Well, At Least Someone's A Leader
By Pejman Yousefzadeh Posted in Featured Stories | National Security — Comments (7) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »
Peter Pace did better by his duties than his bosses did in deciding whether or not to push for his renomination as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff:
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.
"One thing that was discussed was whether or not I should just voluntarily retire and take the issue off the table," Pace said, according to a transcript released Friday by his office at the Pentagon.
"I said I could not do that for one very fundamental reason," which is that no soldier or Marine in Iraq should "think -- ever -- that his chairman, whoever that person is, could have stayed in the battle and voluntarily walked off the battlefield.
"That is unacceptable as a leadership thing, in my mind," he added.
Good for the Chairman. Too bad his stand-up example was not followed or appreciated by his superiors.
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Well, At Least Someone's A Leader 7 Comments (0 topical, 7 editorial, 0 hidden) Post a comment »
This radioactive Administration doesn't need to be allowed to trash honorable men any longer without full-blown recrimination. Yes, the president gets to choose but when he forces out decent and good people no one has to remain silent or like it.
Nor should they.
is on this man.
That kind of decision speaks of integrity and commitment.
Everyone involved should be ashamed of themselves.
He is a Marine! That he owns that title places him into a catagory that those who have deserted him can only dream about. It seems this nation is being led in Washington by spineless cretins that know no shame.
Semper Fi! Gen.Pace, thanks for your service.
I meant what I said and I said what I meant. An elephant's faithful 100 percent.
General Pace was in the cross-hairs for some time. His rock-solid professionalism eclipises the mouse-like politicians and activists of both Parties.
America is well-served by such men and woman. Genral Pace is a straight-taling American.
Pat Hickey
He exemplifies everything that is right about America. President Bush and Gates would be the opposite of that.