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01/06/2005: Job posting?
Anyone out there want to be head of the Army Reserve? I've got a feeling there'll be a vacancy soon:
The head of the Army Reserve has sent a sharply worded memo to other military leaders expressing "deepening concern" about the continued readiness of his troops, who have been used heavily in Iraq and Afghanistan, and warning that his branch of 200,000 soldiers "is rapidly degenerating into a 'broken' force."What's wrong, Gen. Helmly? Don't you want to be Chief of Staff anymore?
In the memo, dated Dec. 20, Lt. Gen. James R. "Ron" Helmly lashed out at what he said were outdated and "dysfunctional" policies on mobilizing and managing the force. He complained that his repeated requests to adjust the policies to current realities have been rebuffed by Pentagon authorities.
The three-star general, who has a reputation for speaking bluntly, said the situation has reached a point at which the Army Reserve is "in grave danger of being unable to meet" its operational requirements if other national emergencies arise. Insistence on restrictive policies, he continued, "threatens to unhinge an already precariously balanced situation in which we are losing as many soldiers through no use as we are through the fear of overuse."
His pointed remarks represent the latest in a chorus of warnings from military officers and civilian defense specialists that the strains of overseas missions are badly fraying the U.S. Army. The distress has appeared most evident in reservist ranks. Both the Army Reserve and the National Guard last month disclosed significant recruiting slumps.
Len on 01.06.05 @ 11:25 AM CST
Replies: 1 comment
on Thursday, January 6th, 2005 at 11:39 AM CST, Bryan said
Len, no one wants to be Chief of Staff. Schoomaker was recalled from retirement to take the job, because all of the active three and four stars turned the job down.
Rumsfeld is not someone flag officers want to work with.