Joe decides to be Commander in Chief again, overriding service chiefs
Have you noticed ol’ Joe wanting to personally run the military lately?
Seemed to start a few weeks ago – Biden issued an executive order activating 3,000 Reserve troops for possible deployment to Europe in support of ‘Atlantic Resolve’ supporting Burisma Ukraine. Interesting that with 100,000 folks already there n Europe, we seem to already think we need to throw Reserves in there too, eh? Politico
Then last week Joe named ADM Lisa Franchetti to be the first-ever female Chief of Naval Operations (CNO). That makes her the first female CNO and the first female on the Joint Chiefs. Apparently SecDef Austin had selected another (male) admiral as CNO, but was overruled by Biden. NBC News
Her nomination follows more than a month of speculation of who the next CNO pick would be after reports emerged Secretary of Defense Austin recommended Paparo to take leadership of the service following Gilday. Several defense officials told USNI News that the move to put Paparo in the CNO job would put the Army in a position to take charge of INDO-PACOM – a command the Navy has held for almost 80 years. USNI news
Well, today (Monday) Biden had the Pentagon announce that Space Command headquarters’ location had been resolved and would go to Colorado Springs rather than Huntsville, AL as the Air Force and Trump had ordered.
“Today, following a thorough and deliberate evaluation process, and after consultation with Secretary Austin and weighing the input of senior military leaders, President Biden notified the Department of Defense that he has selected Colorado Springs as the permanent location of the U.S. Space Command Headquarters.” – Pentagon
This reverses President Trump’s decision to put the HQ in Huntsville. Seems those silly Huntsville folks chose to be in Alabama, which passed a most un-PC anti-abortion law in 2019 which has ruffled Democratic feathers for several years now.
“It is clear to anyone who has looked at the facts: Huntsville, Alabama is the best place for U.S. Space Command Headquarters. Repeated investigations and objective reviews have proven that to be the case. It is shameful that the Biden Administration is ignoring what is best for our nation’s security and is instead using their woke agenda to make this decision. To this point, the administration has refused to answer questions brought forth by the House Armed Services Committee’s investigation of their actions in this process.” Rep. Dale Strong, R – AL.
Essentially, after more or less ignoring the military (except for use as a woke-policy test bed) Joe wants to really, really act like a real live commander. I wonder if I am the only one who remembers another, ultimately proven incompetent, commander who made military decisions like Operation Barbarossa?
Category: "The Floggings Will Continue Until Morale Improves", Biden, Big Pentagon, None
81 million “voters”
Make them Prove it…
Pop Corn and fireworks with Clowns and Frogs too!
Since the current admin has tried to undo anything the orange haired did why haven’t they eliminated the Space Force.
Why is the Space Force a uniformed service?
He can’t just do that by Executive Fiat, he has to have cause and petition Congress! I ‘m sure that would go well!
Well, I guess when Joe heard that a man in Japan had become a Border Collie, that meant HE could become a CIC.
all about race, gender and micro managing.
ADM Lisa Franchetti suffers the most by his decision. I know nothing of this officer, she could be absolutely qualified for this position and excel at it. However… and there’s always a however… her tenure will always be tainted by the Biden administration’s policies of putting diversity far above quality. This is not her fault and she doesn’t deserve that. I wish her nothing but success.
She has an impressive resumé. COM6thFLT, 2 Carrier Strike Group commands, COMNAVFORKOREA among her assignments. I have to assume she performed at least adequately, and perhaps with distinction.
It is indeed too bad that her tenure will be tainted by who appointed her and why.
PACFLT commander Sam Paparo was the recommendation by Austion for CNO. Something was up when the WH sat on the recommendation for several weeks.
My bad. The attached NBC article explained it.
ADM Aquilino (Indo-PACOM) was heavily courted to be the next CNO. He eventually declined and will retire. ADM Paparo was the next best choice, but Clueless Joe wants the chick. Franchetti is no Paparo.
Referring to the (s)elected PINO as a lying dog faced pony soldier is an insult to lying dog faced pony soldiers everywhere. And real dogs usually just lick themselves instead of licking others that don’t care to be licked. We can expect another EINO in 2024. (Election In Name Only)
PHUQUE HEEM!
RTR
👏👏👏👏👍👍👍👌👌👌
gabn/gabaf/hbtd/rtr
“The officials said Biden was convinced by the head of Space Command, Gen. James Dickinson, who argued that moving his headquarters now would jeopardize military readiness. Dickinson’s view, however, was in contrast to Air Force leadership, who studied the issue at length and determined that relocating to Huntsville, Alabama, was the right move.”
https://www.c4isrnet.com/battlefield-tech/space/2023/07/31/space-command-to-stay-in-colorado-after-biden-rejects-move-to-alabama/
Did we tell you that General James H. Dickinson was born in Colorado and graduated from Colorado State University?
Surprise, Surprise!
The irony is that he was stationed at both Redstone Arsenal, Alabama and Peterson Air Force Base…
Bet he will run for Congress after he retires!
😉😎
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_H._Dickinson
“Dickinson was born in Estes Park, Colorado, and graduated from Colorado State University where he holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering and a Master of Science in Operations Research and Systems Analysis from the Colorado School of Mines.”
Whoa, hold up there just a minute. This guy is wearing a Master Space Badge. I thought that any type of Master Anything required at least 15 years of doing the job.
Are they trying to tell us that he started out being a basic Spaceman back when he was just a LTC/Bn Cdr of some Air Defense outfit?
I think this needs to be looked into as to whether or not he’s entitled to a “Master” Badge, / s
Fifteen seems a bit late….
Claw:
Check out the 2017 article.
He is listed as having a Basic Space Badge…
https://www.ausa.org/people/ltg-james-h-dickinson
Fast forward to 2021.
He is listed as having a Master Space Badge…
https://www.wsbr.org/events/virtual-program-with-general-james-dickinson/
Claw:
This article came out in 2014:
https://www.army.mil/article/122386/space_warriors_earn_space_badges
According to the article:
“The Space Badge can be awarded to active Army, Army Reserve and National Guard Soldiers who successfully complete appropriate space-related training and attain the required Army space cadre experience. There are three levels of the Space Badge: basic, senior and master.”
“The required space cadre experience for active duty Soldiers is: Basic Space Badge, 12 months; Senior Space Badge, 48 months; and Master Space Badge, 84 months…”
Am guessing he fulfilled the 7 years im July 2023 to get the Master Space Badge?
What do you think, Claw?
BTW, his assignments from 2016 to 2023 may have been “rough”? He seemed to have aged VERY fast based on his two GO photos…🤔
July 2016 – Dec 2016, Chief of Staff, United States Strategic Command, Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska
January 2017 – December 2019, Commanding General, United States Army Space and Missile Defense Command/Joint Functional Component Command for Integrated Missile Defense, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama
December 2019 – August 2020, Deputy Commander, United States Space Command, Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado
August 2020 – present, Commander, United States Space Command, Peterson Space Force Base, Colorado
So…you can get a Master Space Badge without actually going into space? Hmm…I’ve never parachuted from an aircraft, but I have been airborne on a lot of them. Think I can get some jump wings?
Army used to qualify for the Space Badge if you operated any type of SATCOM system, tactical or strategic. IIRC, it was later changed to strategic (fixed station) only. I qualified for the basic badge, but it wasn’t that Battlestar Galactica looking monstrosity it is now. It was commonly referred to as the “Space Shuttle Door Gunner Badge”.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Operations_Badge
Just what the Army needed: One more stinking’ badge. Another ornament for the OD Xmas tree.
To paraphrase the Great Sage Oprah Winfrey, “You get a badge, you get a badge, and you get a badge…”
Now, I won’t begrudge the good General for earning a Master Space Badge, but when is enough enough? Back at the JFHQ, the SSG that worked under me had his Military Horseman Badge from Caisson Platoon of The Old Guard. He was rightfully proud that he’d earned the “second least awarded Army badge”, since the MHB was fairly new and 600-some of the Tomb Badge have been awarded since 1958 or so, but within a year or two of being approved there were already around 100 MHB holders.
I know Army, not Space Force, Air Force, or Chair Force, but it’s plain to see that our military is badge happy. I mean, I can see the purpose of certain badges, and there are qualification, special skill, and identification badges for a reason, but it’s still a bit over-the-top. The aforementioned Military Horseman Badge is only awarded to members of Caisson Platoon, as the Tomb Badge is only awarded to Sentinels, but when does the Drill Team or Continental Color Guard get their own unique badge? I earned my Expert and Combat Infantryman Badges, and after enlisting the Expert and Combat Action Badges were approved, along with the Sapper Tab, Space Badge, and a few others. Oh, let’s not forget the various Instructor Identification Badges, not to be confused with the various Staff, Recruiter, and Drill Sergeant Badges.
Interesting article:
“Obsolete Badges Of The United States Military”
https://military-history.fandom.com/wiki/Obsolete_badges_of_the_United_States_military
“Obsolete badges of the United States military are a number of U.S. military insignia which were issued in the 20th and early 21st centuries. After World War II many badges were phased out of the United States Armed Forces in favor of more modern military badges which are used today.”
“A limited number of badges were also issued in the 19th century. The oldest military badge on record dates to the time of the American Revolutionary War. The following is a listing of obsolete U.S. military badges and the period, or branch of service, to which such badge were specific.”
“A unique obsolete badge situation occurred with General of the Air Force Henry H. Arnold, who in 1913 was among the 24 Army pilots to receive the first Military Aviator badge, an eagle bearing Signal Corps flags suspended from a bar. Replaced in 1917 by the more conventional “wings” embroidered design (authorized as an oxidized silver badge in 1921), Arnold displayed both types on his uniform throughout his career. The original Military Aviator design can be seen in pictures of him in uniform.”
Ninja, thanks for the Wiki link. But I have a badge that isn’t depicted by Wiki. It is the only badge I was authored before I completed the training. It is the ROTC flight training half wings badge.
Authorized…dammit!
“When does the drill team get a badge”? There have been several efforts to bring that off and when I was there, some of the senior members were actually wearing a “locally authorized” badge.
Hmmm, Well, I think he kind of jumped the gun on putting on that Master Badge if in 2017 he only had a Basic Badge (then skipped right over the Senior Badge) and then in 2021 was wearing a Master Badge, when the requirement is 7 years. / s
After reading that article from 2014, I see that not every soldier started out at the Basic Badge level, as the Major in the picture was awarded the Master Badge the first time they were handed out.
Gotta fill the ranks somehow.
And the fact that the skiing is much better in Colorado than in Alabama was surely irrelevant.
Water Skiing is very popular in the Tennessee Valley/Huntsville Alabama area….😉😎
“Twiggy The Water Skiing Squirrel Brings Her Popular Act To Huntsville”
https://www.al.com/entertainment-times/2011/07/twiggy_the_water_skiing_squirr_1.html
What Imma wondering, ninja (and Imma too lazy to try and look it up), is when was the last time a pigskin ball team from Colorado won a Collegiate National Football Championship? gabn/gabaf/rtr/hbtd (less than 30 days now!)
God forbid that these kind of decisions be made on what would be the best decision.
I’m an absolute believer in the principles that put civilian leadership in charge of the military, but man, this dude makes it hard.
This is what we need, strong and determined command from the military’s Commander-in-Chief! Wait, what, Barbarossa? Wasn’t that the brainchild of a combat tested Austrian Corporal who became the Dick Tater in Chief of Teutonic Nations? What, he knew better than his uniformed military chiefs and advisors? Hmm…30 April 1945 rings a bell. A split Germany, only some 74 years after unification? Nah, never happened.
Biden’s strength lies in his weakness. That is, his doddering ways are protected by a media and fellow politicians that enable him. Make light of his gaffs. It doesn’t matter, and you’re the bad person for daring to challenge the cognitive abilities of a career politician who’s spent most of his presidential term as a running joke, and who hid out during the completely legitimate election leading to his victory.
Perhaps, just maybe, the weakness of our current military leadership is causing Ol’ Joe to have full confidence in his ability to determine the future of our Armed Forces. Milley wants to understand White rage, and he is White, after all. His boss, Austin, cosplays as some futuristic mask and medal wearing supervillain. They become unknowing caricatures of themselves. But who am I? Jut some cynical nobody who once wore three chevrons and two rockers…
Why would the Army take charge of the Indo-Pacific Command?
I thought traditionally the Navy had that one, with the Air Force having Northern Command and the Army having Central Command, because of the obvious focus on sea, air, and land respectively those command positions imply.
This doesn’t make sense. Why will an Army General be in charge of Navy oriented command?
Not a single time in the last 80 years with the Army not at the helm has a ; ship ran into a freighter, sub sunk a Japanese ‘fishing troller’, seawolf-class sub played bumper boats with an underwater mountain, F35 ‘accidentallyed’ off a flat top requiring a huge recovery operation to stop chynah from capturing classified tech, etcetc.
I’m not sayin’ Big Green would do any better, I’m just saying that just maybe we could coordinate not fucking up slightly better.
A distinction without a difference? Perhaps.
But…
Basic fairness, of course. It’s their turn.
Yeahhhh Hillary thought that, too.
Interesting thing is army generals for the most part command the militaries of countries in the Indo-Pacific. American admirals have cracked jokes about this.
“Space Command headquarters’ location had been resolved and would go to Colorado Springs rather than Huntsville, AL as the Air Force and Trump had ordered.”
If you snooze, you lose. Trump has been out of office for over two years, now. How large is Space Force that it takes over two years to move its HQ?
The headquarters is 1,400 people and 12 abortions. Not all of them made it to Huntsville.
Was not familiar with the new CNO. But based on what I read from this gentleman, I think we might be okay…..
https://cdrsalamander.substack.com/p/cno-in-waiting
Should be this: https://cdrsalamander.substack.com/p/the-cno-in-waiting My apologies for the confusion
I think the final straw on the Huntsville thing came when Alabama released their electoral district map two weeks ago. They were ordered to create one majority black district and one “majority or very close to it”. So now one is majority and the other is very close to it. The shrieking from the left has been epic.
The Democrats were hoping for a pickup in the house and did not get it. It’s already bad enough that Alabama has the highest support level for Donald Trump in the entire United States.
From what I gathered watching the brass testify after the Afghan withdrawal, it was Biden’s decision, not the generals- they wanted Bahram Air Base. As Mike Pompeo said, every major decision Biden has made through his career has been wrong.
And now we have this….
“2 US Sailors Hit With Charges Tied To National Security, China”
https://www.foxnews.com/us/2-us-sailors-national-security-china-bribe-charges
” The U.S. Department of Justice arrested two U.S. Navy sailors on national security charges relating to China on Thursday.”
“It is unclear whether the two cases are connected in any way. The first sailor, a 22-year-old assigned to a vessel in San Diego, was arrested on an espionage charge relating to a conspiracy to share intelligence with a Chinese official.”
“The second sailor, based near Los Angeles, is charged with conspiracy and receipt of a bribe from a Chinese official.”
“DOJ officials have not identified either U.S. sailor by name. A DOJ spokesman detailed the charges against each of the members, however.”
“In the first case out of the central district, the defendant, a petty officer who served as a construction engineer, is charged with conspiring with a PRC intelligence officer to collect and transmit sensitive military information about naval operations,” Assistant Attorney General Matthew Olsen said.
“The defendant allegedly accepted bribes and gave the PRC intelligence officer photographs and videos of military exercise plans, operational orders and electrical systems,”
“In the second case, out of the southern district, the defendant faces charges for espionage and for violating our export control laws, for collecting and transmitting sensitive national defense information at the direction of a PRC intelligence officer”
“As tasked by the intelligence officer, the defendant allegedly transmitted or attempted to transmit more than 50 manuals and other documents containing technical and mechanical data about naval amphibious assault ships. Several of these materials were allegedly marked with export control warnings and contained details about the power structure, weapons systems and damage control aboard those ships.”
Watching at an old episode of Star Trek Deep Space 9 (yeah I got a thing for Jadzia Dax HONEY HUSH!) Captain Sisko stated in no uncertain terms that he would NOT tolerate and/or condone the practice of cultural diversity on his Space Station. Musta took 400 years for the Military to learn that cultural diversity had no place in the military. *grin*