Massive turnover of top Military officials about to begin

[Swordsmyth]

The Pentagon within the coming months is expected to undergo its most dramatic period of turnover at top military levels under the Trump administration, during which top civilian leaders aren’t serving in a permanent capacity.

More behind a paywall at: https://www.wsj.com/articles/turnover-among-military-brass-as-civilians-serve-in-acting-posts-11555061401

[Zippyjuan]

Nothing new for the Trump Administration.

https://foreignpolicy.com/2019/03/12/at-trumps-pentagon-empty-offices-are-the-new-normal-department-of-defense-mattis-resignation-vacancies-trump-administration-shanahan/


At Trump’s Pentagon, Empty Offices Are the New Normal

The resignation of two senior Pentagon officials last week brings the number of vacancies and posts filled on a temporary basis at the U.S. Department of Defense to a new high, a troubling state of affairs that some blame on the uncertainties surrounding former Secretary of Defense James Mattis’s departure.

Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson announced her intent to step down on Friday, bringing to a close months of speculation over whether she would be nominated as President Donald Trump’s permanent secretary of defense or fired over what was seen as a campaign to slow roll the establishment of a separate Space Force.

Little noticed was the resignation the same day of another top female Pentagon official, Phyllis Bayer, the Navy civilian in charge of energy, environment, and installations—basing and housing.

The high number of empty posts at the Pentagon dates back to the beginning of President Donald Trump’s administration, when the White House struggled to find and recruit candidates for top jobs across U.S. agencies. However, Mattis’ departure and questions about Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan’s management style, along with the administration’s delay in nominating a permanent secretary, has exacerbated the problem, experts say.

The number of empty posts is alarming veteran defense officials, who fear too many vacancies are grinding down the Pentagon’s effectiveness.

“The acting people, the most they can do is tread water,” said Jim Townsend, a former career Pentagon official. “When you’ve got problems to deal with initiatives you need to take, acting officials don’t do that. … It’s the full appointees who jump in and exercise leadership.”

In addition to the top two jobs at the Pentagon, two out of seven undersecretaries of defense and nearly half the assistant secretaries of defense—including the top civilian for international security affairs—are either acting or temporarily performing the job. Many deputy assistant secretary of defense slots also remain unfilled, as well as various other senior positions throughout the department. Townsend, now at the Center for a New American Security, said the number of empty posts appears to be “unprecedented.”

A certain amount of turnover is to be expected with a change in leadership, said Pentagon spokesperson Eric Pahon, stressing that the transition is not impacting normal operations.

“With any change in senior leadership, you would normally expect a large change in supporting personnel,” Pahon said. “It’s been a very short time since Mattis unexpectedly stepped down, but there has been no interruption in Pentagon operations under the acting secretary’s leadership.”

Still, the vacancies at the Defense Department highlight a broader concern about how many posts sit empty in the Trump administration, over two years after the president first entered the White House. Only 429 of 712 key senior posts in the U.S. government that require presidential nomination and Senate confirmation are filled to date, according to the Washington Post and the Partnership for Public Service, a nonprofit group that analyzes governance issues.

Some observers tie the high number of vacancies, especially in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, to Mattis’s resignation in December following Trump’s decision—which he has since partially reversed—to withdraw U.S. forces from Syria. Days later, his assistant secretary of defense for public affairs, Dana White, one of few people of color in the ranks of the Pentagon, also stepped down.

Mattis’s departure left the top two jobs in the Pentagon filled in a temporary capacity after Patrick Shanahan was elevated from deputy secretary of defense to acting secretary of defense. Pentagon Comptroller David Norquist is filling the No. 2 job in addition to performing his permanent duties.

The White House appeared to hint this week that Shanahan may soon be tapped for the permanent job, but cautioned a final decision has not been made.

The absence of Mattis’s leadership also likely contributed to the recent exodus, said one former U.S. official. “At the DoD, most people joined to support the President and work for Mattis. No one came to work for Pat Shanahan,” the former official said, predicting that, “If he’s nominated and confirmed, you will likely see more departures.”

The former official added that Shanahan’s indecisive management style, lack of experience in Washington, and failure to understand the role of Congress may drive some Pentagon officials out the door. Shanahan worked at Boeing for more than 30 years before taking the deputy secretary of defense job in 2017.




But the number of empty slots at the Office of the Secretary of Defense “is troubling” if not surprising at this point in an administration that had difficulty hiring people to begin with.

This reality puts the officials acting in a temporary capacity at a disadvantage in internal administration discussions, as well as sensitive negotiations with foreign leaders, DeJonge Schulman said.

“These people tend to be the workhorses of the political appointees,” she said. “This is where the rubber meets the road.”

More at link.

[Zippyjuan]

More due to leave: https://www.newsmax.com/us/general-military-jamesmattis-defensesecretary/2018/10/07/id/885190/


Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

Four-star Air Force Gen. Paul Selva is scheduled to retire early next year, and the position which oversees nuclear weapon procedures and oversight of billions in new weapons budget might be handed off to four-star Army Gen. Vincent Brooks, defense officials told CNN.

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

Gen. Joseph Dunford completes his second two-year term next fall. So, if Brooks assumes the vice chairman role earlier in the year, another branch will have to fill the top military adviser to the president role. Gen. Mark Milley, Army Chief of Staff, will not be a candidate if Brooks is elevated.

Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein is a potential candidate and might be path to advancing the Space Force initiative within the Trump administration, according to the report.

Also, Strategic Command leader, Air Force Gen. John Hyten, might be considered, per CNN.

Central Command

Gen. Joseph Votel's retirement from leading operations in the Middle East is going to be taken over by Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Kenneth McKenzie, CNN reported.

Special Operations Command

Gen. Raymond Thomas is going to be replaced by Army Lt. Gen. Richard Clarke, per CNN.

European Command and NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Europe

Gen. Curtis Scaparrotti's retirement might open the door for Air Force Gen. Tod Wolters, according to the report.

[oyarde]

Seems the Pentagon may have gotten a little fat anyway . Empty seats means any real work is getting done by less people . Seems they could lose some more .

[Swordsmyth]

Zippy thinks draining the swamp is a bad thing.

[Zippyjuan]

Zippy thinks draining the swamp is a bad thing.

Link?

[enhanced_deficit]

Perhaps there should be more America-First leaders like Lt. Gen. Richard Clark (http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?532704-Top-US-General-Says-American-Troops-Should-Be-Ready-To-Die-For-Israel&p=6770376&viewfull=1#post6770376).
But new appointments/promotions should not be made based on approval of MAGA's top funder and GOP base adored American* (http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?533305-Thank-You-Deep-State-!&p=6779719&viewfull=1#post6779719) neocon Adelson, politics, or on advice of ZOA supported neocons like Bolton or his American* (http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?533305-Thank-You-Deep-State-!&p=6779719&viewfull=1#post6779719) son-in-law Kushner. Appointing NSA, bombing Syria, Firing FBI chief Comey on advice of such America-First supporters is one thing, this is far too important to be turned into a political project.

[NorthCarolinaLiberty]

Link?


Why?

[TheCount]

Zippy thinks draining the swamp is a bad thing.

How can this possibly be construed as draining the swamp?