1) CNO to become CJCS: ADM Mike Mullen will be nominated to relieve GEN Peter Pace as Chairman of the Joints Chiefs of Staff. The linked Navy NewsStand article is surprisingly candid in giving the reason GEN Pace isn't being nominated for the traditional second 2-year term:
Gates said he intended to renominate Pace and Giambastiani but after consulting with senators of both parties came to the following conclusions:I just finished State of Denial, by Bob Woodward. While it's good to take everything in the book with a grain of salt, I believed the description of GEN Pace as "Rumsfeld's yes man", and I think it's good Sec. Gates gets a chance to put someone else in the job. That we'll now have Navy guys in the two most important slots (CJCS and CENTCOM) can only be good for the Navy, I figure.
"Because General Pace has served as chairman and vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff for the last six years, the focus of his confirmation process would have been on the past rather than the future,” Gates said.
He said the confirmation process would have the possibility of being quite contentious.
“I am no stranger to contentious confirmations, and I do not shrink from them,” Gates said. “However, I have decided at this moment in our history the nation, our men and women in uniform, and General Pace himself would not be well-served by a divisive ordeal in selecting the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.”
Pace will continue to serve as chairman until his term ends Sept. 30. He is the first Marine to hold the position.
2) Associate Degree Requirement for E-8 Scrapped: You know when you see some new initiative come out, and you know it just isn't going to work? (Examples are ADM Boorda's "Get Rid Of Unnecessary Paperwork and Inspections" program and the pre-9/11 "Pay Huge Amounts of Money to Sailors Who Get Sent to Sea Too Much" ITEMPO cluster.) When I heard about the "Chiefs have to have an associate's degree to get promoted to Senior Chief" requirement when it came out a couple of years ago, I knew that it would run headlong into reality before the first guy was denied a promotion:
“Times have changed since we developed the requirement two years ago,” said Mullen. “We still view education as exceptionally valuable for our senior enlisted force. But we realize that in light of the challenges Sailors face in today’s dynamic security environment, not everyone has the same opportunity to pursue an associate degree.”I'm just glad they did it now instead of waiting until 2010.
Nearly nine months of analysis resulted in a set of statistics CNO and the master chief petty officer of the Navy determined too detrimental to the career opportunities of a significant number of chief petty officers. If the policy were to remain in effect, fully 35 percent of the chiefs eligible for advancement in fiscal year 2011 would be at extreme risk of not meeting the requirement.
“That 35 percent represented our most sea-intensive and GWOT ratings,” said Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy (SW/FMF) Joe R. Campa Jr. “This places them at an unacceptable disadvantage in competing for advancement. Now, more than ever, it is important that we advance our people based on leadership and their commitment to the success of the men and women they lead.”
3) USS Kidd (DDG 100) Commissioned: The 50th Burke-class destroyer was commissioned on Saturday night. I was kind of surprised to see Rep. Ron "We Deserved 9/11" Paul as the principle speaker -- I guess the libertarians out there won't be able to claim that the Administration is trying to marginalize Rep. Paul by not letting him speak in public.
4) Not really Navy, but the Disneyland Submarine ride (now called the "Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage") officially opens tomorrow!
5) Sub-blogger Chapomatic has a new addition to the family. Head on over and wish him well.
6) Lastly, but locally, Marv Hagedorn, my newest Idaho House Representative (he's a retired Navy officer) has a blog up that conservatives will love. Plus, he allows comments!
Update 0743 11 June: Almost forgot, submariner VADM Jeffrey Fowler just took over at the Naval Academy.
