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Why the U.S. military should mandate officer retirement by age 50
The Week ^ | October 9, 2014 | Pascal-Emmanuel Gobry

Posted on 10/12/2014 4:21:23 AM PDT by iowamark

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To: GailA

Now THAT’S the truth! Obama is trying to kill some military off, I suppose.


41 posted on 10/12/2014 6:11:47 AM PDT by Shimmer1 (Nothing says you are sad that someone died like looting local places of business!)
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To: snoringbear

If you will re-read my post you quoted from you’ll notice the wish of those who would bring back the draft.

When the person got their “draft” notice they would have the choice of Military Service of some type of In Service to America program.

That is where the favoritism would come into play where the politically protected would dodge military service by doing the Service to American gig.

It’s just a bad idea all around.

Any savings would be more than eaten up by the jobs program and sure would not make much of a difference in service by politicians.


42 posted on 10/12/2014 6:29:08 AM PDT by PeteB570 ( Islam is the sea in which the Terrorist Shark swims. The deeper the sea the larger the shark.)
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To: Shimmer1

If they are top-heavy and have 20 years they can leave with a monthly check. I would institute an involuntary Reduction In Force(RIF). How many of our top Generals are really politicians?


43 posted on 10/12/2014 6:37:28 AM PDT by DIRTYSECRET (urope. Why do they put up with this.)
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To: PeteB570

“When the person got their “draft” notice they would have the choice of Military Service of some type of In Service to America program.”

LOL, well, I listed the Peace Corp as one of my examples of a draft deferment that should not be allowed if the draft should be activated. The Peace Corp was indeed a refuge for the left during the Vietnam War. That’s why I stated “no exemptions other than for physical or mental problems”. Peace brother, I’m old and you’re wearing me out :)


44 posted on 10/12/2014 6:38:44 AM PDT by snoringbear (E.oGovernment is the Pimp,)
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To: DanZ

Benedict Arnold was 39 when he conspired to give the defensive plans of West point to the British.

Napoleon himself was just 43 when he lost 360,000 troops in Russia and 46 at the Battle of Waterloo.

George McClellan was 35 years old when the became the highest ranking general in the United States Army.

Braxton Bragg was 44 when the Civil War began and was such a bad commander that his subordinate Confederate commanders hated him and his own troops tried to kill him.

Winston Churchill was just 41 when he concocted the Gallipoli campaign but 66 when he took office in 1940.

Mark Clark was 48 when he commanded the Fifth Army during the 28th Division’s disastrous crossing of the Rapido River in Italy. Veterans of his own command demanded a Congressional Inquiry into his command after the war.


45 posted on 10/12/2014 6:41:58 AM PDT by SoCal Pubbie
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To: antidisestablishment
"On October 12, MacArthur went on a reconnaissance and was caught in another gas barrage. He became violently ill, for which he was later awarded a second Purple Heart. Even worse, the patrol revealed how well defended the area was. When asked by Rainbow chief Gen. Menoher whether he could take Chatillon, MacArthur said, "I told him as long as we were speaking in the strictest of confidence that I was not certain."

The attack began early on the morning of October 14, and the fighting was fierce. MacArthur's 168th Iowa regiment, fighting with great courage, took Hill 288 by noon. MacArthur had little time to savor their success, as he led the repeated but fruitless assaults on Chatillon, now the final key to the area. MacArthur planned a bayonets-only attack for the next day (to avoid the muzzle flashes which gave away their locations), but after listening to the protests of his men thought better of it and canceled the order.

October 15 was a bad day for the Rainbow Division. MacArthur's 84th attacked repeatedly, but could get no further than halfway between Hill 288 and the Cote de Chatillon. From the high ground, the Germans were able to pour machine-gun and small-arms fire on Lenihan's 83rd, preventing it from making progress toward the towns. That evening, furious at the lack of progress, Summerall relieved Lenihan of his command, and repeated to MacArthur his demand that he take his objective or die trying. That night, MacArthur led the night patrol and found a relative weak spot in the German lines.

The next day, MacArthur's men, led by the 167th Alabama and 168th Iowa regiments, exploited this weakness and finally took the Cote de Chatillon. MacArthur directed a massive barrage which pinned the Germans down while Major Ross of the 168th led a group through the wire and enveloped the Germans, who were routed and either killed, fled, or captured. There were numerous acts of personal bravery; it was perhaps the Rainbow Division's greatest achievement in the war. The Rainbows were too decimated to press their advantage, but the tide had turned with the taking of Chatillon. Menoher wrote in his report to Summerall: "The indomitable resolution and ferocious courage of these two officers [MacArthur and Ross] in rallying their broken lines time and time again, in re-forming the attack and leading their men that saved the day. Without them the German line would not have been broken. On a field where courage was the rule their heroism was the dominant feature. I regard their efforts as among the most remarkable of the war."

46 posted on 10/12/2014 6:42:00 AM PDT by jpsb (Believe nothing until it has been officially denied)
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To: snoringbear

Old? Who’s old?

I tried to enlist when I was 18 but was told I had to turn in my draft card. I told them I didn’t want to be drafted I wanted to enlist. They said if I wanted to enlist I needed to turn in my draft card - and the post office was around the corner and two blocks down.

So down I went and back - all to turn it in. Must have had it all of ten minutes.

But to sum it all up - If the left is for it, it must be a bad idea. That’s really the only place there is talk of this issue.


47 posted on 10/12/2014 6:45:42 AM PDT by PeteB570 ( Islam is the sea in which the Terrorist Shark swims. The deeper the sea the larger the shark.)
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To: NelsTandberg

...and General George Washington won the Revolutionary War at 52.


48 posted on 10/12/2014 6:50:15 AM PDT by KOZ.
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To: trebb
“Yeah - incentivized to get as political as possible as early as possible.”

Yep. What hasn't the left tried to politicize? Let's see, get rid of those ‘older’ military officers who haven't been indoctrinated by the left - and replace them with young Wesley Clarks - who said just recently that he will be backing Hillary.

Beyond those aspects of this article, the whole concept of comparing the age of generals during a time of Napoleon to now is ridiculous.

49 posted on 10/12/2014 6:59:38 AM PDT by pieceofthepuzzle
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To: iowamark

I knew we were in serious trouble when the memorandum came out stating that it wasn’t fair to evaluate a Soldier based on his performance during combat. What, then, should you use to evaluate a Soldier?


50 posted on 10/12/2014 7:00:01 AM PDT by blueunicorn6 ("A crack shot and a good dancer")
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To: cripplecreek

The president has the joint chiefs of staff. Unfortunately, he has fired or forced out the competent officers and replaced them with “yes” men.


51 posted on 10/12/2014 7:05:50 AM PDT by Glennb51
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To: iowamark

Gimme a break.

Puny little new world order geek. That’s the US military’s biggest problem, all the new world order civilian geeks who are “consultants”.

Who is this freak... here’s his bio at bi...

http://www.businessinsider.com/author/pascal-emmanuel-gobry

Lots of military experience...


52 posted on 10/12/2014 7:12:15 AM PDT by PieterCasparzen (We have to fix things ourselves)
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To: iowamark

“It’s time for young blood and fresh ideas in the military’s highest ranks”

Sure worked out well in the presidency, didn’t it?

“Pascal-Emmanuel Gobry is an entrepreneur and writer based in Paris, and a frequent columnist at The Week. His writing has appeared at Forbes, The Atlantic, Commentary Magazine, The Daily Beast, The Federalist, Quartz, and other outlets.”

So, based on his experience and intimate knowledge of the military......


53 posted on 10/12/2014 7:22:08 AM PDT by AbnSarge
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To: iowamark

There is also the issue of the changing rate of maturation in society. Many years ago, someone 18 was an adult. Now someone 35 appears to be just leaving his teens. Not everyone, of course, but a large proportion.


54 posted on 10/12/2014 7:22:59 AM PDT by smalltownslick
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To: iowamark

True to a degree but the change in tech and tactics was much more rapid during past wars. A 67 year old general in WW2 cut his teeth during the era of trench warfare and no air power.


55 posted on 10/12/2014 7:24:00 AM PDT by Bogey78O (We had a good run. Coulda been great still.)
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To: iowamark

Patton was 77 when he kicked a lot of Kraut ass.


56 posted on 10/12/2014 7:32:17 AM PDT by GingisK
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To: iowamark

In truth, the age difference between the Union and Confederacy in the Civil War was very important, in that the Confederate commanders average age was about a decade older than that of the Union commanders.

However, at the same time, the experience and learning of the older Confederate generals proved to be important in the short to mid-term of the war, before fatigue kicked in.

And the quote is true, though it is from a football coach (Vince Lombardi), that “Fatigue makes cowards of us all.”

But the solution to this problem is not found in retirement, which removes the greater experience and learning from the battlefield, but in retention as a “Commander Emeritus”.

Some confusion exists, because armies have evolved a system of command leadership, in which a commander, while they issue the commands, these commands are executed by their deputy commander, who “does the heavy lifting” in the unit.

Beyond that, the commander is a liaison with the higher headquarters, and has a staff of officers to carry out operations, training, logistics, personnel management, intelligence, and other specialized functions.

The way a “Commander Emeritus” would come into play would be when in combat, continuity between commanders was especially important. Instead of retiring, the former commander would take on the role of “officer ombudsman”, who would observe the situation without any participation, and would then only offer advice to the new commander in person and in private, with strict limits on doing anything else.

His term in doing this would be limited to either 3 or six months. Then he would issue a secret final report to the superior unit commander. The purpose of this would be to let him know if there is a potentially catastrophic failure that the new commander refuses to address.

And then retirement.


57 posted on 10/12/2014 7:33:03 AM PDT by yefragetuwrabrumuy ("Don't compare me to the almighty, compare me to the alternative." -Obama, 09-24-11)
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To: GingisK; iowamark

No, the correct age was 60.


58 posted on 10/12/2014 7:34:42 AM PDT by GingisK
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To: iowamark

Who the heck is Pascal-Emmanuel Gobry ??

Why would anyone think that way?


59 posted on 10/12/2014 7:38:35 AM PDT by GeronL (Vote for Conservatives not for Republicans)
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To: DanZ

Institutional memory bye bye

easier for a demagogue to control, yeppers


60 posted on 10/12/2014 7:39:23 AM PDT by GeronL (Vote for Conservatives not for Republicans)
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