Posted on 10/15/2021 10:03:20 AM PDT by Olog-hai
Ray Odierno, the retired Army general who led U.S. troops through the Iraq War and later served as the Army’s chief of staff, has died of cancer at the age of 67.
Odierno’s death Friday was announced in a statement by his family, according to The Associated Press. “The general died after a brave battle with cancer; his death was not related to COVID,” the family said.
Odierno, a West Point graduate, served in the military for nearly 40 years, a decorated career that included three tours of duty in Iraq.
He began the war in command of the 4th Infantry Division, helping to orchestrate the 2003 operation that resulted in the capture of the country’s ousted leader, Saddam Hussein. …
(Excerpt) Read more at npr.org ...
Sad news.
I always respected him.
I was part of the team that did the CALL (Center for Army Lessons Learned) debriefing of Gen Odierno and his staff when they returned from Iraq.
They still didn’t get most of the cultural lessons that needed to be passed on, but they did realize that firing everybody from the previous regime was probably a mistake.
Ruh Roh!——>”...his death was not related to COVID,” the family said....” Pentagon we have a problem....... Rip sir.
67?
That’s not old by todays standards.
Requiescat In Pace
He actually passed away last Friday. Cancer.
I had the honor of meeting him briefly in 2010. Very respected leader.
R.I.P., sir.
Yes; I noticed that from the date of this article. Didn’t see anything posted on here though.
No, but cancer can get you at any age.
Very large man/general with a phobia about arms. In fact, he demanded any and all around him with weapons, stand so the barrels were 180° degrees opposite of him in a room. The same if he was passing by.
He loved football, even from his CENTCOM HQ office in Baghdad.
He was either not a conservative, or hid it very very well. In other words, not a conservative.
However, I preferred him to several other generals, including Petraeus, but especially over Austin. Gen Austin was left of most other generals, and outwardly more politically leftist than others. There were incidents where Austin went directly against moral and decisive analysis.
So “apparently” it was cancer which took Gen Odiero out at 67?
Hmmm...
Or how about *Odierno*.
In a room? Even if a gun pointed 180° away from you accidentally fires, the bullet can still hit you if it ricochets. That was quite a phobia, or paranoia.
“they did realize that firing everybody from the previous regime was probably a mistake.”
What Patton tried to tell Ike.
Retired US Army friend called Austin a bully and a thug.
Yes it was.
In his offices, often even in open rotary flight, (in battle zone), ones weapon had to be cleared and checked.
No joke.
Never saw anything like it.
Having once been 18th Airborne Corp, and also serving multiple deployment/missions in theater, and having worked close to Austin, your friend is correct.
Very political, not so US History literate as others.
“In fact, he demanded any and all around him with weapons, stand so the barrels were 180° degrees opposite of him in a room. The same if he was passing by.”
Not a bad policy. I have had more than a few experiences with Iraq vets having some VERY loose weapon handling and dangerous muzzle awareness at the range and in a gun store.
When someone corrects them you get some variation of “I know what I’m doing”, or that moronic scene from Blackhawk Down where the actor playing a Delta guy says his finger is his safety.
Everyone though that was so cool.
Haven’t heard to much about Odierno that indicated high skill levels, but he is right to tell people not to cover him with a muzzle.
I worked with the General when I was in Iraq working for USCENTCOM in early 2004.
He was very very low key about his political views. Remember, at the time, politics were as hot-topic then as they are now and that was also an election year. He saw it as a destabilizing factor within his command and did his best to ensure no one knew.
As for the weapons thing - there were so many accidental discharges in 2003-2004 that nearly took people out - he was far from the only person who did this. There was a rash of accidental discharges, especially in late 2003/early 2004 that had everyone on edge.
Both Odierno and Austin were generally low key, not normally saying much in common or populated spaces.
Were you in the C2?
Politics became much hotter toward 08’/09’ timeframe. Lots of shuffle. Some “heads rolled”.
Austin rose in more than rank. For conservatives, more internal fear and carefulness was necessary for both officer and enlisted.
I knew two NCO’s and a CPT who were reprimanded for viewing Drudgereport on their own time (off shift). Early on in OIF/OEF it was not the case, but we were told not to bring New Testaments or Bibles to the C2, and were warned of consequences for to any and all “religious” and “political” talk even “off duty”. However, we did celebrate (on Iraqi soil), LGBTQ month.
It wasn’t related to any duty, but I was once part of an effort (with an O-8’s permissions), to build a 3X5 poster for Memorial Day (to be hung in the C2), which included a beautiful graphic of Arlington National Cemetery, with American flags, and the quote:
“Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!” (Patrick Henry)
The high gloss graphic was ordered torn down, and was in a hundred pieces on the floor. And that was inside the near 99% US C2 area at Al Faw Palace.
I don’t recall anything like this in 2004.
Never saw anything like this from Marine Gen Dunford either.
Not at the same time, but worked with Flynn and Rogers as well, and they too were under significant pressure.
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