February 7Feb 7 2 hours ago, Sua Sponte said:Goodbye CAT 5!Air & Space Forces MagazineAir Force Academy Leaders Ousted in Shake UpU.S. Air Force Academy Superintendent Lt. Gen. Tony Bauernfeind and Commandant of Cadets Brig. Gen. Gavin Marks will both retire this year.
February 8Feb 8 8 hours ago, ClearedHot said:AMFersSlife and Cat 5.mp4They had to zoom out so much to fit all of Cat 5 in the shot that you can see more stars on the flag.(yes, i can tell that's not quite right...but neither is how epically fat Cat 5 is) Edited February 8Feb 8 by FourFans
February 8Feb 8 Sounds like it's AI narrated. Can any Military scholars here verify? If true, we need Marshallhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDyQyqxCNt0https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDyQyqxCNt0 Edited February 8Feb 8 by arg
February 8Feb 8 10 hours ago, arg said:Sounds like it's AI narrated. Can any Military scholars here verify? If true, we need Marshallhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDyQyqxCNt0https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDyQyqxCNt0If you're asking if George Marshall fired a lot of generals before we entered combat, the answer is yes (unknown if 600 is correct).These books offer good insights on what he did and why. They're free on Libby.The GeneralsFrom the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Fiasco and The Gamble comes an epic history of the decline of American military leadership from World War II to Iraq.History has been kinder to the AmeGeorge MarshallThe extraordinary career of George Catlett Marshall - America’s most distinguished soldier - statesman since George Washington - whose selfless leadership and moral character influenced the course of
February 8Feb 8 2 hours ago, Boomer6 said:If you're asking if George Marshall fired a lot of generals before we entered combat, the answer is yes (unknown if 600 is correct).These books offer good insights on what he did and why. They're free on Libby.The GeneralsFrom the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Fiasco and The Gamble comes an epic history of the decline of American military leadership from World War II to Iraq.History has been kinder to the AmeGeorge MarshallThe extraordinary career of George Catlett Marshall - America’s most distinguished soldier - statesman since George Washington - whose selfless leadership and moral character influenced the course ofGreat book
February 8Feb 8 3 hours ago, Boomer6 said:If you're asking if George Marshall fired a lot of generals before we entered combat, the answer is yes (unknown if 600 is correct).These books offer good insights on what he did and why. They're free on Libby.The GeneralsFrom the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Fiasco and The Gamble comes an epic history of the decline of American military leadership from World War II to Iraq.History has been kinder to the AmeGeorge MarshallThe extraordinary career of George Catlett Marshall - America’s most distinguished soldier - statesman since George Washington - whose selfless leadership and moral character influenced the course ofGreat book
April 4Apr 4 On 4/2/2026 at 6:48 PM, Boomer6 said:Speaking of firing generals...Army Chief of Staff FiredUsually its for being bad at your job, but according to reporters, being too good and a potential threat to Pete, if you can believe it. When we get a serious SecDef, then I'll believe more. Til then, clowns gonna clown.
42 minutes ago42 min On 2/8/2026 at 9:31 AM, Boomer6 said:If you're asking if George Marshall fired a lot of generals before we entered combat, the answer is yes (unknown if 600 is correct).These books offer good insights on what he did and why. They're free on Libby.The GeneralsFrom the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Fiasco and The Gamble comes an epic history of the decline of American military leadership from World War II to Iraq.History has been kinder to the AmeGeorge MarshallThe extraordinary career of George Catlett Marshall - America’s most distinguished soldier - statesman since George Washington - whose selfless leadership and moral character influenced the course ofRequired reading for my CGSC class, very insightful!Ricks argues that the U.S. Army's success in World War II was partly due to its willingness to relieve ineffective generals, while the postwar Army became increasingly reluctant to hold senior commanders accountable for poor performance. According to Ricks, this decline in accountability contributed to military shortcomings in Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan.Marshall routinely evaluated commanders and removed those who could not perform under combat conditions.During WWII, dozens (not 600) to include 16 division commanders of generals were relieved, reassigned, or retired when they failed to meet standards.Marshall prioritized mission success over protecting careers, but it wasn't always due to leadership failures.One famous example was Maj. Gen. Terry Allen, commander of the 1st Infantry Division, who was relieved despite being an aggressive and popular combat leader because Army leadership felt a different type of commander was needed for future operations.Leaders such as Matthew Ridgway, George Patton and Maxwell Taylor are highlighted as officers who adapted to changing conditions and inspired subordinates.Ricks contends that many senior leaders in Vietnam remained in command despite poor results. The Army became focused on preserving institutional reputation rather than candidly assessing failures, and that promotion systems increasingly rewarded conformity and career management.Officers learned to avoid mistakes rather than take calculated risks, and advancement often depended more on navigating bureaucracy than demonstrating battlefield excellence.Early phases of the Iraq War exposed deficiencies in strategic planning and senior leadership. (Petraeus is presented as a notable exception, helping to develop and execute the 2007 Surge strategy) and again Ricks argues many senior commanders were not adequately held accountable for flawed assumptions and operational setbacks.Ricks also highlights that being successful at lower levels of command does not automatically prepare an officer to be a successful general officer, that senior leaders must understand politics, policy, coalition management and strategy, not just battlefield tactics.
36 minutes ago36 min And “a loss of confidence and trust in their ability to effectively lead and command” is a bureaucratic formula that hides whether the commander actually failed to lead effectively or merely fell out of favor with their superiors! If a commander is relieved for poor judgment, toxic leadership, mission failure, or misconduct, a generic statement can make it difficult to determine whether the action was justified. Specific reasons help demonstrate that standards are being applied fairly.Military organizations improve when leaders understand what went wrong. A vague explanation like "loss of confidence" provides little guidance for subordinate commanders trying to avoid similar mistakes.Also, when people see leaders removed without explanation, they may suspect politics, favoritism or scapegoating. Transparent reasoning can increase confidence that decisions are based on performance and standards.Future leaders, historians, and researchers need more than a boilerplate phrase to understand why a command decision was made and what lessons should be learned.Some will argue that the public does not necessarily have a right to know every detail; but a better balance is needed between transparency and institutional learning, and privacy, fairness, and command discretion!
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