Nobles and knaves [Noble: Gen. Richard Myers; Knave: Intikab Habib

Nobles: Gen. Richard B. Myers, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who retired this week after 40 years of service.

As an engineering student at Kansas State University, Gen. Myers enrolled in the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps program, because, as he says, "Vietnam was heating up, and I had no problem with serving. I just wanted to have some control over how I did it." He was commissioned in 1965 and soon sent to Vietnam, where he flew F-4s. But the future four-star general didn't expect to stay in the military.

As chairman, Gen. Myers has been both instrumental and indispensable in radically transforming the U.S. military into a 21st-century fighting force. He has presided over two victorious wars, notwithstanding the ongoing struggle in Iraq, while strengthening America's military dominance. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, whom the general often appeared beside during contentious press conferences, spoke presciently when he said that when the history of this age is written it will remember Gen. Myers.

Knaves: Intikab Habib, the New York Fire Department's most recent Muslim chaplain.

Here's what happens when naive bureaucracies bow to political correctness. The FDNY apparently thought not to ask questions when its Islamic Society recommended Mr. Habib for the department's Muslim chaplain position. "We don't ask new employees about their political views before we hire them," said a department spokesman, according to Newsday.

Mr. Habib got as far as being sworn in yesterday, until resigning almost immediately afterward, which is too bad. New York's bravest would surely have welcomed Mr. Habib with open arms — or, rather, a fire hose to wash that mouth out.

I saw part of the retirement/swearing in ceremony for Gens Myers and P. Pace yesterday - -it was quite moving - -both men seemed to choke up at least once. The President seemed to respect and like Myers a lot, and, it appears he likes Pace as well - Pace was very complimentary about the President. Myers was a great leader IMHO. I remember watching Pace on a few news conferences and think he will do well.

Additional info in the article about Gen Myers: Somewhere in all that schooling Gen. Myers managed to log 4,100 flying hours in the T-33, C-37, C-21, F-4, F-15 and F-16, including 600 combat hours in the F-4. It seems the general decided that the military life suited him, and a nation is grateful that it did.

Here's additional info in the article about what Habib said:

"I've heard professionals say that nowhere ever in history did a steel building come down with fire alone," mused the Saudi-trained imam. "It takes two or three weeks to demolish a building like that. But it [the Twin Towers] was pulled down in a couple of hours." You might be wondering where Mr. Habib is going with this. Well, he continues, "Was it 19 hijackers who brought it down, or was it a conspiracy?" But whoever did it, the imam feels really bad about it. "It was a very wrong thing."

General Myers understood politics, but he also understood the people under his command. An outstanding officer in the mold of Curtis LeMay and David Jones in regards to getting results. The complete antithesis of General Merrill MacPeak.

Well done, sir.

I'll miss you.

Jack.

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