As expected Stanley McChrystal is retiring from the Army

[nadinbrzezinski]

per MSNBC.

Yep we "predicted it," knowing how the armed services work.

Now let's see where he lands.

[hlthe2b]

1. right on schedule....

;)

[nadinbrzezinski]

2. Slightly ahead

I expected this to take two weeks. Boy he is radioactive!!!

[Lasher]

3. New Faux Noise analyst on Monday

Prolly want Sarah to tell us what she can see from her house.

[nadinbrzezinski]

10. Will take three months for the process to end

it is not just as turning your ID in and walking out the door. There are mandatory things he needs to do on the way out.

[AnArmyVeteran]

21. Yep, he will end up on Fox and the right wingnut circuit.

He knows he can make a fortune by peddling hatred, anger, racism and fear like the right wing machine does.

[Mike 03]

4. Very interesting post.

Good to see you Nadine.

I will be watching to see where he turns up next.

:hi:

[atomic-fly]

5. Xe or some other contractor

that's how it seems to work....

[nadinbrzezinski]

11. THat is my guess too

he is taking his contacts.

If he don't, then either he still has some honor, or he is too damn radioactive. That will be telling on it's own.

[Raksha]

24. That's what I predicted too...he's a natural Blackwater thug.

So have the American armed forces become nothing more than an apprenticeship program for mercenaries, with psychopathy a plus but not absolutely required? It sure looks that way.

[PacerLJ35]

37. Thug? And for your other comments...

...you are showing your ignorance. I'm military, and in my 18 years I've known a lot of friends to retire, separate or otherwise leave the military...none of them work for Xe or similar companies that I am aware of. Your notion that people who depart military service can only find employment as mercenaries is disgustingly inaccurate and misleading.

By the way, despite McChrystal's comments (or more like his staff's comments), most people I know that have served under him had a great respect for the guy.

[atomic-fly]

39. so are you saying xe is nothing but mercenaries....

most of the guys I worked with already had contractor jobs lined up
before they retired. SO it it very common.

the general sounds like he is a high energy kind of guy, so he will
likely go with a more exiting position where he can really be himself.
Can't imagine him prepping powerpoint slides.

[Amerigo Vespucci]

6. The freep-holes were high-fiving "Fox News Correspondent McChrystal" before he met with Obama.

He'll land face-first in Rupert Murdoch's lap, which is exactly where he belongs.

[blueknight]

8. i wish

the pres would have busted his ass back in rank before he quit

[pinboy3niner]

9. That would have been viewed as petty, vindictive and disproportionate

And the President doesn't have the authority to do that. Being relieved of command is the worst way for a military officer to go out, short of being convicted of treason or other serious crimes.

[nadinbrzezinski]

12. He did not serve long enough as a four star

so at the very least he is going to retire as a three star.

[saigon68]

17. face-first in Rupert Murdoch's lap--- Nah see below

He's going to play "Drop the Soap in the Shower" with Rupert

[LawnKorn]

7. It is time for General McChrystal to ride the gravy train with the defense contractors he supported

Good bye Army, Hello Kellogg, Brown and Root

[lpbk2713]

13. "Quitter!! "

"Buh-bye."

[MineralMan]

14. OKBAI

[Mike 03]

15. What do you make of his flagrant obviousness?

You don't get to his level without having some smarts, but he not only cut his own throat, he cut it so stupidly that it looks suspicious that he might be faking being stupid...to what purpose?

You are smarter than I am about these things. Something stinks, but what is going on?

[nadinbrzezinski]

18. He is also special forces

Sheldon was a political officer in-spite of his background as Special Forces. Stan not so much, and if there is one characteristic of special forces is that they have this ahem, creative disrespect for the chain of command. It is required for the job they do.

You can and will tolerate it at a Field Grade Level, aka Colonel... where most SpecOps find a ceiling. Even at the Special Forces Command, a two star billet. Usually that is one general, and if they are less than political well... the community has that attitude, it is part of the job. Why rarely people from that community make it beyond that point.

And Stan was a pirate and had a problem wiht authority from his days at Point... he didn't leave that behind. I am willing to bet that if you and I were willing to listen in to talks of these men, and yes it is mostly men, and what they think of the line infantry, or the cushy commanders, it would go something like this. "When they let us do it, we'll win the damn war!"

And credit where credit is due, they mostly did in 2002, which is when Stan was in charge of Special Forces Command. If they left him there, in his element, he'd be fine today. And yes I know a few operators, retired... and met a few when still a medic... and how they think, just change the language used.

[pinboy3niner]

30. I think he also mistakenly believed it couldn't happen to him

When he was more contemptuous of the Vice President last Fall, he was only called on the carpet aboard Air Force One for what the press called a "smackdown" by the President. He might have expected to face the President's displeasure again, without more serious repurcussions. It's likely that he also saw himself as indispensable to the war effort, especially when he viewed the civilian leadership there as ineffectual.

I think you're right about his special ops background coloring his attitude--and remember, he spent more time with the Rangers than with SF. Assignments with both were a significant portion of his early career. With that background, it was highly unusual for him to be able to rise so high. The military usually puts a limit on the advancement of special ops types, preferring--and placing more trust in--more "conventional" officers.

You've got good instincts for this, and I think you're also right that he's more likely to end up with a defense contractor than with Faux News. That's closer to his element, and he hasn't been one to seek out the public spotlight--something else that's characteristic of special ops vets.

:hi:

[nadinbrzezinski]

34. Well that goes with the territory

and he's used to pushing limits from his days as a Cadet. Yep, per former instructors... my using the term pirate, came from one of them.

You read his unclassed bio and it is ahem, colorful to say the least.

[nadinbrzezinski]

35. Well that goes with the territory

and he's used to pushing limits from his days as a Cadet. Yep, per former instructors... my using the term pirate, came from one of them.

You read his unclassed bio and it is ahem, colorful to say the least.

[tabasco]

32. LOL.

"Stan"

[nadinbrzezinski]

33. The way he is being drummed out

leaves a little respect, for the name.

And given they are sending him packing a week, and not two... he is especially radioactive right now.

[missheidi]

16. Yup, this time next year on Faux News...

co hosting with Palin.

[saigon68]

19. Maybe he'll be her Vice-President in Charge of War in 2013

[rhett o rick]

22. The repukes will never run a female for president. Esp one as uppity as Palin. nm

[saigon68]

23. It was a joke

[rhett o rick]

26. Yeah I no. nm

[nadinbrzezinski]

20. Perhaps, he is not a line infantry officer

he comes from a community that makes it dicey to do that...

[joe_sixpack]

25. Once you are relieved from such a high command,

Retirement is pretty much the only option.

[mysuzuki2]

27. Isn't there a stop loss program for military personel?

I think his retirement application should be denied and he should be assigned to counting jockstraps at the pentagon.

[PacerLJ35]

36. Stop loss is only for severely short-handed, critical career fields

Most people in the military are not subject to stop loss. Plus regardless of how you feel about whether his and his staff's comments were appropriate or not (they weren't, at least not on the record), being allowed to retire is appropriate.

[malaise]

28. I dare him to head for Fux

Pat Tillman will haunt him to the grave. KO just said that Michael Hastings will be on Rachel tonight.

[IOKIYAL]

29. I Don't believe he's going on Fox.

[Ozymanithrax]

31. He could probably get a job working at Rolling Stone Magazine. n/t

[nadinbrzezinski]

38. General McChrystal, chief editor for ME Policy, RS Magazine

Oy.

[NotThisTime]

40. Should have been demoted or court martialed