Best Defense

Thomas E. Ricks' daily take on national security.

Navy unloads commander of USS Fort Worth; btln cdr deep-sixed at Parris Island

Dunno why, but this one seems a bit harsh to me. Maybe more to the story than I am seeing?

Pyle_pirate_plank_edited
Pyle_pirate_plank_edited

Dunno why, but this one seems a bit harsh to me. Maybe more to the story than I am seeing?

Meantime, the “Overweight Leonard” scandal is sending a Navy captain to the pokey for 46 months for taking bribes, hookers, and luxury hotel rooms in exchange for information. At one point he was the skipper of the USS Bonhomme Richard.

Also, the Marines bounced the commander of the 3rd Battalion at Parris Island. Perhaps I am a prisoner of my own experience, but I think those four slots on PI are among the most important positions a Lt. Col. can hold. When I see this happen, I wonder if there is a larger fight going on inside the Marine Corps.

Dunno why, but this one seems a bit harsh to me. Maybe more to the story than I am seeing?

Meantime, the “Overweight Leonard” scandal is sending a Navy captain to the pokey for 46 months for taking bribes, hookers, and luxury hotel rooms in exchange for information. At one point he was the skipper of the USS Bonhomme Richard.

Also, the Marines bounced the commander of the 3rd Battalion at Parris Island. Perhaps I am a prisoner of my own experience, but I think those four slots on PI are among the most important positions a Lt. Col. can hold. When I see this happen, I wonder if there is a larger fight going on inside the Marine Corps.

Anyone care to ‘splain this?

Meanwhile, here are three generals who didn’t listen to the charm school lecture about how any appearance of travel infractions will kick your butt. Also, an SUV driver fleeing the cops banged into the tail of an F-18.

Image credit: Howard Pyle (1921)/ “Buccaneers and Marooners of the Spanish Main,” Howard Pyle’s Book of Pirates: Fiction, Fact & Fancy Concerning the Buccaneers & Marooners of the Spanish Main (New York: Harper and Brothers), Plate facing p. 36/Wikimedia Commons

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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