Posted on 02/12/2013 7:38:22 AM PST by DeaconBenjamin
Maj. Gen. Richard Burr salutes with his palm facing out, like he's shielding his eyes from the sun. He wears a wide-brimmed felt "slouch hat" with a brown and green camouflage uniform.
The two-star general in the Australian Defence Force stands out amid the American soldiers donning berets and green and beige fatigues at the U.S. Army's headquarters for the Pacific. But he's responsible for directing their training and exercises as U.S. Army Pacific's deputy commander for operations. The Army is also making Burr their liaison to New Zealand, his homeland Australia and countries in Southeast Asia.
Burr's appointment — it's the first time a non-American has served in such a high-ranking position at a command like this — symbolizes the Army's push to connect more with allies and friendly nations in the Pacific.
Burr said his presence in Hawaii tells others the U.S. Army is open to broadening its relationships.
"I think it sends a very positive message to all countries in the region — not just our two countries — that stronger partnerships is really the way to go," Burr said in an interview Wednesday. "And building from bilateral to multilateral partnerships is the key to a stronger, more stable region."
The position reflects a deepening of an already close relationship between the U.S. and Australia, two nations who fought together in World War II and whose alliance was formalized by treaty in 1951.
More recently, Australia sent troops to fight alongside the U.S. in Afghanistan and Iraq, even when those decisions were unpopular with voters at home.
Burr was among the deployed. He commanded Australian troops in Afghanistan in 2002 and during the invasion of Iraq the following year. In 2008, he commanded all coalition special forces — including Americans — in Afghanistan.
(Excerpt) Read more at abcnews.go.com ...
Nothing bad can come from this I am sure.
/ sarc
All the Australian military folks I’ve met couldn’t possibly be more awesome or cool. I wouldn’t be worried.
Doing the work American generals won’t do?
But who else will our men be put under the command of?
I hate to say it, but Obama.
American military forces were under British command routinely in World War II; wasn’t always the best relationship but the world didn’t end.
Ouch, yes.
Foreign commanders over our men aren’t exactly a good thing.
Nor are they common.
With the current admin, we may see such illustrious countries as Venezuela providing officers for such posts.
That’s what I am getting at.
Because obviously there were no qualified American officers, he’s only doing another job Americans don’t want to do anyways...
/sarcasmoff
[American military forces were under British command routinely in World War II; wasn’t always the best relationship but the world didn’t end.]
True but I seem to have missed that recent war declaration. Did World War III start already? Can’t believe FR missed that war dec.
Wrong and wrong. Go re-check your history of World War II, Korea, etc.
FYI, US troops and naval forces served under foreign command during the Boxer Rebellion, World War I, the Russian Revolution, World War II, routinely in NATO, in the Gulf War, in Afghanistan, etc. That’s how coalitions work.
This is all well and good, but is the General a practicing homosexual?
The cancer in the White Hut has edicted that all the stops be pulled out to facilitate homosexuals being appointed to prominent positions.
How many foreign commanders do we currently have in typically US officer slots?
The slot mentioned in this article is typically a US slot.
And how long until we have a Venezuelan officer commanding some of our men?
Oboama DOES have a sweet tooth for the Venezuelan regime.
In case you haven’t noticed, no not wrong as you don’t understand what I am saying.
And no, it is NOT common to have foreign troops serving in a US slot.
Yes, our troops did serve in WWII under British command.. but there weren’t brits in US officer slots.
It is one thing for US troops to be under foreign command in a given theater of military operations during a war. It is something else for a non-American to be given a high-ranking post within the US Army.
“It is something else for a non-American to be given a high-ranking post within the US Army.”
Exactly.
And it seems that two people in this thread don’t understand what the article is about.
Some time ago I responded to a similar story in a questioning kind of way,expressing surprise that a foreign officer could be given direct command authority over members of the US Armed Forces.In response to my post two Aussie military officers,named above,schooled me in how things often work within the "Anglosphere's" militaries...that this kind of thing isn't uncommon.Both told of how they had been subject to an American officer's command and how they had had command authority over American uniformed personnel.The explanation,after consideration,made sense to me particularly given the very close alliance the US and Australian militaries (and governments) have had for many,many decades.I've also been made aware that similar arrangements exist between the US and Canadian Armed Forces which,to me,certainly makes sense given our joint responsibility to defend North America. The Australian Armed Forces have consistently proven themselves to be highly skilled,courageous and dedicated and as a result I have no problem at all with such a setup.
But your dad answered to an american officer in his unit who was under British command.
This article is about an Australian who is in a US army officer slot.
THAT is unusual.
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