Wow. I like that. That's a pretty cool thing to do.

this is a shame, no matter what your feelings are on Wanat, Schlosser is an outstanding leader...smart as hell too, can speak and read Arabic, and damn, he could run forever. Anyone (Ghorley) who has run up and down Wickam Street on Fort Campbell can attest to that.

Weren't all 3 GOMRs reversed by LtG Campbell as he walked out the door into retirement in June/July?

This had nothing to do with his retirement? This is not a revolving door?

His son is on Jay Rockefeller's staff as far as I can ascertain.

WOOD DALE, ILLINOIS (August 17, 2010) — AAR CORP. (NYSE: AIR) announced today that Jeffrey Schloesser, former Director of Army Aviation, has joined the Company as President of its Aviation Worldwide Services (AWS) business unit. Schloesser will be responsible for leading strategic planning, operations and growth of AWS, which provides airlift services and specialized aircraft modifications.

General Schlosser had been nominated for a three star billet. As an Army Aviator he is more than qualified for his new position. He has shown that at least one senior officer had the moral courage to do what is right

....in the Dept of Army tradition...Paladin program is a good example...misrepresentation of investment returns, criminal as private citizens, but continued with honors for military and civil service.

DoD IG and Hotline another negligence affirmative action award winning group that would be best outsourced to that Siberian gorilla telephone service.

The alternative to punching out in protest is staying in and fixing the system from within. Less flashy, but more courageous in the long run and potentially more valuable to the system.

I'd like to know what Schlosser did to make things right before I give him vast kudos.

Yeah, Schloesser was fast. I could still get by him, however. Petraeus smoked my bags, though. I need to front-load a 2.4 mile swim and a 112 mile bike before I can take him on a marathon.

Schloesser's a two-star, you think he got to where he was by just standing around and smelling the roses? I'd expect anyone that "type A" to have something lined up when they got out. Dude's not gonna just go home and putter around the garden while crying in a beer. Also, he's a two-star. It's not like he has to go ACAP and get some transition agent named Nancy to teach him how to type a resume (just to caveat, Nancy was very nice to me and I appreciate her help). How many head-hunters already had his number in their rolodex when the news came out? Even if they didn't, all that took was a phone call.

"Hello, I'd like a job."
"Your qualifications?"
"I'm Jeffrey f-in Schloesser."
"Does $800,000 a year and a Mercedes sound like a good deal?"
"Throw in a gardener and I'll take it."

All that said, I do believe he's a man of principle, and despite what I said with regard to COL Sellin's tirade, I think there's a point at which the "principled resignation" gesture is in fact a more effective action than trying to "change things from the inside." Schloesser's a General, and not an unrecognizable one. He's worked for Petraeus and commanded the 101st. He's within a very powerful circle, and so perhaps this action will make others within that circle stop to think. As Sellin remarked previously, that's a very hard thing to make people at that rank do.

Also significant is that Schloesser spoke softly, despite the stick he wields. There was no blog or Washington Post op-ed with him announcing it. Tom heard it through the grapevine and then had to go ask about it. There's no glitz involved with this.

In the dead of night, the snap of a round being fired from a silenced rifle will shake your senses more than a star cluster.

All that said, there's a downside I see to this. Maybe Schloesser is imposing on himself the punishment the Army refused to, but could he also feel that he himself can't effect the change we need to make things right? Others have written on here that they feel that way. If that sentiment is creeping to the two-star level, then we really have met the enemy, and he really is us.

In a time when honor is nothing and responsibility is thrown like dog shit in your hand, If the Good General did this as he says he did, I'll remember. Thanks Tom for letting us know.

If true then it speaks well of his character if not his pragmatism

In a time of great sound and fury, quiet courage may be the kind we need most.

Honest question: even if one admits fault, is retiring with an unblemished record, full benefits, etc, really comparable the ruined careers of his subordinates? I'm not convinced we hold our senior leaders to the same standard we hold junior leaders, as LTC Yngling pointed out a couple years ago...