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Admiral Fallon resigns CENTCOM Command

Flash said:
I would not be surprised if the author of the article cherry-picked the statements in the article from numerous ones that Fallon made to him over a period of time.
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Good point, I'll definitely give you that one. (Not that the rest is any less valid.)
 
I was in Airwing 8 when ADM Fallon was CAG. We flew him a few times and he was gracious and professional. One one strike during Desert Storm he once again flew with VA-65. The airwing strike was on an electrical plant near Basrah. We were mission tanker (zzzzzzz) but when we all came back, he invited everyone into CVIC to watch the mission tape. One of the other A-6's missed the target and then-CAPT Fallon noticed the miss, adjusted on the fly, and took out half the plant. Not bad for an old guy flying part time. I ran into him again when he was a 3-star, just nominated for his fourth. The man has a superb memory as he remembered me and we talked about old times in CAG-8. I saw him again about 5 years after that at a seapower symposium and he came right up to me and shook my hand. He's had an outstanding run of over 40 years serving our great country and I wish him well in his retirement.
 
Bevo said:
"he's doing what a generation of young officers in the U. S. military are now openly complaining that their leaders didn't do on their behalf in the run-up to the war in Iraq: He's standing up to the commander in chief"​

Anybody know any of these guys? I have not met any.
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you won't find any/many in AF or Navy, try the Army/Marine Corps....Dick Myers and Tommy Frank are 2 popular ones....
 
Flash said:
...whose experience with the military and war comes from books.
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So what value comes from books,the study of history, and the many other academic areas that apply directly to war and diplomacy? There are thousands of military professionals with 30+ years of experience that do not deserve any more credence then many academics, observers or pundits. We do have civilian masters after all, most with no real military experience. Does that mean they have to follow the advice of senior military officers without question?
 
wink said:
sigh Fewer and fewer vets are going into elective office or becoming senior policy makers on any level. I share your hope.
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I thought vets were running for office more now. It will just take a while for them to cycle into higher level positions.
 
eddie said:
I thought vets were running for office more now. It will just take a while for them to cycle into higher level positions.
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I haven't seen any numbers that confirm that. There have been a few recent OIF/OEF vets running that get press just because of their recent service or (especially) for their opposition to the war. The numbers just aren't there to make a difference, now, or in the years to come.
 
But being a vet doesn't guaruntee the person would try to institute sound policy. Not being a vet doesn't guaruntee the person would try to institute unsound policy.

Besides, most elected officials, especially the President, have advisors with advanced degrees in specialized fields. Granted, the President doesn't always have to listen, but if he is smart then he does.
 
wink said:
So what value comes from books,the study of history, and the many other academic areas that apply directly to war and diplomacy? There are thousands of military professionals with 30+ years of experience that do not deserve any more credence then many academics, observers or pundits. We do have civilian masters after all, most with no real military experience. Does that mean they have to follow the advice of senior military officers without question?
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A lot, it just rubs me the wrong way when someone with little practical experience except being a professional pundit so roundly criticizes a COCOM commander for merely doing his job. "It is not the critic that counts......."
 
Spekkio said:
Granted, the President doesn't always have to listen, but if he is smart then he does.
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Because advisor's are never wrong? What if three advisor's give him three different pieces of advise? We wouldn't be in the postion we are in if it were that easy.
 
Flash said:
A lot, it just rubs me the wrong way when someone with little practical experience except being a professional pundit so roundly criticizes a COCOM commander for merely doing his job. "It is not the critic that counts......."
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OK I can see that. There is a limit to my acceptance of commentators opinion as well. But the point is it can be argued that he wasn't doing his job. His job is to serve the Commander in Chief. You don't have to serve 41 years to offer an opinion whether someone had wondered off the reservation too far. And you don't have to be a military veteran (or Sate Department for that matter) to offer an opinion on diplomacy when the State Department is made up of civilians from the same elite universities that also produce most of the punditry.
 
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