door” which describes Pace’s first encounter with bad guys trying to kill him.
Several times a day, the US military’s second highest ranking officer, Gen. Peter Pace, glances at a 35-year-old photo of a Marine Corps private. Staring back is Guido Farinaro, the first soldier General Pace lost to combat in Vietnam.
“It’s a way to remind me,” says Pace, whose career in the Marines began with the US military’s last big urban fight. In 1968, about 2,500 marines fought for weeks in the Vietnamese city of Hue to dislodge an enemy force four times their strength.
“I know how difficult it can be,” Pace said last week in a phone interview from his office in the Pentagon as the US 1st Marine Division raced toward Baghdad. “If I’m able to help craft plans to impact the battlefield from a distance that would make it less likely to have to fight inside a city, then I’d like to do that.”
Among the US military’s top generals planning the war in Iraq, only Pace has fought through a city.
Click the link above to read more.
As for Petreaus, he’s “written the book” on counter-insurgency from up-close-and-personal experience. I’m too tired to do the research tonight. Maybe Leta will chime in… 
June 9th, 2007 at 1:11 pm
Lt. Gen. Russell Honore won’t get there either, he’ll tell em things that’ll curl their hair…
We are being lead by the most gutless bunch of ASSHATS in the history of the USA…
June 9th, 2007 at 3:38 pm
He’s one of few that can get things done. They need to use him NOW!
June 9th, 2007 at 3:43 pm
I feel that General Pace handled himself with grace and dignity for the past two (almost) years, especially while under fire from the media and the public. The way nomination hearings are going lately, I don’t know who would be acceptable to the Committee. The scuttlebutt on some other sites is Admiral Mullen, Admiral Keating, and Marine General whose name, I am ashamed to say, escapes me momentarily. Admiral Keating would be a good choice, I feel, because of the great job which he has done at NORAD. However, General Honore would certainly be a straight talker with the media and public alike. It’s going to be a bucket of stress on whomever is nominated.
Veritas et Fidelis Semper
June 11th, 2007 at 2:11 am
What worries me is that we are eliminating from high position in the military anyone who have ever seen battle. To say it in an interesting, intriguing way, we are miniaturizing the Military from high military positions.
Petraeus excelled academically, but outside the ivy towers has had no real experience or achievement I can see.
Mullen, too excelled academically. Harvard Business School. But we aren’t running a Fortune 500 company here and even if we were practical experience also accounts for a lot in the business world.
So what I see in this two men are that they are Military in Name Only. Sure they went through the military to get there academic achievement but in the end that’s all they got through the military. The didn’t get a real world military experience of what it is like to be in battle.
Now, I don’t totally dismiss those who are educated (you can be smart but still not educated). Most of our generals were very educated, but they also came from the military background and had practical experiences necessary for them to understand the nature of war. There are just stuff you can’t get from a book regardless of how smart you are and the mistake I have seen many smart people make is that the have developed all these complex high minded philosophies without even considering the real world practicalities of their ideas. Yeah, they outsmart themselves, and the troops suffer whereas someone with “street smarts” can quickly tell if a plan of action just might not work, even if it got a lot of accolades when presented as a PhD dissertation.
I understand that the constitution puts the ultimate control of the military in the hands of a civilian. That is most likely a very good idea. But surely they expected that the President would surround himself when making decisions on military manners with good military leaders who could give him a perspective from a military point of view. But when the military leaders themselves are nothing but de-facto business managers, professors, bureaucrats, politicians, where will future presidents go to get the point of view of the Soldier? Where will they go to get the point of view of the warrior.
Bush has made it quite clear. He doesn’t want any soldier, any warrior in a leadership position in our military!
June 12th, 2007 at 9:48 am
Congress is totally capable of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.
Currently the end strength of the US Army has been raised to 547,000. The end strength of the US Marines was raised to 202,000 (up 27,000).
There is a lot of concern about building to that level and maintaining it. Setting it up with the correct distribution and mission and funding it.
Presto …. just when that happens Gen Pace is replaced. Not with a Marine or Soldier, but with a Sailor.
Is there anyone here who thinks the Navy is not strapped for cash with land battles taking the lion’s share of the assets?
This will be a critical phase in determining where the dollars go. The top manager of that is not either a Marine or Soldier … but a Sailor.
Great timing congress …. no wonder your approval rating is so low.
June 13th, 2007 at 12:48 am
Sorry I didn’t “chime in” earlier on this GN. Been a little distracted working on the boxes to Afghanistan and Iraq for 4th of July. Hmmmm, wonder how many boxes our members of Congress are sending. Anyway…..
Stuck on Stupid, Capable of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory…WTF is it going to take for those on Capitol Hill to STOP this insanity. You bet I’m all for Lt Gen Honore but…that would make sense and be a logical move for such an illogical, ill mannered, ill equipment (mentally it would seem) and MAKE ME ILL Congress!!! How dare they begin to make a decision that would actually BENEFIT our nation?
Steve - I’m not one to pick a fight so please don’t start a “rumble” with me but…I beg to differ GREATLY on the abilities of CG Petraeus. While he may not have the battle experience you mention he has many other attributes that have already shown his effectiveness in Iraq. He, according to many military personnel I have contact with in Iraq, is a GREAT leader. He has the respect of the troops because he LISTENS to THEM - he interacts with them. He has allowed a pretty broad ability for the commanders under him to establish some pretty cutting edge ideas (RE: Anbar Province and the new relationships with the tribal leaders). Give the CG, his team and the Soldiers, Marines, Airmen and Sailors serving under him the TIME they need. They have made huge strides in the past few months but it will be YEARS before the ground work they are laying will be effective enough for us to leave Iraq.
If only…if only…dear God please send a wake up call to our leaders. What planet are they on for pete’s sake?
Sorry if I let you down on this comment GN - I’m BEAT!
June 13th, 2007 at 12:51 am
Geez - yep I’m tired - how could I forget…General Pace you have served this nation well on more fronts than could be mentioned in a comment on a blog. Your service has been stellar and has made amazing differences. This American is grateful for you and is sickened that you are being “allowed” to fade in to the background. A real shame, sir. A real shame.
June 15th, 2007 at 2:41 pm
Politics that caused this decision will eventually ruin what we have know to be the greatest society and democracy that has ever been.
June 17th, 2007 at 5:15 pm
This is exactly what I expected to find out after reading the title Thank you, Gen. Peter Pace, USMC. Thanks for informative article
June 20th, 2007 at 8:51 pm
Hello.
Just once I wish the military would be allowed to do its job. They do it close to perfectly. They have never lost a war on their own. They were just prevented from winning more than once.
As for me, I am the son of a military man, and have a deep appreciation for military personnel and their families. I support the mission and the brave soldiers carrying it out.
I would consider it an honor and a privilege if you would add my blog “The Tygrrrr Express” http://www.blacktygrrrr.wordpress.com to your list of linked sites if you feel the quality is high.
I look forward to saying “Welcome home” as well. Until then, Happy June.
eric
June 21st, 2007 at 2:26 pm
General Pace has an exemplary record and the facts do not lie. The politics in this war like those past will be the eventual ruin of our country if people like us all do not continue to stay informed and let the truth be told.
Like Abraham Lincoln said, ” Truth is the best vindicator against slander.”
Unfortunately there is a lot of slander going around but I am counting on the truth to be our victory at home and abroad.