Bush Shuffles The Deck (Iraq)

Posted on January 4, 2007

I have the utmost respect for my brothers in the US Navy. Though I am an Infantryman, I am a graduate of the US Navy War College and a long time contributor to the US Naval Institute. I have many friends in the US Navy that go back to the days when I was an undergraduate and the Army and Navy ROTC Departments, though “rivals,” were “close.”

Today, President Bush began a process of reshuffling the deck in Iraq:

ABC News said Bush was expected to nominate Adm. William Fallon to replace Gen. John Abizaid as the head of U.S. Central Command, which is in charge of U.S. military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

All that I know about Admiral Fallon has been gleaned from the Pacific Command website:

Admiral William J. Fallon was raised in Merchantville, N.J. A 1967 graduate of Villanova University, he received his commission through the Navy ROTC Program and was designated a naval flight officer upon completion of flight training in December 1967…………

I have no doubt that Admiral Fallon is a fine Naval Officer and a fine aviator. I have the utmost respect for my brothers in the “Sea Services.”

While I do not know the Admiral, I know many of the officers at Central Command (CENTCOM) both in SW Asia and in Tampa. CENTCOM is a command that is responsible for the land warfare that is taking place in Iraq and Afghanistan, it is a land warfare command.

For the last twenty years, there has been tremendous effort to ensure that Field Grade Officers are trained in Joint Operations. In fact, a Joint Operations assignment is required to be promoted to Flag rank. Some call this the “purple suit” military. I fully support the efforts to ensure that officers are familiar with Joint Operations. I have served in a “Joint Assignment.” I also am smart enough to be aware that even though I have gone through all the “joint requirements” that I am not qualified, nor will be qualified to hold certain assignments. I am an Infantry Officer who now knows enough about the US Air Force and US Navy to understand their capabilities and through that understanding comes extreme respect.

The military, like any large organization, is subject to internal politics with a range of emotions and egos. Very sadly, the President of the United States passed up many highly qualified US Army and US Marine Corps Combat Arms Officers in this selection. Right or wrong, Admiral Fallon will be looked at as an outsider coming in and the men that he will be commanding, Combat Arms Officers who have been executing land warfare for thirty plus years, clearly understand that “Land Warfare Officers” were passed over by a US Navy Aviator. Instead of a seamless transition, there will be a lack of trust that will prevent a 110% effort.

By the time that Admiral Fallon earns the trust of the Staff and the ground commanders, President Bush will be leaving office.

This nomination will only encourage a cascade of badly needed highly qualified officers leaving the military.

UPDATE: The purpose of this post is to provide largely civilian readers, with a sense of what will be said today in military circles, at Flag Rank and those that work with them, and the pullback reaction that will occur due to human emotion. The military is seeped deep in tradition and does not like to violate tradition. These Commands to those in the military are like Supreme Court appointments from those that are in the lower Courts. You work extremely hard and focus your craft to get them.

Here is a little command history of the Pacific Command, where Admiral Fallon is coming from:

# Admiral William J. Crowe, Jr. (01 Jul 83 - 18 Sep 85)
# Admiral Ronald J. Hays (18 Sep 85 - 30 Sep 88)
# Admiral Huntington Hardisty (30 Sep 88 - 01 Mar 91)
# Admiral Charles R. Larson (01 Mar 91 - 11 Jul 94)
# LTG Harold T. Fields (11 Jul 94 - 19 Jul 94)
# Admiral Richard C. Macke (19 Jul 94 - 31 Jan 96)
# Admiral Joseph W. Prueher (31 Jan 96 - 20 Feb 99)
# Admiral Dennis C. Blair (20 Feb 99 - 2 May 02)
# Admiral Thomas B. Fargo (2 May 02 - 26 Feb 05)
# Admiral William J. Fallon (26 Feb 05 - present)

Here is a little command history of CENTCOM:

Lt. Gen. Paul Xavier Kelley, February 4, 1980 — July 17, 1981

Lt. Gen. Robert Charles Kingston July 17, 1981 — November 27, 1985

Gen. George Brainard Crist November 27, 1985 — November 23, 1988

Gen. Herbert Norman Schwarzkopf, Jr. November 23, 1988 — August 9, 1991

Gen. Joseph P. Hoar August 9, 1991 — August 5, 1994

Gen. James Henry Binford Peay III August 5, 1994 — August 13, 1997

Gen. Anthony Charles Zinni August 13, 1997 — July 6, 2000

Gen. Tommy Ray Franks July 6, 2000 — July 7, 2003

Gen. John Paul Abizaid July 7, 2003 — present

Notice something?

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2 Responses to “Bush Shuffles The Deck (Iraq)”

Chris Short on January 4th, 2007 10:43 pm

CENTCOM is not strictly a land warfare command. They have oversight on land, sea, and air forces in their AOR. Hell… They don’t even have their own forces; they borrow from everyone to fulfill their needs.
pdoff on January 5th, 2007 7:53 am

See, looky hear…Preznit B**h knows that there hole he’s been a diggin in Irak some day gonna be so deep it’ll hit water! Brillant! Hand ‘em a bigger shovel and he’ll hit water sooner! as the hole fills his Naval avaitor can bomb the turds (not kurds) as preznit knows sh’ite floats!