Best Defense
Thomas E. Ricks' daily take on national security.

Army War College axes 10 civilian profs

At a commander’s call earlier this week, I am told, the new commandant of the Army War College disclosed that 10 civilian faculty members are being let go. My PME correspondent "Alejandro" writes thusly: "The Commandant of the Army War College, Major General Anthony A. Cucolo III, decided to reduce the personnel budget to meet ...

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At a commander's call earlier this week, I am told, the new commandant of the Army War College disclosed that 10 civilian faculty members are being let go.

At a commander’s call earlier this week, I am told, the new commandant of the Army War College disclosed that 10 civilian faculty members are being let go.

My PME correspondent "Alejandro" writes thusly:

"The Commandant of the Army War College, Major General Anthony A. Cucolo III, decided to reduce the personnel budget to meet this objective.  He directed that the next round of personnel cuts come directly from the Title 10 faculty — the civilian scholars, instructors, and retired practitioners teaching the resident course.  These are the core faculty implementing the core mission of the school: educating senior leaders.

He reportedly did so in the belief that TRADOC would reject a cut to the core faculty, perhaps affecting some of the college¹s most prominent academics, thus preserve positions across the college.

His gamble failed and 10 civilian scholars, whose positions were offered up in a bureaucratic gambit, will be told this week that their appointments will not be renewed. Indeed, some may be let go sooner.

Thomas E. Ricks covered the U.S. military from 1991 to 2008 for the Wall Street Journal and then the Washington Post. He can be reached at ricksblogcomment@gmail.com. Twitter: @tomricks1

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