That “cutting staff” thing
Last night I wrote about Marty Dempsey and his promise to the American people to cut the number of flag officers and their perks. His number was 15% – blaming the Bush Wars for the unprecedented expansion of staffs. Defense News reports today that “[t]he size of the Pentagon’s vast oversight organizations grew by more than 15 percent from 2010 to 2012”. Funny how that same number pops up. Despite the fact that then-Secretary of Defense Robert Gates called for cuts to size of staffs, that isn’t what happened;
The Joint Staff, for example, grew from 1,286 people in 2010 to 4,244 people in 2012, a 230 percent increase.
“The problem is the bureaucracy is more resilient than even the most powerful secretary,” said Arnold Punaro, a retired Marine Corps major general, consultant and member of the Defense Business Board.
As a point of reference, Marty Dempsey became the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs in April, 2011, so he can be reasonably blamed for the unprecedented increase in the size of the Joint Staff, and now he’s talking about cuts like some great savior. And, for what did he increase the staff’s volume? Our strategy in the war against terror during his tenure has been to withdraw from Afghaistan, how big of a staff do you need for that?
Like I said last night, they need to fire those flag officers officers who have entrenched themselves in their private fiefdoms and successfully avoided any meaningful employment, i.e., deployments and command. And the prince of all Generals, Marty Dempsey should be the first to go.
Category: Big Army
They better do something. Right now the USAF has 1 general for every 1.5 flying squadrons, and to say that’s out of line is stretching the point. In 1985 when I went through a PME course at Langley AFB VA, as part of the course I tried to make the case that the entire, late-war USAF could survive with under 100 generals of all ranks – and that included ANG and USAFR. For some reason, my instructors were not amused.
Mike
And just where do “disgraced former general officers” land?
Most have an incredibly soft landing like GEN “Kip” Like a G6″ Ward. Had to endure the “incredible hardship” of retiring as a LTG, instead of a 4-star, but the “modest compensation package” I’m sure he’s making here will help with the car payments and electic bill:
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/general-william-kip-ward-joins-130000380.html
The huge disconnect between the officers and the working types is too large. If I used my government travel card to do the things he did, I would of spent time in Leavenworth in a cell with Bubba as an E-1.
This clown gets to rock an LTG Grade retirment. SMDH.
In the words of Heartbreak Ridge, if Obama ever came to a sudden stop Marty Dempsey would have a brown ring around his face.
Uh, “General?” Blaming Bush didn’t work for Obama, and with the man 4 1/2 years out of office, it won’t work for you either. You shit on the carpet, you clean it up.
There are some good ones out there. The recently departed commander of Buckley AFB’s 140th wing, Brig. Gen. Eyre, actively flew F-16s for 25 years and just took his last flight in April when he was promoted. Both of my kids said he was very down to earth and supportive of everyone under his command, down to the kids in student flight waiting for their BMT dates.
He’s now the ANG advisor to the 1st Air Force.
Unfortunately, it seems that Dempsey is more about getting rid of the good people like Ham and Mattis than the chaff like Ward and himself.
This is an old theme of GO’s. Well before they retire with more money than I will ever have, they feather a new nest for cushy contractor, adviser, consultant jobs that pay more than they were making active duty. Ward should by all rights have went out as LTC, just because he deserved it. I say if you are a GO and whine because ” I deserved another star” you should lose three grades at retirement. But that is just wishful thinking from a parallel universe.
Funny seeing Gen Eyre’s name out here, I work at 1st Air Force and just met him recently. Does seem like a good guy. The current CC of 1st AF, Lt Gen Etter, is also a very good guy. I’ve had quite a bit of one-on-one time with him (quite a lot for a MSgt) and have nothing bad to say about him.
As many generals as we had during World War II, with 1/10 the total forces…