You took over from Donald Rumsfeld …"One of the things that annoys me is that everyone is always trying to contrast everything I do with everything Secretary Rumsfeld did. But the transformation that he started has totally changed the American military, and, I believe, for the better."
Robert M. Gates, Secretary of Defense, NEWSWEEK Magazine,
25 October 2008
Personal note: I spent my last two years on active duty (2004-2006) as a Navy Captain working alongside a superb Presidential Management Intern (Ms. Sarah Nagelmann - Now SOUTHCOM's Director of Strategic Communications) for Secretary Rumsfeld on the Detainee Task Force (formed on 14 May 2004 by the DEPSECDEF following the revelations of detainee abuse at Abu Ghraib Prison in Iraq). I found the Secretary to be infinitely forgiving, patient and magnanimous. In two years I can honestly say, that despite the horrific nature of the issues he was dealing with, he was never 'short' or 'ill tempered' as some have characterized him. He admonition to us was always - "We will go where the truth leads us." One investigation led to another, which led to another - all said and told, he ordered 14 major investigations that we were responsible for tracking. He never tried to cover up a single thing. His view was that it was probably worse than any of us could imagine. And, of course, that is how it turned out to be. In my mind, Secretary Rumsfeld is an American patriot with very few peers.
Your ignorance is hereby confirmed. Rumsfeld was the worst Secretary of Defense since 1947.
ReplyDeleteYou have got to be kidding me ... if you really believe this, I've got a bridge or two for you to buy. Even John McCain, that astute judge of character, intellect and worth witness the amazing sarah palid] said Rummy was horrid ... but -at least for a few days- we still have geo. dubya shrub and co. [aka the Pinnocchio and Gepetto Show] to kick around ... the man who will quite likely enter the annals of history as the absolute worst president of all time, maybe even -if there is a god and any justice- the first to ever be charged for war crimes and crimes against humanity ! rummy and his crew [e.g., feith, asscroft, gonzales, rove ["turdblossom", one of -if not the only thing this cretian got right in almost 8 years], loo, libby, and of course "darth vader" cheney, et al] should be joined as well.
ReplyDeleteNo, I'm not kidding. Having had the opportunity to work with him and see SECDEF Rumsfeld in action every day for nearly 2 years, I believe SECDEF Gates got it right. Rumsfeld changed the military for the better.
ReplyDeleteCaptain Lambert,
ReplyDeleteFreedom of speech is indeed a wonderful thing and being a Commissioned Officer should also be considered a distinct level above crude statements and accusations by an Officer and a gentleman.
Very Respectfully,
Navyman834