Posted on 01/02/2019 11:56:25 AM PST by detective
That would be true if the enemy were the "nation' of Afghanistan instead of hit-and-run, fanatical terrorists who look like any other Afghani.
Remember, this is the same Hussein that blamed all of his foreign policy screwups (of which there were MANY) on SecDef Hagel, publicly fired him, and then told him he needs to stay on for another 6 months while they find his replacement. Bonus: little Timmy Hagel agreed. (Just as an aside here, what the heck was up with Hagel? He always looked half-drunk and a bit disheveled. He talked like it, too. I watched his confirmation hearings with my wife and I asked her at one point, “Did this guy show up drunk?”)
Mattis was an outstanding combat leader, no doubt. Leadership in combat means using the best means and tactics to implement the national policies and decisions made by the President who is the Commander in Chief of the military. General officers also advise, through the SecDef, the President on the best means and tactics that will implement the national policies and decisions made the President as the Commander in Chief.
They advise the policy makers, implement the decisions made by the policy makers. They are not the ultimate policy makers.
If they refuse to implement those decisions then they are fired; see Truman firing Mac Arthur.
As SecDef, Mattis was an adviser and policy maker, but he makes policy only when given the direction and approval of the Commander in Chief. He cannot override the decisions of the CinC, period. Civilian control of the military was specified in the Constitution and anyone, civilian or military falling below the President are bound by oath and law to follow and implement the decisions made by the elected President.
Mattis, like some before him, decided that he would not or could not implement lawful policies and decisions made by the President. He had two choices which were to resign or be fired. He got what he asked for.
I started my military career as an enlisted Marine and I never felt a particular loyalty or devotion to any general officer. This did not change during the rest of my career as an AF officer.
I read a lot from Marines and former Marines, the younger ones in particular, who are aghast that this great leader was fired. They are woefully misled.
Mattis was a great combat leader and deserving of that title. He went through boot camp a short time after I did. He comes from a generation that understood what that oath meant. He put aside that understanding as he rose to the general ranks.
The overriding point is that in accordance with their oaths from private to general, they swear their allegiance and devotion to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States. Not any general, colonel, or captain. Their job is to implement the orders and decisions of the President, their Commander in Chief as specified in that Constitution.
Overall, I think most of the ranks in the military today understand that. If they don’t then they shouldn’t be there.
Mattis was out of line, more than once.
Skip to 1:10 for the quote: "But as you know, Obama fired him, and essentially so did I."
Worst of all Mattis supported all the horrible training changes made under Obizmo-pepto.
Man is all reputation and no substance
He was a Lt. Colonel in the Persian Gulf War, he sounds to me like one of those officers that hung back, let the senior NCOs lead the charge, then came strutting in during the mop-up like he was William The Conqueror. I’m sure the way he talked about his exploits at the officers’ club was a lot more impressive than what his troops saw. I can’t say for sure but talking like that, he sure comes off like it. I would also bet that “Mad Dog” is a nickname that he hung on himself after he made general, I’ve never seen a general/flag officer with the nickname “Turd Boy” or “Skank”, it’s always “Lightning” or “Killer” or something, frickin’ lame.
My parents were both born in 1944 and both came from big families. My father’s draft number didn’t come up but it did for FIVE of my uncles. (Dead serious, five of them and they all came back alive with all their limbs and just a few minor wounds.) None of them ever told me how fun it was to fight and shoot people. They always came off like it was an unpleasant chore that you swallowed hard and did for a greater good, no bragging, ring-knocking, or “I’m such a badass” talk about it.
Trump has given his commanders a great deal of autonomy in making theater and operational decisions. He gives them the goals and the resources and leaves the implementation to them without the restrictions and rules of engagement of previous presidents.
The general missed the requirements laid out in his oath of office both as a general and as SecDef. He carries out the Constitutional orders of the Commander in Chief who was elected. He violated his oath of office by refusing to follow the directions of his commander.
Loyalty going down requires loyalty coming up from subordinates.
Yes, the statement was breathtaking; breathtakingly ignorant.
No firing on people (ostensibly women) dressed in burkas; needing a lawyer before retuning fire; needing to have a wounded soldier before retuning fire; needing to consult a ‘kill list’ before killing a known bad guy; needing to see a weapon before retuning fire - the list is long.
I saw the same thing with Rumsfeld. He talked a good game to the media, seemed to do all the right things publicly, and he was just a garbage SecDef. Seriously, a lot of things that he micro-managed in Iraq and DoD did not make things better, quite the opposite.
Totally agree, we have greater reserves than they do. We should pull out, take our equipment with us or destroy it, and leave them to cut each other to shreds.
Mattis would not get trannys and pervs out of the military. F Mattis. The Army is still not defending out border.
Mattis is not a "subordinate" he's a civilian who was an insubordinate backstabber. Worse, he became a vindictive, rat-serving drama queen because he didn't like when the Trump put a stick in the spokes of mil.industrial.com. He had no business in the policy arena. His job was to implement the orders of the President who WE elected. The Mideast is not his to decide, in his faggotized little brain.
Because of people like him, I had to piss next to trannies when I was in the Mideast. Not kidding.
He can go fkn choke. So can his idiot apologists.
by the end of the year Trump will be fondling steel ball-bearings, and it will be all right because they are HIS balls.
Too bad in the end the ones he kept awake in anxiety were patriotic Americans.
So I ask: what have we accomplished in 17 years there?
Trump tried to take the public high road but Mattis wouldn’t accept the kindness...
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