Navy fires TR skipper

I am guessing;
He is an accountant that once flew a helicopter.
He was probably qualified for his previous job, Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Financial Management.
Perhaps, one promotion too many. The Peter Principle.
 
i don't defend Modly for the thing that got him booted - the speech on TR was bad judgement, bad temperment and tone deaf and he should have been booted.

but i don't see a problem with his background. he wasn't just some campaign contributor that was rewarded with a political job.

he is a Naval Academy grad, who served 7 years active duty as a line officer
he got a masters in Government and International affairs from Georgetown between commissioning and flight school
he got out and got an MBA from Harvard
he then worked for 25 years in roles of increasing scope in the areas of international relations and the defense dept/private sector partnership, and led economic development efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan in support of us efforts

that doesn't seem crazy to me

he had a lot more experience than two of his predecessors: Theodore Roosevelt - several years as a NYC politician, and FDR - state senator from NY
 
I'm not finding what is embarrassing about his public resume. Maybe you should tell us?


His credentials are fairly typical for a service secretary. Some military service but not a career officer and a mix of government and private sector experience at high but not CEO levels.

Service Secretaries are really responsible for the day to day man, train and equip of their branches.
 
@LurkingQuietly I don't think your question was directed to be, but to be sure, I don't see anything wrong with his resume.
 
FDR - state senator from NY
Uhhh...; FDR also served as Asst SecNav during WWI, VP candidate in 1920, and later Governor of NY, not State Senator. Teddy also served as Asst SecNav and resigned the post to serve in Cuba. They were not inexperienced people and each faced and overcame tragedies in their lives.
 
All this discussion is very interesting, but unfortunately the damage—all kinds—has been done.
I stand by this statement

How many posters have even read Modley’s credentials? It’s embarrassing...and not for the first time.

This was a total shot from the hip and totally inappropriate on every count. It is so inappropriate it doesn't warrant any explanation on my part. I wish I hadn't posted it.

I mostly regret the tone my comment took towards posters on this forum and for that I want to apologize.
 
Uhhh...; FDR also served as Asst SecNav during WWI, VP candidate in 1920, and later Governor of NY, not State Senator. Teddy also served as Asst SecNav and resigned the post to serve in Cuba. They were not inexperienced people and each faced and overcame tragedies in their lives.
I think that the point being made was what they did PRIOR to being Asst SECNAV, not prior to being POTUS.
 
that was my point, FDR (police commissioner) and TR (state senator) both had relatively light political experience in NY before being tapped for Asst SecNav. - turns out both were selected primarily to get them out of NY politics and away from the ward bosses. obviously they both went on to much bigger things

i only thought of that because i was just watching a pretty cool documentary about the Roosevelts. i know the scope and requirements of secnav are slightly different now than they were 100 years ago
 
that was my point, FDR (police commissioner) and TR (state senator) both had relatively light political experience in NY before being tapped for Asst SecNav. - turns out both were selected primarily to get them out of NY politics and away from the ward bosses. obviously they both went on to much bigger things

i only thought of that because i was just watching a pretty cool documentary about the Roosevelts. i know the scope and requirements of secnav are slightly different now than they were 100 years ago
Duhhhh.... sorry I missed the point you intended. Completely agree with that.
 
I have a couple comments about the Roosevelts' resume.

Unless I read incorrectly, Theodore was president of the New York city police commission. He later as governor signed into law the act that replaced the police commission with one police commissioner. Also, he was a state assemblyman and not a senator. The NY state assembly is the lower half of the legislature.

I can't find anywhere that FDR was an NYPD commissioner but he was a NY state senator.

Side Bar: I'm a frequent viewer of Blue Bloods and they routinely show TR's portrait in the police commissioner's office (Frank Reagan played by Tom Selleck).
 
i typed it backwards, FDR was a state senator before being Asst SecNav. TR was the Police commissioner

both of them were big on political reforms in NY which is why the local ward bosses etc were glad to see them go to DC
 
@A6E Dad I'm now looking things up to refresh my memory.
FDR was Asst. SECNAV six years under SEVNAV Josephus Daniels. FDR had a great affinity for the USN.
FDR would handle the WWI military decisions while Daniels did the admin and policy functions.

Daniels was a newspaperman and very controversial in the area of his views toward African Americans and Catholics.
He was also ambassador to Mexico.
Daniels is also credited with a cup of coffee being called a Cup of Joe.
 
under the category of 'things to watch on tv when are are no sports', i came across a Ken Burns documentary on the Roosevelts. the part about FDR during WWI was pretty interesting. he was dying to quit as Asst SecNav and get a Navy commission and get into the war, but Wilson wouldn't allow it. He made a big trip to England during the war, it was at that time that he invented the famous FDR cape - otherwise known as the boatcloak

this was an official uniform item until very recently - i knew a JO back in the day who had one and would wear it for grins once in a while
 
The boat cloak! Lined in gold for line officers, as I recall. Nurses had some other color. I always wanted one, but though it was still in the Uni Regs when I came in, it was impossible to find.
 
Check out “No Ordinary Time,” the outstanding book about Mr. and Mrs. FDR during his presidency. Written by Doris Kearns Goodwin, whose best work is “Team of Rivals.”

The adage “behind every great man is a great woman” definitely applies here. Eleanor Roosevelt stands alongside Abigail Adams as the most impactful First Lady in our history. I’m no fan of FDR’s policies outside his prosecution of the war, but his partnership with Eleanor makes for great reading. They may not have been loving spouses at that point, but they were every bit the power couple.
 
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@MidCakePa I agree with your entire post. Here's one of my favorite all time quotes from anybody.

"The Marines I have seen around the world have the cleanest bodies, the filthiest minds, the highest morale, and the lowest morals of any group of animals I have ever seen. Thank God for the United States Marine Corps!"-- Eleanor Roosevelt
 
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