Best Defense

Thomas E. Ricks' daily take on national security.

Gen. Dunford as chairman, Joint Chiefs

I’ve met him only once. I thought he was a bit slick, but that may not be entirely a bad thing, given the requirements of the job. People I trust think highly of him.

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8462825057_f7dc1a0553_k

I’ve met him only once. I thought he was a bit slick, but that may not be entirely a bad thing, given the requirements of the job. People I trust think highly of him.

I’ve met him only once. I thought he was a bit slick, but that may not be entirely a bad thing, given the requirements of the job. People I trust think highly of him.

I think the last two chairmen were very good. This has not been an easy administration to work for as chairman of the JCS, in part because political types at the White House who knew little about the military kept on injecting themselves. General Dempsey must feel like a burned out clutch plate. Dunford will have big shoes to fill.

In other general officer news, the Air Force two star who ended his career with a remark turns out to have said that two officers in a photograph appeared “drunker than ten thousand Indians.” Little grasshoppers know I am for accountability, but I wonder if career termination is the proper punishment for this error. I would think a public reprimand would do. Am I missing something?​

Also, the CO of a Navy fighter squadron was relieved for what the Navy called “misconduct.”

He allegedly mistreated a sailor.

Flickr

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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