Col. Maness Calls for Immediate Firing of the Political Generals

The rot in the Officer Corps of the DoD began during the Clinton Administration and the STUPID policies put in place to pay good officers to end their service during a period of economic growth following the end of the Cold War. I watched as the majority of the Top 50% officers took the money and left the services, leaving a handful of Top 50% types and practically the entire Bottom 50% officers in place. I went off after the 1st Gulf War to serve as a Middle Eastern Foreign Area Officer, returning to my basic branch, Field Artillery, four years later. I was absolutely appalled at what I witnessed then. I had to deal with a set of officers that could not make a decision, knew nothing about the Military Decision Making Process (MDMP), knew nothing about the importance of detailed planning, and who showed up to work everyday and then figured out what they wanted the troops to do that day. This broken attitude spanned from Battalion Commanders all the way up to Corps Commanders. Then came the Bush Presidency which used the military to settle a personal vendetta against Saddam Hussein at the cost of $3 Trillion and thousands of young lives with NO correction in the evaluation system but just more politicization of the officer corps. Then came Obama and the beginnings of WOKE and the entire system completely unravalled all the way down into the NCO Corps. Col Rob Maness is exactly right, the ONLY way to bring back a strong military is to bring back strong Officers and NCOs who understand the importance of DISCIPLINE, WELL PLANNED/WELL RESOURCED/REALISTIC TRAINING, and AGGRESSIVE, REPETITIVE INSPECTION of the Commander's priorities which have been clearly articulated to one and all coupled with SWIFT, FAIR, and BRUTAL CORRECTION/DISCIPLINE!

Officers are RESPONSIBLE for everything their units do or fail to do and they are responsible for the young lives parents entrust to their care! This must be the guiding principle to bring about true readiness! War is violent business and if you fail to fully plan, resource, and execute realistic training in peacetime, you will pay for that failure in BODY BAGS!

Replies

Ronald A. Nelson COL, USA, Retired August 16, 2025 at 8:37pm

I honestly expected Trump to fire most of Obama's and Biden's senior officers during the first 100 days... very disappointing. He needs to weed out the bad seeds. Perhaps Secretary Hegseth can do it for the President... he certainly has the authority to do so.
David Faulkner, COL, USA(r) August 16, 2025 at 4:40pm

The rot in the Officer Corps of the DoD began during the Clinton Administration and the STUPID policies put in place to pay good officers to end their service during a period of economic growth following the end of the Cold War. I watched as the majority of the Top 50% officers took the money and left the services, leaving a handful of Top 50% types and practically the entire Bottom 50% officers in place. I went off after the 1st Gulf War to serve as a Middle Eastern Foreign Area Officer, returning to my basic branch, Field Artillery, four years later. I was absolutely appalled at what I witnessed then. I had to deal with a set of officers that could not make a decision, knew nothing about the Military Decision Making Process (MDMP), knew nothing about the importance of detailed planning, and who showed up to work everyday and then figured out what they wanted the troops to do that day. This broken attitude spanned from Battalion Commanders all the way up to Corps Commanders. Then came the Bush Presidency which used the military to settle a personal vendetta against Saddam Hussein at the cost of $3 Trillion and thousands of young lives with NO correction in the evaluation system but just more politicization of the officer corps. Then came Obama and the beginnings of WOKE and the entire system completely unravalled all the way down into the NCO Corps. Col Rob Maness is exactly right, the ONLY way to bring back a strong military is to bring back strong Officers and NCOs who understand the importance of DISCIPLINE, WELL PLANNED/WELL RESOURCED/REALISTIC TRAINING, and AGGRESSIVE, REPETITIVE INSPECTION of the Commander's priorities which have been clearly articulated to one and all coupled with SWIFT, FAIR, and BRUTAL CORRECTION/DISCIPLINE!

Officers are RESPONSIBLE for everything their units do or fail to do and they are responsible for the young lives parents entrust to their care! This must be the guiding principle to bring about true readiness! War is violent business and if you fail to fully plan, resource, and execute realistic training in peacetime, you will pay for that failure in BODY BAGS!
- Ronald A. Nelson COL, USA, Retired > David Faulkner, COL, USA(r) August 16, 2025 at 9:38pm
  
  Very well put... I retired over 20 years ago after witnessing the serious hollowing out of the military's leadership, discipline, and resourcing. Sec. Hegseth would be well advised to institute a general review of all General Officers... to ID the problem officers, replacing them with proven quality officers.

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