Mattis, Barno and more on officership

Posted By Thomas E. Ricks Wednesday, February 17, 2010 - 11:27 AM Share

The CNAS hoedown on officership was postponed and is now going down tomorrow, Feb. 18, at 5 pm in downtown DC. It looks like an interesting lineup. The event is free but you gots to sign up, which you can do here.

And you can read the center's report on how to revitalize military officership right here.

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CAPTAIN NOVAL

7:38 PM ET

February 17, 2010

Mattis on Leadership

I thought this fellow had resigned in discrace in light of his persecution of the innocent Haditha Marines, from Lt. Col. Chessani on down, who were subjected to courts martial and other heavy-handed persecution by General Mattis, and all of whom have been exonerated.

Leadership first and foremost means taking care of your men, and in this primary leadership crucible, Mattis has failed miserably and totally. Careers of many exemplary Marines were destroyed, the acquittals and dismissals of the bogus charges against them notwithstanding.

Mattis himself was found guilty by the military judge of the worst crime against the military justice system - the use of "unlawful command influence" in the prosecution of these service members.

His only peer in spinelessness and lack of leadership might be that Admiral who is now overseeing the court martial of the SEALs who are alleged to have punched that Fallujah scum in the stomach.

Tom, I hope you will raise this critically important issue at the seminar tonight. Please do some background research and hold Mattis' feet to the fire - get some honest answers and not the typical CYA "I can't discuss it" from this guy.

TOM RICKS

9:17 PM ET

February 17, 2010

I have a lot of respect for Mattis

And I think you are misreading the Haditha situation. Have you read the first part of my book 'The Gamble'?
Best,
Tom

GROUNDPOUNDER

11:31 PM ET

February 17, 2010

Speak no Evil, Hear no Evil, See no Evil.....

That's the mantra of the corporate general grade officer corps of the U.S. Military! And there's no Chesty Pullers on the horizon!

CAPTAIN NOVAL

12:24 PM ET

February 18, 2010

I will go back and re-read it

Thanks Tom for your responding. I will make a point of going back and re-reading it.

I would also commend to you and to your readers the decision of the Navy-Marine Corps Court of Criminal Appeals that affirmed the guilt of General Mattis for having exercised unlawful command influence in the prosecution of Lt. Col. Jeff Chessani. A link can be found here (the trial judge's opinion, which is much more damning, isn't easily available on the internet):

http://www.jag.navy.mil/courts/documents/archive/2009/Chessani,%20J.R.%20200800299%20unpub.pdf

One other salient point - the unit that took over responsibility for Haditha before Lt. Col. Chessani lost 52 Marines to enemy action. Chessani's troops lost only 4. Those 48 more Marines live today because Jeff Chessani was a Marine's Marine, an honest, straight-shooting, get-the-job-done leader of men whose prime goal was to kill the enemy, not to kiss the ass of members of Congress.

I spent a lot of years in the military justice system. It is not rare enough for senior officers to try and have their juniors railroaded in a kangaroo court. What's truly rare, however, is for a military judge and a military court of appeals to make an explicit determination that a senior officer is guilty of unlawful command influence. Mattis was found guilty for the worst offense a senior officer can commit against the justice system. Whatever qualities Mattis has, those are far outweighed by his misconduct in the bogus Haditha prosecutions, which have all resulted in the accused Marines either being acquitted or for the Corps being forced to drop the charges after Mattis initiated the kangaroo courts because there was NO evidence of ANY criminal misconduct by those heroic Marines.

Mattis needs to resign. His continued wearing of the Marine uniform brings discredit to the Corps and to the military as a whole.

I am working late today on another matter. If I am able to get away I will come down and confront Mattis with the facts of his misconduct myself. Yes, this might seem a little like a rant, but in the history of the military justice system there has never been a worse case of high-level misconduct of the type Mattis engaged in.

Signed,
A 20-year GI whose only connection is as a horrified observer who loves the military justice system

JMCDINSMORE

4:29 AM ET

February 20, 2010

Mr. Ricks-agree with you

That Mattis' role was not what it seemed by the judge's ruling on that particular motion. But the officership of flag and general officers throughout that case was (and continues to be) another story. Given my own experience in the case, and some research I am doing myself, I would be interested to hear your take on the issue of senior officer political correctness, fear of the media, fear of budget repercussions, and general self-preservation instincts in the face of Al-Qaeda propaganda efforts...and ultimately, the effect of all those phenomena on combat readiness in the field.

RUBBER DUCKY

10:14 PM ET

February 17, 2010

NDU

Tom: Consider asking Ann Rondeau what the curriculum emphasis is at The National War College these days. Does the school have a dog in the heavy vs COIN fight? Are the two current wars being analyzed from start to finish? Regarding Iraq, does she say 'aye aye sir' and believe the right thing to do is press on and follow orders .... or does she think going into Iraq was the dumbest idea since the soup sandwich? And what is the school's analysis of the decision-making process on Iraq and Afghanistan in the national-security apparatus of this and the previous administrations?

I ask this noting that it took until 1981 before National had anything in the curriculum on Vietnam. Anything. 'Too sensitive and controversial.' Is it the same game for these wars - is National leading or lagging?