Comments on: Gates: McChrystal messed up big-time

By: Guardhouse lawyer

Guardhouse lawyer — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 05:12:00 +0000

No. I do not wish to change my choice of words. I do happen to know what the credentials are for JCS. I said “Had I been”. The chicken reference had nothing to do with his courage. But it does have something to do as to what should have been done to his scrawny neck.

Twenty years in the AF good enough for you?

By: Jim0001

Jim0001 — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 00:56:46 +0000

To be on the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Sir , you FIRST have to be in the military. non-military bloggers don’t have the proper credentials. “Chicken” is a strong word to apply to a soldier who has served our country honorably during a 20+ year career.
As a “wannabe-on-line-barrister” you may wish reconsider your choice of verbage. Incidentally Sir, When and with which branch did you serve?

By: Guardhouse lawyer

Guardhouse lawyer — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 19:32:54 +0000

Reminds me more of George Armstrong Custer, whose name should be wreathed with infamy instead of approbation. Patton was not a fool, but Custer was and now it becomes patently obvious that McChrystal is.

His track record just plain sucks, particularly his deep involvement in the coverup of the death of Pat Tillman and his apparently just as deep involvement in the abuse of Iraqi prisoners at Abu Ghraib and elsewhere.

Had I been on the Joint Chiefs I would have recommended his forced departure at the time of the Tillman incident. His involvement was deep and troubling. All in all I am not surprised by his abrupt departure from the scene, though somewhat taken aback by how long it has taken for this particular chicken to get to the stew pot of history.

By: Jim0001

Jim0001 — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 18:38:00 +0000

RA, Sir: You are correct on one issue He didn’t adhere to the oath he took as a member of the military and he paid the price.
I did not say that the military was any better than you, I said they ” adhere to a higher code than our elected officials do.”"
Apparently you have never served and are attempting to elevate your status by denigrating those who do. Anyone who volunteers for something larger than themselves and is willing to risk their lives for others and the Constitution of this country is on a heck of a lot higher plane than someone hiding behind a keyboard and belittleing the defenders of liberty.
Read the Uniform Code of Military Justice and maybe you can understand the laws that govern our military.
It is a decidedly different code than the laws that govern civilians. And as observed by behavior from our congress and the administrations there is a third set of rules. They don’t even pay taxes and get cabinet positions. And honor has been long gone from the majority of elected officials…

By: ra

ra — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 17:10:13 +0000

If they were adhering to this higher code, then this wouldn’t have happened. They’re no better than anyone else, they just have a different job to do.

By: Almandine

Almandine — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 17:08:19 +0000

Reminds of George Patton… true warriors impatient with the niceties of politics.

By: sherry

sherry — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 15:34:52 +0000

It’s disconcerting to see someone with such poor judgement would be in charge of something so big

By: Jim0001

Jim0001 — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 13:56:27 +0000

I cannot fathom why a theatre commander would allow a reporter to be embedded with him and his staff!
Especially a General whose lineage is through the Special Operations community.
Especially when the journalistic endevor is as left leaning as RS magazine.
Whatever happened to Operational Security (OPSEC)? What else other than the General and his staff may have been compromised?
Mainstream media rerely covers anything military in a positive light.
Obama and Biden have never served a day in uniform and are not military strategists. However civilian leadership in our country controls the military, as it should be. War is what happens when diplomacy fails. If diplomacy has failed so miserably that the dogs of war must be released then they need to be turned over to the dog handlers. Those handlers and the soldiers must then receive support from the elected / appointed leadership. As a military member you do not critisize your chain of command no matter how clueless and inept they may be. You take an oath to uphold and defend the Constitution and to obey the orders of those over you. General McChrystal must fall on his sword for his indescretions. Once again the military in our country operates and adheres to a higher code than our elected “officials” do.