McKiernan replaced

[Entropy]

Interesting development.

Replaced by Lt. Gen. Stanley McChrystal.

Reason given was "fresh thinking" and "fresh eyes" on the Afghanistan for a "new approach."

[Bob's World]

Perhaps the tide is finally turning. SOF surrendered senior leadership in what is largely a SOF operation to a series of highly qualified artillery shooters, tank drivers, and Infantrymen so that we could run up into the mountains and conduct a grand hunting expedition.

Time to drag SOF down out of the mountains and get senior SOF leadership in overall command of these operations to set the larger operational tones for the Campaigns. My first pick would have been a FID and COIN expert like LTG David Fridovich, but a McCrystal is a fine choice as well.

Will be interesting if this shift to "IW" will affect choices for service leadership as well as campaign leadership...The Air Force got its wakeup call when the Fighter Jock community got swept aside in favor of Gen Schwartz (A brilliant, and highly respected GO with solid SOF credentials).

I was briefing ADM Olson a few months ago on a separate topic, and asked him then about getting senior SOF generals into these Theater Command positions. He paused, and said calmly: "Frankly there isn't much appetite for that."

Looks like tastes have changed. That often happens as one grows up...

[wm]

Looks like a victory for light/SOF over heavy, which may well be the right answer in AF.

A more interesting question to me is whether this speaks to settling the conventional vs. IW "conflict" that some might characterize as the "Nagl-Gentile Debate" in other venues.

[MikeF]

Can we get the Seals back into the water?

Mike

[Bob's World]

Can we get the Seals back into the water?

Mike

Give them something to shoot and they'll be there in a second!

[IntelTrooper]

This is very good for Afghanistan. I know a lot of people who will be very happy to hear this news.

[Bob's World]

Anyone who does not think that Secretary Gates is not deadly serious about IW is whistling past the proverbial cemetary.

In a shrinking budget/ POM cycle the services are scrambling to sort out how to hold to what they see as their core capabilities while addressing emerging requriements. Result so far has been thinnly disguised half-measures.

I understand the debate, and can't clearly stake out what right should look like, but regardless of right or wrong, this is going to happen. If the Generals try to slow roll the secretary like the Army staff tried to slowroll Shinseki, they will get run over.