Gates Recommends Dempsey as Next Army Chief of Staff

Secretary of Defense Gates has recommended General Martin E. Dempsey to be the next Chief of Staff of the Army.

An armor officer General Dempsey previously served as commander of the 1^st Armored Division in OIF, Commander of the Multinational Security Transition Command in Iraq, acting commander of U.S. Central Command, and is currently serving as Commander, Training and Doctrine Command.

Highlights from the Gates-Mullens DoD efficiencies briefing

In summary, the scorecard for cuts and spending announced by Secretary Gates:

• A five year plan to achieve approximately $154 billion in overhead savings over a 5-year period.
• The USMC Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle gets axed.
• The F-35B (STOVL) is placed on a two-year probation.
• $70 billion on procurement including:  Reapers; satellite launchers; F-15 radars; M1/M2/Stryker/Amtrac upgrades; tactical communications equipment; increased funding for mental health treatment; one new DDG and Littoral Combat Ship.
• Cutting the end-strength of the Army by 27,000 and the Marines by 20,000 scheduled by 2015.
• Increasing the Tricare premium for working age retirees

No mention or discussion of upgrading or funding individual force protection or small arms. And a plan to reduce boots when the happy talk continues to peddle COIN as the end-all-doctrinal-solution for the wars and conflicts the US will be involved in for another generation.  The math does not add up.  And get this, if say, a service-member retires after 20 years of perpetual deployments and combat, he/she can expect to pay a higher premium for Tricare health insurance; lip service.

NATO forces ahead of schedule: Petraeus

General Happy Talk continues to espouse progress.  No mention that NATO requires a quick infusion of 1,400 additional US Marines.  No mention of the throw-away money (+$10 Billion) being spent on Afghan security forces.  No mention of coordinated efforts and operations of the Haqqani Network, the Quetta Shura Taliban, the Hekmatyer group, and AQ.  No mention of the record smashing civilian casualty rates.  No mention of the record smashing US/NATO casualty rates.  Just “We are heading in the exactly right direction.”

Air Force tweaks new fitness policy

Just pointing this out…