Ho hum. Let’s get some facts on the table and then let the discussion go where it will. This is quite common, it just hasn’t been done in the Pacific. In Europe, we’ve had integrated commands for years, sometimes in NATO billets, sometimes in U.S. billets. We were certainly going to be operating under NATO commanders if the balloon had ever gone up. We had Brits in U.S. billets in both Iraq and Afghanistan, usually as the Deputy Commander. NORAD has been an integrated command with the U.S. and Canada since jump street. The Deputy Commander of III Corps at Ft. Hood has usually been a Canadian general and this has been going on for years. U.S. Forces in Korea operate with a combined staff of U.S. and Korean officers, and a Korean general is always in the deputy position. 70 years ago today, General Eisenhower was promoted to fours stars and made commander in chief of all allied forces in Africa. His deputies for ground forces, naval forces, and air forces were all Brits and all U.S. forces in North Africa served under these Brit generals.
We’ve done it for years, and it’s quite routine. I think that a better question is why did it take us so long to get around to doing it in the Pacific. I think that the answer has nothing to do with the U.S. Post Vietnam, Australia was a little bit stand offish with the U.S. because of public opinion down under. New Zealand went off the deep end and declared themselves a nuclear free zone. Cooler heads have now prevailed and both countries realize that we all need to stand together against very real threats from China and Indonesia (Muslim country BTW). Obama has had nothing to do with any of this, he’s too busy playing golf and place nice with Islamic extremists.
“Obama has had nothing to do with any of this, he’s too busy playing golf and place nice with Islamic extremists.”
In between firing Generals and telling troops to stand down while our diplomats die.