Secretary Gates drops a bomb on the Air Force Posted by Moira Whelan

The news that the Air Force Secretary and Chief of Staff were forced to resign is pretty big news and could speak to a lot of activity that’s been happening at the Pentagon under the radar.

First and foremost, they were sacked in a very public way for Air Force standards. Both were attending Corona, which is a big gathering of generals. One was summoned to Washington, the other dealt with at the base in Ohio where the conference was taking place. They were separated and dismissed…in front of every single top dog in the Air Force.

Others are more plugged in than I am, but the Air Force and DoD have been doing battle for some months, and it isn’t the first time that Secretary Gates has made his frustration public. He was pretty blunt about feeling the F-22 was a waste of time while the Air Force still pushed it, as well as about the Air Force’s failure to step up deployment of drones.  He’s said that getting the Air Force to think and act in new ways is “like pulling teeth.”

The most interesting thing to me is that Gates took really decisive action here. On one hand, he seems to be keeping things in line in a pretty rough environment. On the other hand, it makes you wonder what else isn’t getting done if the Air Force chiefs have been able to run their own rogue operation for so long unchecked.

Hopefully Gates will use the next few days to make his expectations of the Air Force leadership clear, because right now, the rumor mill says that everyone is just ducking for cover.

Comments

[Don Bacon]

The Air Force was found guilty of the sloppy handling of nukes and their associated hardware over a long period of time.

[The Void]

I think this is about the delay in the big TSAT program -- which needs to get approved before Bush goes out the door else it will be canceled by the Democrats. You can't get surveillance UAVs if you don't have the comms to carry the transmission.

[Zathras]

It would be interesting to compare Sec. Gates' position and role in the Bush administration with that of former Sec. Rumsfeld. In a number of respects Gates has taken a very different approach, but in terms of the amount of autonomy he has at the Pentagon he seems just as strong a Secretary of Defense as Rumsfeld was -- in effect, a deputy President. This is noteworthy in an administration that has tended to keep its cabinet officials on very short leashes.

Of course any Secretary of Defense would be the logical point man for personnel changes lower down in his department. But the abrupt dismissal of both the Air Force's secretary and its senior general is a major change. No administration would undertake such a thing lightly, and I'm not sure many administrations before this one would have left the Secretary of Defense to handle it by himself, with no White House comment at all.

[peace]

I wonder if the recent political flap about the Air Force buying fuel tankers produced by EADS as opposed to Boeing is one of the reasons why Gates is cracking down on the Air Force leadership?

[gregorbkny]

Any chance that this is a Fallon moment? When I heard Air Force, I thought the branch of our military that would be called upon to attack Iran's nuclear facilities and/or "terrorist" training camps. Is it possible that there was resistance to such a plan, so this unprecedented dismissal of the military and civilian leadership of the Air Force is to get the right folks into place to manage such a strike?

Hate to be so tinfoil hat, but with this administration such a strike is still possible. Nixon had Kissinger around to instruct the military to ignore him if Nixon decided to launch the nukes in his last days in office. Is there such a person now, or are we just at the mercy of a president who may be called upon by God and Cheney to act against Iran now?

[Amyfw]

This is not a Fallon moment. This is a managerial moment. Mosely and Wynne are not policy advisors to Bush, so their opinions on policy are not relevant. They are supposed to be managing the Air Force, equipping it and preparing it to fight. They've failed miserably (or the people below them have, and the buck stops at the top.)

Fallon was an operator. If he does not agree with policy, and refuses to develop or implement the required operations, then that's a problem. You can't have the man who would implement the policy on the ground openly disagreeing with the policy. This was not the issue yesterday. This is a problem of poor management, or, more accurately, robust mismanagement.

[Don Bacon]

In other words Fallon was a Combatant Commander and the Air Force is merely a facilitator.

[gregorbkny]

Thanks Amyfw and Don Bacon. I watched the Newshour last night and it did seem likely that Gates was reacting to the "robust mismanagement" of the Air Force. The comments by the Time reporter about Gates' mentioning General Boyd's comments regarding leadership at the Air University last month, and the reaction of some of the powers-that-be, made me look up the speech. It does look like Gates wants to make dramatic changes to the AF and how it does business in the time he has left as Sec Def.

RE Iran, I'm still worried and looking at any sign of an attack, but appreciate your perspective on this particular case.

[Soldiernolongeriniraq]

The "Fallon moment" wasn't even a "Fallon moment." Fallon was fired for being a self-aggrandizing poppinjay. He was let go by the very man who brought him on board to serve as an independent voice.

This is what's so odd about these discussion threads. The reality isn't good enough. We must delve into conspiracy theories.

No one would get fired for, first, allowing nuclear weapons to inexplicably go from Minot AFB to Barksdale, and, then, failing to ensure this sort of thing didn't happen again (Tawain). Gates warned the USAF that if it did, and an inquiry convened showed that promised reforms didn't change the culture of that command, then heads would roll.

When heads roll, everyone assumes it's because USAF doesn't want to attack Iran; it's all about F-22s, communication contracts or blah blah blah.

Whatever. All I know is that we have a SecDef who is willing to instill some modicum of accountability for civilian and uniformed leaders of the military. Early in the WRAMC controversy, he fired a MG and then his boss, Army Secretary Fran Harvey.

He's like that.

[herefast123]

acer travelmate 330t battery

[viperson]

tramadol online

[viperson]

order tramadol | buy tramadol

[flyff penya]

Welcome to our game world, my friend asks me to buy some flyff money I do not know how to use the flyff gold ; my friend tells me how to use. I will thank for my friends bringing me in this world. I am not regret to buy buy flyff penya . We all love game, if you want to play it, please cheap penya and join us. Please do not hesitate to have game.

[FFXI Gil]

When you have FFXI Gil, you will become strong. With FFXI gold, you can upgrade and admire by others. You can use Final Fantasy XI gold to start the journey of the world. So, do not hesitate, let us move to buy FFXI Gil

[12 sky gold]

I know that 12Sky Silver Coins is your life. So I will try my best and do not let you pass away. In my mind, I think I have 12 sky gold is the fate.

[cheap kamas]

There also have a cheap kamas ,In the game, dofus gold is indispensable.

[luxury watches]

I am so with you,rolex watch
luxury watch

[cheap coach handbags]

Thank you for your sharing! I like i very much!

[tiffany and co]

Measure out a good length of wire line or Links of London Letters, if the balls are larger, leather or cotton cord. Should be enough to wrap around your neck than 5 inches. If you are using wire, slide a bead embedded in one end and a part of clasp. Pass the cable through the securing of accounts, adjust, and then flatten the Links of London Sale with crimping pliers. Trim the tail of wire. String accounts. If you want a symmetrical pattern, start with the Links of London Pendants and add segments on each side. Add the second part of the hook or, if you are using a snap hook Should silver jewelry be plated? Silver coating can be done with rhodium, white gold, yellow gold and platinum, even. Another thing you should know when to buy silver Links of London online may no longer be done by hand or machine. Of course, pieces of handmade silver are priced much higher than machine-made counterparts because more value is placed on the works of human hands.

[phoenix air conditioning]

Wow, not very tactful to dismiss them in front of everyone. Wonder what they could've done to deserve this sort of thing.

[Cheap nfl jerseys]

cheap nfl jerseys Finally, on the coffee side, gentlemen are invited to come. If what this brightly-lit room where the dark, then I sat in the dark, was curtains ajar. Arches of the draperies lifted again, they came. Men with stage scene when the ladies have the same style with extraordinary. Together they are confused about the black clothing, the majority of tall, some are very young. Henry and Frederick Lynn Lynn is indeed full of energy and vitality; Colonel Dent, a valiant of the gas; District Judge Mr. Eshton a pair of gentleman, very white hair, eyebrows and whiskers still dark, so he kind of like 'perenobledetheatre ". Lord Ingram, like his sisters with tall stature, with them as beautiful, but with Mary that cold, tired look, he seems more than a long, thin limbs, blood, or mental deficiencies.I do not know. Aunt Reed said, if I have relatives, but also a group of quasi-beggar, I would not go begging. ifdsdigj

oakland raiders jersey It's like no, I think she and her sister's property is not more than the old Lord Ingram's industry generally limits the heir, and his eldest son inherited almost everything.I really ran, took remained in the corridor of the candles. He took my hand to the candle, held it aloft, carefully inspected the bed, I saw a charred, wet sheets around the carpet soaked in water.

oakland raiders football jersey Sarah followed her back, both on the bed, Qiqizhazha about half an hour before sleep. I only heard a word, but I can clearly infer the subject of their discussion.

oakland raiders jersey Love to say what say what, say, content and style, all right by your own choice.

www.buycheapnfljerseysoutlet.com Please you, Mr. Rochester's cup side in the past, Mrs. Fairfax told me, "Adele might spill out."

[Womens oakland raiders jersey]

"cheap nfl jerseys Mr. Rochester, I am only allowed to miss a week, but I have not left Gateshead, a month has passed. I want to leave immediately after the funeral, but Georgiana begged me to stay until she went to London to spend time here because my sister's funeral and solve the Gibson uncle Family Affairs, and finally invited her to be there. Georgiana afraid to be alone with Eliza, that is low mood, did not get her sympathy; timid, did not get her support; packed up, did not get her help. Georgiana so weak and incompetent, indecisive, selfish, complaining, I have tried to stand, lie at the root do everything for her to sew, clean clothes. Indeed, I was busy, she will not idle Director. I secretly think to discuss said: ""If you and I have been destined to live together, cousin, we have to re-doing things, and in the past completely different and I should not have to endure to become a party obediently, but a job that you assigned to you , forcing you to complete, or else let it keep doing it. I insist on that allows you to slowly, half-truths complained pharynx to your stomach go. It is precisely because our relationship is very brief, partial During another encounter special pay homage, so I was willing to be patient and subservient. ""Jane Eyre-style authentic answer! I hope the good angel to protect me! She is from another world - from home to the dead, and I met in the evening when a person tells me so. If I have the courage, I will bumper you see you are a real person, or a shadow you this wizard ah!   axillary moisture test pretty significantly less irrigation フ glazing mediums 锊 squatting sedan runoff  tomb Dun Ying Zhen L  √ Ying  He  A bottle blanket trunk plant hook that bear skeleton jacket oxime  Lu Yi Huan perch rope    trench  salt Huan Yi Han   extravagant fool  axillary industry # 1?
I know, and the owner is a pleasure to meet again, despite much interference, because I am worried he was about to no longer be my master, and I also understand that I told him insignificant. But in Mr. Rochester (at least I think) always has a kind of happy people infected with tremendous force, as long as the taste spread to his solitary birds like me stray crumbs, it is tantamount to feast feast. His last words comfort me, seems to say that he did not quite care about me he forgot it, and he said to Thornfield is my home - I hope it is my home!
He did not leave the stone steps, I reluctantly asked him to give way. I immediately asked him if he is not been to London.
Go, I think you look out at a glance."" ydsrfgfd

oakland raiders football jerseys This morning has spoken of you, hope you can come, but she fell asleep, or ten minutes before I was upstairs when it is asleep the whole afternoon she was always so lazily lying, about six or seven o'clock wake up. Miss, you're here an hour break, then I go with you okay? time is 5:30, the sun will rise. But I found the kitchen still dark quiet. Bolt on the side door, I opened it, try not to send the sound to. The yard was quiet. But the courtyard open, to have cars parked outside chaise, both sets of harness horses, the coachman sat on the seat. I walked up, told him that gentlemen coming. He nodded his head. Then I look around carefully, attentively listening. Everything in the morning sleeping, always quiet. Servant in the room doors and windows are still covered her curtains, white Thriving in birds chirping on the trees, the branches like white garlands as bowed, from the yard stuck his head out the side of the wall. In closed stables, horse pull a cart with a few from time to time kicking hoof, in addition to the quiet silence of it all.

oakland raiders afl jersey In this case, I listened and was acquired contemplation, listening to a beast, or there is no hole in the devil's nest movement. But since Mr. Rochester came after, it seems to have been awed. All night I have only seen three sound move, a long interval between the three - a creak of footsteps, once again sounded like a short barking sound, a deep human groan.

oakland raiders football jersey Who is willing to accept me? But with such a hunger, dizziness, cold, wretched feeling - one a desperate mood, it really terrible. But it is not likely to suffer morning I will die. So why can not I willing to die it? Why do I have to struggle to maintain the life of no value? Because I know, or believe, Mr. Rochester is still alive, the other died of hunger and cold is the fate of nature can not default. Oh, the God! And then I'll support! Help I - guide me! ""

www.buycheapnfljerseysoutlet.com Side of the field a mile away there is a road, stretch and Millcote the opposite direction. Although I often see this road, but never come, do not know where it leads. I walked in that direction within walking distance. Recalling Past the moment is not allowed, not allowed to glance back, not even a look to the future. Can not remember the past, we can not look to the future. The past is a book, then a fantastic - it is so extremely sad - read on line it will give up my courage to destroy my energy. The future is a terrible blank, as if the world after the flood receded."