Dempsey replaces Mullen as CJCS

Admiral Michael Glenn "Mike" Mullen, retired from the United States Navy at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall, Va. on Friday Sept. 30. He passed the reigns as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to Army General Martin E. Dempsey during a change of responsibility ceremony there before an audience that included President Obama, Vice President Biden, Secretary of Defense Panetta, senior military officers and other distinguished officials.

Gen. Dempsey [L] and SECDEF Panetta [R]

In his final speech as Chairman, Adm. Mullen said he reminded Gen. Dempsey that he will not only be the POTUS' advisor, but also the representative of 2.2 million members of the armed forces. He said that his successor's biggest challenge will be in Afghanistan "making sure that the security gains we have made are not squandered by the scourge of corruption or the lack of good governance."

“Time is both his best friend and his worst enemy. I never seemed to have enough of it to do the things I wanted, and it’s hard to believe it’s over,” Mullen said as he finished a 43 year career.

Gen. Dempsey was sworn in at the 18th Chairman and he thanked his predecessor for his patriotism and friendship. He vowed to maintain and strengthen the military during his term in office. In his speech, Dempsey said U.S. armed forces “are powerful, responsive, resilient, versatile and admired. [They] provide leaders with a wide range of options to counter threats and crises. And when sent to do the nation's bidding, we are an unambiguous signal of our nation’s resolve.”

Adm. Mullen [L] shakes the hand of his sucessor

“Our people -- America’s sons and daughters -- are our decisive edge ... We’ll change and we’ll be challenged, but when I complete my tenure as the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, I intend to be able to say exactly the same thing: We will be the joint force the nation needs us to be, so help me, God.”

"I am supremely confident of the future because we have the strongest military force in our history and in the history of the world," SECDEF Panetta said. "And it is strong exactly because we can replace one great warrior with another."

On Monday, General Dempsey briefly spoke with reporters in his office at The Pentagon. While the session was considered off the record, Dempsey's staff allowed some details about the general's office to be revealed: He sits behind a 4 by 6 foot desk, the same one Gen. Douglas MacArthur used in the Philippines during World War II. He said his desk at home is one used by Gen. Omar Bradley, the first chairman. A larger than life painting of Gen. George C. Marshall hangs in the office in such a way that the chairman can see it clearly from his desk. On the desk however is something uniquely Dempsey's: a box that holds cards he had made when he commanded 1st Armored Division during its '03-'04 deployment to Iraq. The cards each bear the photo, personal and family information for a division solider killed in action there.

Credits: Jim Garamone & Karen Parrish, American Forces Press Service

Senate confirms new US Military Leadership

The United States Senate cleared a staggering backlog of routine military officer promotions and confirmed pending presidential nominations for some top officers this week.

Chief among these was the confirmation of General Martin E. Dempsey [right] as the next Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He is now confirmed to replace retiring Admiral Mike Mullen in September as the US Military's top dog.

The Senate also confirmed General Raymond T. Odierno to replace Dempsey as Chief of Staff of the Army. Odierno oversaw the disestablishment of US Joint Forces Command at a ceremony yesterday in Suffolk, Va. shuttering a 6000-strong command on the advice of former SecDef Robert Gates to save millions of dollars.

Admiral Jonathan Greenert was confirmed as the next Chief of Naval Operations to replace retiring Admiral Gary Roughead in September and Air Force General William Fraser III as Commander, U.S. Transportation Command.

The most urgent appointment was that of Admiral James A. "Sandy" Winnefeld Jr., who not 48 hours after his Senate confirmation, was sworn in as the 9th Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff yesterday. This followed the vacation of the post by General James E. "Hoss" Cartwright [left] who had his retirement ceremony at the 8th & I, Marine Barracks in Washington D.C. on Wednesday after almost 40 years of service.

Admiral Winnefeld was replaced as Commander of U.S. Northern Command and NORAD by the first Army officer to hold the position, General Charles Jacoby who also received confirmation [and a fourth star] on Tuesday.

Other appointments were not so urgent but were also confirmed before the Senate recessed until after the Labour Day weekend in September. They included confirmations made after approval for UNETIDA appointments were granted by the UN Security Council in July. U.S. Air Force Colonel “Rockets” Thompson, was confirmed as Missile Defence Commander [Northern] replacing Brigadier General “Ballista” Jackson who will now retire in November. U.S Marine Colonel "Whopper" Creedon was confirmed as Director of Intelligence and will assume duties in December. Creedon will be replaced by U.S. Navy Captain “Barnacle” Strakovski as Director of Special Operations.

The 2500+ confirmations were approved by voice vote and without discussion. They put in place one of the single-largest changes in decades in U.S. military leadership that began with Leon Panetta's appointment as Secretary of Defence on July 1.

The changing face of defense

After he replaced Donald Rumsfeld during the Bush administration and after being asked to stay on by President Obama, the Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, a former director of the CIA will take another stab at retirement on June 30th. Gates will be replaced by current CIA Director Leon Panetta who has already vowed to put National Security and the troops first.

Behind POTUS, [Left to Right] Director Panetta, Gen. Petraeus and Lt.Gen. Allen

Panetta’s vacated position in the CIA will be filled by retiring US Army General David Petraeus, currently in command of the International Security Assistance Force and U.S. Forces Afghanistan, a post he was given following the General McChrystal scandal.

Yesterday, President Obama formally nominated Marine Corps Lt. Gen. John Allen, USMC to receive a fourth star and serve as the next commander of ISAF and U.S. Forces Afghanistan following Petraeus’ departure.

Later in October Navy Admiral Mike Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff will also retire. It was originally expected that current Vice Chairman, Marine Corps General James Cartwright, a “favourite” of the Obama administration would take Adm. Mullen’s place, but a minor controversy involving a female adjutant which came to light earlier may have removed the Marine from consideration and ended the USMC’s occupation of one of the two top military seats for 12 years. Instead, the relatively new Chief Of Staff of the US Army, General Martin Dempsey has been nominated to ascend to the Chairman’s position.

[Left to Right] Gen. Dempsey, Adm. Winnefeld, Gen. Odinero

Navy Admiral James Winnefeld, Jr., will leave his position as Commander, U.S. Northern Command and Commander, NORAD to assume the #2 job as Vice Chairman.

Army General Raymond Odinero [the man who famously shaved Steven Colbert’s head last summer], current commander of the soon to be decommissioned US Joint Forces Command will be promoted to replace Gen. Dempsey as Chief of Staff for the US Army.

Also due to the shock resignation of UNETIDA’s Director of Intelligence, Général de Brigade “Escargot” Delacroix of france following a necrophilia scandal; President Obama has forwarded Marine Corps Colonel “Whopper” Creedon’s name to the UN Security Council in New York as prospective replacement.

Col. Creedon and Brig. Gen Jackson

This follows his earlier forwarding of UNETIDA's Missile Defence Commander [Northern], Air Force Brigadier General "Ballista" Jackson's name to replace RAF Air Vice Marshall "Albatross" Davenport III once his term as UNETIDA Director is up in September.

Forced into Twittery

Afghan & coalition forces killed four militants & detained two suspects in a Wardak Province operation targeting an IED-network commander

That was a 140-character "tweet" sent officially to the masses of individuals including news sites following them on June 1st 2009, hours before a formal traditional announcement to the media. It was one of the first examples of the U.S. Military embracing this new instant Web 2.0 tech that is changing the world.

While like Facebook, Twitter is banned from all U.S. Military workstations [which makes sense as it's not like servicemen should be tweeting or updating their profiles on "company time"] some select groups have waivers. One group are the respective military personnel in the intelligence departments [who learned about events in Egypt and Libya through FB updates and tweets quicker than any asset in the region] and the other group are the relatively new military social media departments like those responsible for the USMC Twitter account and the one belonging to the CJCS Adm. Mike Mullen.

It didn't take too long for the military to also realise that as well as getting their side of the story out as quickly as possible in an effort to prevent misinformation, that overall public perception of the them was now more favourable with this level of apparent transparency and communication being increased through social media outlets.

However, recently some clown told UNETIDA's director, Air Vice Marshal Davenport that it would be a great idea to get someone engaged in operations to get on the Twitter and tweet about anything and everything since public perception of an organisation that operates globally with almost unprecedented autonomy using technology acquired from "strange sources" and has been responsible for the "disappearance" of people who get too close to the truth was at an all-time low.

When I concluded my weekly report to the director on Friday he told me he was very happy with this blog but voiced concern that I was not able to take the time to update it as often as I had been due to the time constraints of ongoing operations, additional commitments to the Corps and studying for my TLS examinations. So I couldn't blog about everything that needed attention drawn to it and he asked if that concerned me. I told the director that while it didn't concern me so much that I didn't get a chance to blog about things, it did on the other hand worry me that people were watching events or reading the news without having my opinion to guide them through the proper way of thinking about something.

The end result of that conversation was a direct order to open a Twitter account and make sure people are not left in the dark about anything again even if they only benefit from 140 characters of my wisdom - is it not better than nothing at all?

Follow me @whoppercreedon

Today in The Middle East: Unrest, revolt and revolution

The popular uprising in Egypt gave Washington a bit of a headache; Mubarak had been an ally for three decades. A moderate leader at peace with the Israelis despite being somewhat repressive in his own land. But how could the most free nation on the planet continue supporting him with one hand while professing to support the universal rights being demanded by the protesters in Cairo? The answer was - it couldn't - and Mubarak was "let go" seeing as the Egyptian army could probably maintain the country on it's moderate path, keeping peace with Israel and begin to address some basic reforms.

Bahrain which also began to feel the waves of revolution, posed a more difficult situation for the US. Unlike Egypt a brutal crackdown was taken against protesters there. Security forces opened fire Friday on Bahrain's protesters wounding at least 50 people as thousands defied the government and marched toward Pearl Square in an uprising that sought to break the political grip of the Gulf nation's leaders.

The US condemned the use of violence against protesters in Manama but chose its words very carefully. Secretary Clinton said: "Bahrain is a friend and an ally and has been for many years and while all governments have a responsibility to provide citizens with security and stability, we call [for] restraint." President Obama spoke of universal rights, but US interests hang in the balance, perhaps even more so than with Egypt.

Sunni kingdoms like Bahrain and larger neighbour Saudi Arabia are allied with the US and are crucial counterweights to Iran's growing influence in the region. Bahrain itself is home to the US Navy's 5th fleet and is a key pillar for US regional military infrastructure.

Thankfully, today troops have been withdrawn from confronting the mainly peaceful protesters, an jubilant demonstrators feel empowered. A dialogue has apparently begun with the ruling royal family. Critical here is not just Bahrain's image of itself as a modern, relatively liberal Middle Eastern country, but the extent of outside influence. President Obama and British Foreign Secretary William Hague, all phoned the monarchy urging a peaceful solution and it appears for now their words were heard. Or should that be threats, what with CJCS Admiral Mike Mullen being sent to the region today.

Interestingly, Iran was quite quick to voice it's congratulations to the people of Egypt in achieving their goal in a peaceful manner but hypocritically violent in retaliation against Iranians protesting against them this week. The Iranian Parliament's conservative MPs even called for the execution of protest leaders.

Protesters in Sanaa, Yemen marched to the Ministry of Justice, demanding President Ali Abdullah Saleh leave office immediately. Riot police shot dead a protester and injured five others when they opened fire on the thousands of demonstrators. Four others were killed by police in Aden and another lost his life in Taiz when a grenade was thrown from a car at protesters.

Protesters clashed with government supporters in Jordan on Friday, where crowds had gathered to demand political reform. Police moved in to separate the groups and activists say eight protesters were hurt in the scuffles. It was the seventh week in a row that crowds have gathered after Friday prayers to urge economic and political reforms. Admiral Mullen recently visited Jordan which like Egypt, has a peace treaty with Israel. Mullen assured King Abdullah II of America's commitment to the security of his kingdom.

Despite the tense situations in the Middle East, nothing is comparing to the bloodbath that's currently happening in the the North African country of Libya where Colonel Gaddafi's forces have killed over 200 protesters against his 40-year regime in only a few days. Soldiers have been using heavy weapons to quell protests and even a funeral procession came under mortar fire at the weekend.

Gaddafi is unlikely to respond to either political rhetoric or even military threats. To to save both his skin and his power, he's unlikely to shrink from more violence. It's doubtless he will see anything other than the harsh measures we see coming from there now as his only option.

I think it's high time that the man Ronald Reagan dubbed the "mad dog of the Middle East" got put down!

Source: BBC News / Sky News / Fox News

No more abuse of Terrorists and E.T.s

Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, expressed outrage to his combatant commanders after seeing some of the detainee abuse photos now under wraps by the Obama administration. In a memo, Mullen says he is "appalled by even the suggestion that someone in an American uniform would behave in such a way." The photos depict clear instances of abuse -- though not torture -- that included beatings and in some cases deaths during battlefield detentions in Iraq from 2001-2006.

Adm. Mullen is the first top military commander to admit that what were in those photos included what would be described as "abuse." President Obama ordered the photos not be released after commanders argued that their release could jeopardize the lives of American soldiers serving in Iraq and elsewhere.

Unlike the now infamous photos from Abu Ghraib prison, all these photos were taken during battlefield interrogations before imprisonment. In the memo, Mullen demands his forces be trained so they understand this kind of thing should never happen again. "We haven't all absorbed or applied all the lessons of Abu Ghraib," he wrote.

Mullen does not think the photos should be released and agrees such a move would inflame the situation. However, his memo was a shot across the bow to commanders that they need to do more to prevent any abuses of those captured on the battlefield and to prepare troops to handle detainees better and according to the Army Field Manual.

Colonel "Whopper" Creedon of UNETIDA spoke today of how he brought reform to the detention policies of Extra Terrestrials interdicted by his organisation. "I can't say we treated the Greys we caught earlier than the Abu Ghraib disclosure better then the poor souls in those photos, but I think we did get a wake up call when we saw how the majority of the public were outraged, both in the US and the international community," he said.

"Upon an investigation that I was asked to conduct on behalf of the UN Security Council, I discovered some practices that I'd have to diplomatically refer to as "unsound". It all came to an abrupt end in true Japanese fashion when Colonel "Shinobi" Kishimoto, Commander of UNETIDA's Detention Division accepted full responsibility and committed seppuku. [Such a pity that people like Janis Karpinski don't do the same, it would save some serious time and money]," muttered Creedon.

"Don't get me wrong, we not gone all soft of them either," assured the Colonel. "We don't feed the Melmacian's kittens or other cute animals for example. And we do use some pretty foul language and harsh cutting insults. I'm confident that those tactics will also work on the hardened extreme Jihadists who want to kill us all."

I love the smell of Ligero in the morning...

Geoff Morrell, the Pentagon press secretary put some fears to rest concerning the smoking ban that was recommended to be imposed following the publication of a recent report from the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies, funded by the Department of Veterans Affairs, which called for eliminating tobacco sales at all military installations and setting a “specific, mandatory date by which the military will be tobacco-free.”

Morell said troops already are under enough stress and making enough sacrifices in fighting the two wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. And he says Defense Secretary Robert Gates [right] doesn't want to do add to that stress by taking away one of the few outlets they have to relieve it. However it is expected Gates will look at the study to see what other things can be done to move toward a goal of a tobacco-free force.

The announcement of the SECDEF’s stance coincided with a statement from the advocacy group Military Families United opposing the IOM stance and calling instead for developing a comprehensive tobacco prevention and cessation program. "Nobody doubts the effects of smoking, but it is not an illegal substance and should not be banned," said Brian Wise, executive director of the group. "Our troops make enough sacrifices to serve our nation. They give up many of the freedoms civilians enjoy already without being told they cannot partake in yet another otherwise legal activity. Perhaps more than anything, smoking in the field is more about comfort and coping with an often hostile environment."

What caused even more of a stir in Washington was the measure of success being attributed to Colonel "Whopper" Creedon, [left] the stogie-comping Marine hero attached to the United Nations Extra-Terrestrial Invasion Defense Agency when he vocally took exception to the IOM report earlier this week. "Who's insane f&%ked up idea was that?" he was quoted as saying. Rumour has it, the phrase spread like wildfire around all branches of the Armed Forces by all members carrying a Zippo. There have also been unconfirmed reports of T-Shirts created in honour of The Colonel's defiance.

Some members of the Joint Chiefs weighed in on their impression of Colonel Creedon: "Well it would be speculation to say Secretary Gates acted upon The Colonel's words, but as a Marine, I know we can’t be ignored. Case in point: Creedon is often cited as one of the main reasons the V-22 Osprey is flying today" said General Cartwright, the Vice Chairman.
Admiral Mullen, Chairman added “It’s clear to me that we have a lot of influential officers on the front lines like Creedon and we need to be more proactive in tapping into their aptitude and directing it towards policy.
General Conway, Marine Corps Commandant also commented, “It’s clear that he’s used his talent to inspire others and achieve unprecedented success in the field and perhaps it’s now time for him to look into broadening the scope of his authority. He has his finger on the pulse of the issues which we encounter daily and he has proved he has the ideas and solutions to deal with them. To that end, I’ll be personally forwarding Colonel Creedon’s name to the Brigadier General promotion board.”

Source: AP, MarineCorpsTimes, Fox News

Bush Honoured With Parade

An armed forces parade honoring the service of President George W. Bush as commander in chief took place Tuesday at the gymnasium at Fort Mayer in Arlington Va. In a speech, Bush acknowledged that his military decisions haven’t always been popular. He defended his actions, which include taking the country into wars in Afghanistan and Iraq after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and told an assemblage of troops representing all branches of the military that they have served a “just and right” cause. "The missions you have carried out have always been necessary. And the work you have done has ... been every bit as courageous and idealistic as that of any generation that came before you.”

Bush said U.S. troops helped liberate the people of Afghanistan and Iraq from the “chains of despotism” and he thanked them for that. He talked about the boost in military enrollments in response to the terrorist attacks. And he noted that the troops are never alone in shouldering the burdens of lengthy and repeated deployments far away from home and their loved ones. “We appreciate you, we love you and we honor your service,” Bush said.

Above: Lieutenant Colonel Creedon, USMC, Rear Admiral Justice, USCG and other members of the armed forces applaud the great George W. Bush.

Before the president spoke, Adm. Mullen, CJSOS, and SECDEF Gates thanked Bush in separate speeches on behalf of the more than 2 million military men and women. Mullen read from a journal, signed by service members, that he said he had passed around during his travels. One entry, from a member of the Air Force, said: “Nice to see that our president is still quick on his feet after eight years in office. Next time, pick up the shoe and throw it back.”

Gates, who has agreed to continue as defense secretary when Barack Obama becomes president, said Bush will leave behind a U.S. military that is “more agile, lethal and prepared to deal with the full spectrum of 21st century conflict” than when Gates last served in government 15 years ago.Bush received several honors, including the Department of Defense Distinguished Public Service Medal, and the Distinguished Civilian Service Medal from the five military branches.

Nearly finished with his eight-year presidency, Bush has been saying his goodbyes to the uniformed men and women under his command, including recent stops in Iraq and Afghanistan and at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

Source: DefenseLink / AP

General Pace Retires, Admiral Mullen Sworn In

“We have an enemy who has declared war on us. We are in a war. They want to stop us from living the way we want to live our lives." Marine Corps General Peter Pace said during his sun-splashed retirement ceremony Monday on the parade field at Fort Myer, Virginia. “We will prevail, there’s no doubt about that.”

Gen. Pace, who ends a 40-year career that began as a rifle platoon leader in the Vietnam War and ended as the first Marine to be CJCS, addressed a standing-room-only crowd that included President Bush, Vice President Cheney, SECDEF Robert Gates, Gates’ predecessor, Donald Rumsfeld, the service secretaries and the JCS.

Pace deliberately blurred the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, although it is the Iraq war that appears to provoke the most national anger and most of the calls for the withdrawal of troops. His comments aimed at acknowledging both that anger and what officials have said is the fragile depth of the nation’s ground forces, which are wearing thin from the strain of fighting the two wars — a situation that some critics say has significantly weakened the military’s ability to respond elsewhere around the world if called upon.

The officer sworn in Monday to replace Pace, US Navy Admiral Mike Mullen, expressed a similar desire to rebuild during his own remarks. “I’m ... eager to work closely with our service chiefs, our combatant commanders, as together we develop and execute a strategy to support our national interests in the Middle East; we reset, reconstitute and revitalize our armed forces, especially our ground forces; and we properly balance our risks around the globe,” Mullen said. “The fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan will one day end. We must be ready for who and what comes after.”

Getting to such a point, Pace said, will require thoughtful dialogue, not partisan bickering. While he didn’t mention Congress, the fights over war funding and calls for immediate withdrawal from Iraq that have marked the past year on Capitol Hill were clearly on his mind as he spoke his parting speech "What worries me is that in some instances right now we have individuals who are more interested in making somebody else look bad than they are in finding the right solution,” he said. “They are more interested in letting their personal venom come forward instead of talking about how do we get from where we are to where we need to be.”

Adm. Mullen said “We owe it to the American people and to all of you, our men and women in uniform and your families, to provide you with clear direction,” after being sworn in, as members of every branch of the armed services looked on. With honor guards and a flyover by fighter jets, it was a day of high ceremony for Mullen and the chairman he replaced, Gen. Pace.

Mullen was SECDEF Robert Gates’ choice to replace Pace, who had been vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs when the Iraq invasion was launched in 2003. Gates said he decided to replace rather than reappoint Pace because he feared the escalating debate over the Iraq war, particularly between the president and a frustrated Congress, would have triggered a bitter confirmation process that could have undermined the country.

A Marine still occupies the second biggest chair in the armed forces, the Vice-Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Of Staff is now General James E. Cartwright formerly Commander, United States Strategic Command.

Source: Marine Corps Times

Military Shock!!! Pace not to serve 2nd term!!!

In a shock announcement yesterday, US Defense Secretary Robert Gates has said that he will be advising President Bush not to re-nominate Marine General Peter Pace as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Gates said he feared a contentious re-nomination hearing in the Senate that would focus too heavily on six years of war (while Pace served as Vice Chairman and later CJCOS) rather than the way ahead.

While Gates wanted to keep Pace, the first Marine to serve as CJCOS, for a second 2-year term in that job; he said he changed his mind because of the highly charged atmosphere in Congress over the length and direction of the Iraq war, which blew up this spring into a tough battle between Congress and the administration over war funding and ultimately unmet demands for measurable benchmarks of progress on the part of the Iraqi government.

Gates' choice of replacement is current Chief Of Naval Operations Admiral Mike Mullen. He said that, as with Pace, he had intended to ask President Bush to re-nominate Admiral Edmund Giambastiani as the Vice Chairman but that such a move became impossible once he’d decided on Mullen (right) because by law, the Chairman and Vice Chairman cannot be members of the same branch of service. Coincidently however, earlier in the week Giambastiani announced his intention to retire in August anyway.

As he will have to nominate a new Vice-Chairman as well so Gates has cleverly chosen U.S. Strategic Command chief Marine General James E. Cartwright. It appears that the Marines will retain their rightful presence in the top two hot seats that Pace held for 6 years.

Cartwright (left) has commanded StratCom since July 2004, where Gates said he is responsible for global command and control of U.S. strategic forces, computer network operations and Defense Department information operations. That experience, on top of his previous job as director for force structure, resources and assessment on the Joint Staff, make him “exceptionally well-qualified” for the Vice Chairman position.

The SECDEF vehemently denied that his decision anything to do with the way Pace had performed as Chairman, and he also declined to characterize the two high-level moves as a shakeup. “I think that this is an effort to do what I think is in the long-term interests of the services and the country, as well as the individuals involved,” he said. "General Pace has served our country with great distinction, and deserves the deepest thanks of the American people for a lifetime of service to our country and for his leadership.”

Seems to me that there has to be some give and take now that the damn Democrats are in control of the senate and a price must be paid for the President's necessary veto against them last month.

Souce: Military Times