A good read on what is wrong with Generals

If you want to have a good read on what is wrong with flag rank officers.  Then read the article Thomas Ricks at the following link: http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2012/11/general-failure/309148/

Just a note it took me three years to read Mr. Ricks book “Fiasco”, not because the book was bad, but because all I could is read a few pages before I was mouth foaming mad, and I would have to put it down, or suffer some type of blowout.

The American soldier is one of if not the best in the world.  But what was once a better than average leadership core, had over time turned into something that I would not let walk my dog, much less lead my children into battle.  My family has had a tradition of serving in the military, unless there is a clear and present danger (the enemy state who ever they are is landing troops or threating to land troops on our shores) the family tradition will stop with me.

One of major complaints has been the lack of leadership in the officer corps (in particular the flag officers), and the emphasis on management, many of them have some advance degree in “some type of management”, as opposed to the Art and Science of War.  The officer corps those who have remained have turned into a bunch of power point idiots.  Hell they even have the power point police.  I have seen various chiefs of staff, and staff officers more concerned over the format of the power point, rather than the actual information that is to be presented.  It seems to get worse every time there is a new commanding officer.

I have seen stunts performed by some officers (company grade, field grade, and flag grade) that 20 years ago would have had that individual walking the streets in search of a new occupation, and yet these individual continue to be promoted up.  I have heard discussions that we must not do any thing to Smedley since he has a family, and how will they make it on the outside.  So instead they keep Smedley and inflict him on the personnel under his command, and God forbid that they ever have to go in harms way.

I cannot remember the number of times that I heard the phrase “We will manage the battle zone”.  War is chaos, and last time I check chaos was one of those things that cannot be managed.

Again I urge you to read the post.