"Tarnished Brass" (new article by Dick Kohn)

[jmm99]

from wm
BTW, was anyone else put off by the use of lower case letters to start Army, Air Force, and Navy, but uppercase for the Marines.

From the bio blurb, Kohn was air force, not a Marine - so that's not an explanation. As they say, Colonialement

[Mark O'Neill]

From the bio blurb, Kohn was air force, not a Marine - so that's not an explanation. As they say, Colonialement

that is an excuse then, as he wasn't in the military....

(tongue firmly in cheek)

[goesh]

"The second is political: the absence from the officer corps of partisan political divisions, its subordination to the legally constituted civilian authorities in charge of the state, and its ability to establish an effective working partnership or collaboration with the civilian political leadership regardless of party or faction."

The DC relationship is more often adversarial with the military constantly under the light of interrogation accused of wasting money or abusing people.

The author goes on to whine about retired, senior Officers aligning themselves with political candidates. Conversely, individual Constitutional entitlements should then be defined by occupation but everybody thought it was wonderful when Joe the Plumber got in the lime light.

My favorite:
"......This may require further de-emphasis of mathematics, science, and engineering at the academies, on the grounds that war is first and foremost a human phenomenon, not a technical or engineering problem."

-right, who needs abstract thinking ability these days........