The Stanley purge

Posted By Thomas E. Ricks Friday, April 23, 2010 - 10:28 AM Share

I'm hearing that the new Pentagon under secretary of Defense for personnel, Clifford Stanley, is defenestrating people left and right. Latest to get the heave, yesterday, was Noel Koch, the guy who was running the Wounded Warrior program.

Anyone wanna shed some light on what is going on?

The rest of you, remember Pentagon politics rule one: Amateurs talk tactics, professionals talk logistics, and people who understand where power resides talk personnel policy. For example, if in the 1980s you wanted to get the services to send better people to joint billets, you'd make "joint time" a prerequisite for promotion to flag rank.

5:30 UPDATE: I asked for more info, so Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell called to offer his explanation. It looks like the purges are going to continue in the Pentagon personnel office. Defense Secretary Gates believes that office is in "desperate need of a wholesale reorganization," Morrell said, and has given Stanley "wide authority to revamp it from top to bottom."

Morrell added, "There probably will be more changes in the offing."

Brendan Smialowski/Getty Images

EXPLORE:MILITARY

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JJH722

6:19 PM ET

April 23, 2010

thats a pretty interesting

thats a pretty interesting bureaucratic insight. i guess he's either a genius, an asshole, or a little bit of both.

CMEYERGO

6:43 PM ET

April 23, 2010

Col Stanley

I worked with Col Stanley when he was in the Marines. Nice guy, and checking his bio its good to see no defense contractor board jobs since retirement as a MGEN. That being said, everyone quickly realized that he wasn't a bright bulb, and would probably have retired as a major if it weren't for affirmative action. He talked a good line and was in great physical shape, but nothing of substance came out. He wisely relied on his staff to get things done.

ADMIRAL

4:33 PM ET

April 24, 2010

Typical Racist Crap

"...would probably have retired as a major if it weren't for affirmative action..."

Disgusting drivel filled with racist hate.

DOD GUY

8:22 PM ET

April 23, 2010

Found some details here

www.thedisenchantedjourno.com

WALKING WOUNDED

6:41 AM ET

April 24, 2010

Interesting.

"Koch's termination also appears to be part of a larger pattern from DOD Under Secretary Stanley. He also reportedly forced out Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Military Community and Family Policy Tommy T. Thomas, another Obama administration appointee who recently resigned."

Huh. Is this just another window of opportunity for Tom to say 'defenestrate'?

A discussion of any length on Wounded Warrior PTSD that makes no mention of (TBI) traumatic brain injury is like an Af-Pak strategy that doesn't mention 'Pashtun'.

TOM RICKS

8:50 PM ET

April 24, 2010

'Defenestrate'

It was the first fancy word I ever learned--I think in 2nd grade. I just loved the idea that there was a word just for chucking people out of windows.
Cheers,
Tom

WALKING WOUNDED

1:28 AM ET

April 25, 2010

so when Superman or SWAT comes busting in...

would it be infenestrate, or refenestrate?
"SEAL Commandos Infenestrate Terrorist HQ."
Sooner or later a window of opportunity will invite that usage;)

QUANG

2:08 AM ET

April 24, 2010

White House Fellow

He was then his career took off sort of like Colin Powell's.

RUBBER DUCKY

1:56 PM ET

April 24, 2010

Kicking ass and taking names...

The guy is in a leadership position. He's leading. Got a problem with that?

And this statement simple reeks of racism: "everyone quickly realized that he wasn't a bright bulb, and would probably have retired as a major if it weren't for affirmative action." Goddamit, selection processes may not be perfect, but one does not get to a White House fellowship, two stars, or a Schedule C job on skin color; not now, not ever.

The latent belief that white males are the standard and all others suspect deserves continual condemnation. It is - how shall I say this gently - piggish bullshit.

SIR20102000

1:27 PM ET

April 26, 2010

General Stanley

General Stanley is brilliant! Besides affirmative action in the Marine Corps is a fairy tale- for those who have served in the Corps, you know exactly what Imean. Like an earlier post stated, you don't become a Naval Academy Instructor, White House Fellow, Infantry Regimental Commander, and retire as a 2 star general while nominated as a 3 star without being on top of your game....Now if you really want to talk me about affirmative action, please explain to me how GW Bush was admitted to Yale and then later Harvard's MBA program. GW is the poster child for affirmative action:)

SKIPPY-SAN

9:55 PM ET

April 24, 2010

Maybe they are just getting around to cleaning up after Dr. Chu

Don't forget who held the office under Bush-David S.C. " I hate active duty and veterans" Chu. Dr Chu was a truly evil force in DOD who did no favors for the working Soldier Sailor Airman or Marine.

DAVIDCLINTON

1:41 PM ET

April 26, 2010

One of the guys fired was responsible for the MyCAA debacle

I shall call attention to the fact that one of the guys fired was the one responsible for the MyCAA cancellation. As for the use of that Big Twenty-five dollar/SAT/GRE word "defenestration" itself, the best-know historical example was the famous Defenestration of Prague, one of the events leading to the Thirty Years' War. The defenestrated ones were saved by either "divine intervention" or by having their fall cushioned by a dung heap. Later, Thomas Pynchon , in his novel "Vineland" would give us the word "transfenestration", emphasizing the fact of going through a pane of glass.

SIR20102000

1:43 PM ET

April 26, 2010

General Stanley

Oh, one last thing, let's not forget he graduated with Honors from Johns Hopkins University and has a PhD from the Ivy League's Penn. Back to GW and bright bulbs, you didn't have to be a bright bulb if your father and Grandfather graduated from Yale and/or Harvard. You were simply affirmed, and admitted. Now that's affirmative action.

MALIKKNOWS

6:02 PM ET

May 4, 2010

Cliff Stanley

I knew Cliff Stanley. Yes, he is an affirmative action beneficiary. No doubt about it. CMEYERGO is correct. Folks who don't believe aa exists in the Marine Corps, or for White House Fellows, or at Penn need to sit on an admissions committee. aa is so brutal in the USMC that they id actual numbers of minorities that have to be promoted. These are facts and calling people racists who point them out is not helpful.