Credo
"Sign on, young man, and sail with me. The stature of our homeland is no more than the measure of ourselves. Our job is to keep her free. Our will is to keep the torch of freedom burning for all. To this solemn purpose we call on the young, the brave, the strong, and the free. Heed my call, Come to the sea. Come Sail with me." -- John Paul Jones
"Pardon him, Theodotus; he is a barbarian, and thinks that the customs of his tribe and island are the laws of nature" --George Bernard Shaw, "Caesar and Cleopatra"
"And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music."--Friedrich Nietzsche
"A kind Providence has placed in our breasts a hatred of the unjust and cruel, in order that we may preserve ourselves from cruelty and injustice. They who bear cruelty, are accomplices in it. The pretended gentleness which excludes that charitable rancour, produces an indifference which is half an approbation. They never will love where they ought to love, who do not hate where they ought to hate."--Edmund Burke
"Μολὼν λαβέ" -- Leonidas
"Blogito Ergo Sum" -- Neptunus Lex
But…but…he’s an intellectual…and he’ll bring analytic rigor to the job!
Cap’n, from the tone of your post, I’m guessing you might have had some personal experience with this particular retired-after-getting-fired vice admiral (notice how that part is conveniently dropped in the glowing news reports? If so, I feel for you. I’m not one for bad-mouthing commissioned officers, but I have been known to call a goober a goober, and he has all the symptoms.
I never actually worked for himself, but a guy who worked for me had. He said he liked me better
Maybe it was because I didn’t have staff meetings at 0630. On Saturday. Or that I gave him days off. On the weekends.
No joke.
You: But Lex, he had three stars and you don’t.
Me: True. But CNO hasn’t sent me home yet, either.
Who has seniority Sestak or Webb? May be fun to watch.
John B
RLTW
The preparatory $$$ drills (a bane) have already started in Naval Aviation out of anticipation. Just in case.
Fitting. Cut n’Run followed by more dollars to boost an already super generous DoD health care package. Wait’ll he unveils his shipbuilding and transformation proposals.
Goober. I like that Ernie, but know it’s Congressman Goober, ouch!
b2
What was the number of that truck driving school again?
. That would be preferrable to working for Sestak.
I know 3 guys who retired after either working for him or working with him. Any allegiance to the Nav had been literally sucked from their marrow by the experience.
I’m not against military healthcare (active, reserve, retired, dependent) being well funded. I am against having to choose between funding healthcare and an obsolete weapons system.
Cheers, from the 757…
I would also add that being the spouse of someone who had to work with him sucked, as well. Pardon my language.
Sestak from the comments above appears to be Gen Wesley Clark’s blue jacketed clone. Best
Here is the irony in the Sestak case. He was the DESRON commander in my last carrier strike group (Washington 1997-98). Our CSG Commander was Adm. Mullen, the current CNO. There is no way Sestak got a star without a nod from Mullen initially – but it was Mullen who fired him (as his first official act after becoming CNO)
Sestak was pretty much a tool and his staff fell into two groups. The sharp young staffers who were beat down and tired, and the others who were tools themselves.
Second worst Flag officer I’ve ever seen…
Nose
Nose,
Who was the worst? Enquiring minds want to know!
Yeah Nose, spill the beans.
Nothing libelous of course
Nose – Was his name Mike?
I was part of the Battle Group ADM Sestak commanded 5 years ago… I think I learned a lot about how not drive people. One thing though, his last day in command he went to all the ships in the Battle Group that were in port that day and shook everyone’s hand and thanked them for their hard work. I stood there in dis-belief not knowing what to think of it, still not sure what to think of it.
Macho, Macho, Men…
Yup, it’s all in the muscles (setting aside the fact that muscles don’t top the list of equipment necessary for good admirals). We’ll ignore the fact that Sestak is, by most reports of those who knew him as a commanding officer before the new CNO fi…
Lex,
All I know is that Congress has a way of absorbing many a diverse personality.
Since I posted about him right after the CNO fired him, I have heard a lot (well before he ran for Congress) from readers who knew him very well. In my real world ID, I also talked to a few who knew him by working for him.
I would smile more if he wasn’t going the surrender line – but I am not shocked, it is what he ran on.
He will chew them up and more will show to take their place.
The CNO must wonder who he made so mad upstairs….