Mullen Replaces Pace

[xchefmike]

Gen Peter Pace goes

WASHINGTON: US Defence Secretary Robert Gates announced on Friday he was replacing General Peter Pace as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to avoid a divisive showdown in Congress focusing on the Iraq war.

“I am disappointed that circumstances make this kind of a decision necessary,” Gates said of the loss of Pace, who has held the country’s top military post since September 2005.

Gates said he had intended to name Pace to a second two-year term as chairman in September, but changed his mind after consulting members of Congress, who also already have an eye on the 2008 presidential polls.

“I have decided that at this moment in our history, the nation, our men and women in uniform and General Pace himself would not be well served by a divisive ordeal in selecting the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff,” he told reporters.

In deciding to replace Pace with Admiral Michael Mullen, who is currently the chief of naval operations, Gates also had to replace Admiral Edmund Giambastiani as vice chairman so that the top two military positions would not both be held by naval officers.

Giambastiani will be replaced by Marine General James Cartwright, currently the head of the US Strategic Command, which is responsible for US strategic nuclear forces. afp

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[GreatAmerican]

Mullen tapped for JCS; search on for new CNO

http://www.navytimes.com/news/2007/06/navy_jcschair_mullenup_070608w/

Saying he feared a contentious re-nomination hearing in the Senate that would focus too heavily on six years of war rather than the way ahead, Defense Secretary Robert Gates announced Friday that he will recommend that President Bush seek to replace Marine Corps Gen. Peter Pace as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, the current chief of naval operations, is Gates’ choice to replace Pace as the nation’s top military officer. If confirmed, he would be the fourth Navy officer to hold the position....

 

[GreatAmerican]

Who will be the next CNO?

http://www.navytimes.com/news/2007/06/navy_nextcno_070608w/

With Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Mullen’s nomination to become the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the search will be on for his replacement.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates did not say who would be nominated to take the Navy’s top job. Nonetheless, Adm. Timothy Keating, commander of U.S. Pacific Command; Adm. Gary Roughead, head of Fleet Forces Command; Adm. Harry Ulrich, commander of Naval Forces Europe; Adm. Patrick Walsh, vice chief of naval operations; and Adm. Robert Willard, commander of Pacific Fleet, are some of the more obvious possibilities....

Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Mullen, left, stood for a photo May 8 at a change of command ceremony in Pearl Harbor with three poeple considered potential candidates o replace him if he becomes chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff: Adm. Gary Roughead, now Commander, Fleet Forces Command; Adm. Robert F. Willard, Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet; and Adm. Timothy J. Keating, Commander, U.S. Pacific Command.

Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Europe, Adm. Harry Ulrich addresses Sailors, Montenegrin military personnel, and special guests during a reception May 21 on board the submarine tender Emory S. Land in Tivat, Montenegro.

Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, Vice Adm. Patrick M. Walsh, speaks to a group of chief petty officers stationed aboard the aircraft carrier Ronald Reagan in February. Walsh is now the vice chief of naval operations.

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[GreatAmerican]

Less tarred by war, Navy takes more top posts

http://www.navytimes.com/news/2007/06/navy_influence_070611w/

Is the Navy coming to the rescue?

With Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Mullen set to be nominated to replace Marine Gen. Peter Pace as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the sea service may soon occupy the two of the most prominent positions in the military. Pending Senate approval, Mullen would join Adm. William Fallon, who as head of U.S. Central Command is in charge of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, as two top military advisors to President Bush. Additionally, Navy admirals now head U.S. Pacific, Southern and Special Operations commands....

 

[GreatAmerican]

No more automatic OK for military appointees

http://www.navytimes.com/news/2007/06/ap_pacecongress_070614/

A Democratic challenge to Gen. Peter Pace indicates that uniformed officers no longer are exempt from the partisan fire on Capitol Hill once reserved for civilian policymakers.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates made the stunning announcement June 8 that he would not recommend Pace to serve a second two-year term as the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The Marine Corps four-star general had not been a target previously of Democrats’ ire on the war, but Gates said lawmakers made it clear the confirmation process would be ugly....

 

[GreatAmerican]

Pace Refused to Quit Voluntarily

http://www.military.com/NewsContent/0,13319,139244,00.html?ESRC=dod.nl

In his first public comments on the Bush administration's surprise decision to replace him as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Marine Gen. Peter Pace disclosed that he had turned down an offer to voluntarily retire rather than be forced out.

To quit in wartime, he said, would be letting down the troops.

Pace, responding to a question from the audience after he spoke at the Joint Forces Staff College in Norfolk, Va., on Thursday evening, said he first heard that his expected nomination for a second two-year term was in jeopardy in mid-May. Defense Secretary Robert Gates on June 8 announced Pace was being replaced....

 

[USNA69]

Yep, I lost a lot of respect for Robert Gates when this happened.

 

[SubSquid]

Unfortunatly, Gen. Pace greased his own ways with his verbalized position on "Dont Ask, Don't Tell". I throughly respect his integrety, but integrety is a bad word among most MOC's. Veitnam failed because politicos believed that they could run a "conflict" better than the professionals. I'm beginning to smell the same foul oder now as we did back then. Fund them and let them win the war!

 

[USNA69]

General Pace was asked his opinion on gays in the military.

A. He is a Marine grunt. Platoon tactics living in the jungle/desert. Unit cohesiveness is their primary concern. Certain questions you ask a Marine, you will get an answer to support these concepts. Senator Webb's 1980s discussion about women in combat also comes to mind.

B. As CJCS, he has to defend the laws of our country. To me, "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" is not defendable. We should feel for him that he was placed in that position.

I really don't think this had anything to do anyway with his failure to be reappointed. I think it is what you mentioned, Gates allowing politices to penetrate the rank and file of the military.