Free Republic

<p>MOSCOW (AP) - President Vladimir Putin signed an order Thursday relieving his chief of staff of his duties, the Interfax news agency reported, deepening the political and economic turmoil following the arrest of Russia's richest tycoon.</p> <p>Rumors that Voloshin had resigned had rattled Russian political and business circles for several days.</p>

This afternoon I stood in the office of the Secretary of the Army and was sworn in as the 35th Chief of Staff of the Army. Thirty-four other distinguished leaders have preceded me -- well-known stewards of our Army. It is a great honor to walk in their footsteps. Twenty-three years ago I stood in another place -- in the Iranian desert on a moonlit night at a place called Desert One. I keep a photo of the carnage that night to remind me that we should never confuse enthusiasm with capability. Eight of my comrades lost their lives. Those...

WASHINGTON (AP) -- In a highly unusual move, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld has selected a retired four-star general to become the next Army chief of staff, senior defense officials said Tuesday. The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the selectee is Peter J. Schoomaker, who retired from the Army after commanding the U.S. Special Operations Command from 1997-2000. The choice, which has not been publicly announced and is subject to confirmation by the Senate, may raise some eyebrows inside the military because it is rare for a defense secretary to bypass senior active-duty generals in favor of...

The Men Who Would Not Be King Normally, the position of Chief of Staff of the Army is the ultimate brass ring an Army officer can hope to grab. There is no higher Army job, and merely holding it guarantees a man at least a small place in the history books -- though not necessarily a favorable one. In fact, the last Army Chief of Staff to merit Clio's praise was General "Shy" Meyer, who held the post twenty years ago. Since he left, the Army has been stuck in a Brezhnevite "era of stagnation." It is therefore surprising that...

General Tommy Franks, who led US forces to victory in Afghanistan and Iraq, has turned down a promotion to army chief of staff, it was reported yesterday. Gen Franks had promised his wife he would shortly retire and, after days of intense speculation in Washington, he has now declined the offer of the army's top post, Pentagon officials told CNN television. The general has made no secret of his dislike of Washington and the power struggles and intrigue that dominate life there. His decision leaves the defence secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, without a key ally in his long-running, and often bitter,...