Seperating the Grants from the McClellans

Jack Kelly:

In every army, there are (a few) Grants and (many) McClellans. The key to success in war is to find and promote the Grants. Keep this in mind as you examine what Time magazine calls the "Revolt of the Generals." Six retired Army and Marine generals have called for the resignation of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.

There are about 4,700 retired flag officers. For every general speaking out against Secretary Rumsfeld, there are more than 780 who are not. Many who aren't speaking out agree with the six, said the Washington Post's David Ignatius in his column last Friday:

"When I recently asked an Army officer with extensive Iraq combat experience how many of his colleagues wanted Rumsfeld out, he guessed 75 percent," Ignatius said. "Based on my conversations with senior officers over the past three years, I suspect that figure may be low."

But Secretary Rumsfeld doesn't lack for enthusiastic defenders in the ranks: "My assessment from extensive and continuous contact with young field grade officers...is that Secretary Rumsfeld is considered the finest Secretary of Defense in the last 40 years," said an Army lieutenant colonel in an email to RealClearPolitics.

Record re-enlistment rates do not suggest widespread dissatisfaction among the rank and file with the secretary of defense.

...

Many generals, especially in the Army, are overly bureaucratic and risk averse, Col. Macgregor said. Excessive caution nearly denied the U.S. a quick victory in the march on Baghdad, and excessive use of force after the fall of Saddam by, among others, MajGen. Swannack, fueled the insurgency, he said.

The complaining generals said Mr. Rumsfeld doesn't listen to his subordinate commanders, a criticism rebutted by the retired generals who dealt with him most frequently, former CENTCOM commander Gen. Tommy Franks; his deputy, retired Marine LtGen. Michael Delong; and Air Force Gen. Richard Myers, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

The real problem is Secretary Rumsfeld pays too much deference to generals who are demonstrably incompetent, Col. Macgregor said. The night Baghdad fell, Mr. Rumsfeld asked the Army ground forces commander how long it would take to get an armored brigade to Saddam's home town of Tikrit, Col. Macgregor recounted. The answer was 10 days. Mr. Rumsfeld then asked the Marines, who got there in 12 hours.

The Grant of the Iraq war was then Marine MajGen. James Mattis, who thinks as well as he fights.

"Immediately advancing Mattis to three stars...would have sent a powerful signal that professional competence and character under fire trump all other considerations in wartime," Col. Macgregor said.

"Unfortunately, the civilians in charge bowed to service parochialism and appointed an Army general, because Army troops constituted the majority of the ground force."

Mattis is outspoken in his own right, but he is an outstanding leader. I am still struck by how incoherent the complainers are and it is easy to see why they would not be particularly persuasive under Rumsfelds cross examination.