SwiftVets.com

SOFMan · Seaman Recruit Joined: 11 Aug 2004 Posts: 13

Gen McPeak was widely known in the Air Force as puppet for Al Gore's "reinventing Government", by forcing Total Quality Management (TQM) on the Air Force--something not meant to be. We called this program TQM..."To Quote McPeak", and luckily it died. McPeak had the idea of "one base, one boss", that quickly proved a failure. "Skeletor's" (as he was known) rise to power was a fighter pilot--in fact, he over g'd a Thunderbird aircraft while on the aero demo team, pulling the wings off. He only became AF Chief of Staff after President Bush fired Michael Dugen in 1991. In short, wile clearly McPeak is well acheived and intelligent, he wasn't well liked as he was always viewed by so many an opportunist. Aligning himself with Kerry continues that tradition...maybe getting a nice SECDEF or SECAF job. God help us all if Kerry gets elected and appoint Skeletor to any post.

LewWaters · Posted: Sat Aug 21, 2004 4:47 am Post subject:

We have to expect some will support Kerry. However, they are still in the minority.
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Frank B · Ensign Joined: 10 Aug 2004 Posts: 58 Location: Montana

Gen. McPeak was a politician's general, a total ass-kisser. His plan to replace the AF dress blues with a design patterned after the Navy dress whites didn't go over with any of the troops (hey, we liked our "bus driver" image). Thank goodness it reverted back to the traditional uniform when he went out to pasture.

Sometimes, even pilots evolve into s**theads.....
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Theresa Alwood · Posted: Sat Aug 21, 2004 11:19 pm Post subject:

McPeak was an idiot then and an adiot now. Some people never do have a lick of common sense.
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Mustang0302 · Seaman Recruit Joined: 21 Aug 2004 Posts: 25

Saw a clip of that commercial today. Shot pans over a photo of the Joint Chiefs...anybody tell Al Gray (Commandant of the Marine Corps, '87-'91, and widely admired by his Marines) he's in a political commerical supporting Senator Kerry's campaign?

I do not not like the idea of retired Flag rank officers (ANY officers) endorsing presidential candidates in a public manner. I'm sure he's not the first, but I don't recall any making commercials like this in the past.
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Semper Fidelis, and God Bless America!

NAV307 · Posted: Sun Aug 22, 2004 5:56 am Post subject:

And ... please do not forget the Kerry camp's protestations that the Swiftvets cannot comment on him because "they weren't on his boat" ... but they are using an Air Force General Officer as a spokesman ...who has had now contact with Kerry in the military or his time in the Senate. And ... Colin Powell is also in the background picture in the ad. I wish those pictured would sound some disapproval.

NAV307
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NRA, SASS, Supporter of 2nd Amendment

Paul · Posted: Sun Aug 22, 2004 6:51 am Post subject: General Gray

"Al Gray Commandant of the Marine Corps, '87-'91"

A very fine General.

I still remember a clip of General Gray on the evening news when he and Secretary of the Navy James Webb were visiting Paris Island, I believe it was. He addressed a question to a young recruit who answered him, "Sir, yes Sir."

The General didn't hesitate for a moment, he turned to the Marine officers accompanying him and asked, "Who taught him to say that?"

My (now late) father and I happened to be watching together and perked up immediately. He had been a soldier in the army and myself a sailor in the navy, however, we fully agreed before any more was even said. My old man chimed in, "darn right. Somebody taught him that. Good for the General. That's nonsense."
And it was.

The General repeated his question and clarified exactly what he was inquring about.

The first day us recruits were formed into a company in boot camp and I still remember that the Company Commander included in his first "speech" to us: 'I Do Not want to hear Anyone say, 'Sir, Yes Sir.' This is RTC Orlando, it Is Not the Naval Academy Annapolis. When you answer in the affirmative, you Will answer 'Aye Aye Sir,' or 'Yes Sir.' When you answer in the negative, you Will answer, 'No Sir.' "

Not to bash him, but personally, I suspect that may have been an influence by Secretary of the Navy John Lehman who James Webb succeeded and accomplished quite a bit while he was. But we all have our quirks and I've read a few articles by Lehman and have noted that he seems to like, "Sir, yes Sir."

It hits me like fingernails down the chalkboard. I believe for an enlisted sailor, soldier, airman or Marine, that it's garbage. Leave it to the junior high school ROTCs if they want it and out of our Armed Forces.

This is one small detail, and some might think trivial in view of all that General Gray accomplished, but attention to detail is what we all used to be taught was most important.

You're right. A very fine General! A field Rifleman Marine first and last. A man who demonstrated service “in the highest traditions of the naval service.”

I've already stated elsewhere that from what I'm seeing, Generals Franks and McPeak are certainly no Admiral Tom Moorer. They're certainly no General Al Gray either. In my opinion, from what I've seen, then character wise, they're not even in the same league. And in fairness, it's not just a problem of the General Officers and officer corps in the new post-93 army and air force today, but bad among the new Flag Officers and officer corps in the naval service as well. And the new emphasis on political correctness and lowered training standards is a whole lot worse than only teaching recruits to say something as lame as, "Sir, yes Sir."

Unfortunately, I don't believe that General McPeak is only a "freak" case at this point in time.
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Paul

A.R. Peterson, MSGT RET · Posted: Thu Aug 26, 2004 1:55 am Post subject:

McPeak did as much damage to the USAF as the previous administration did to the entire DOD. His voice does not carry any more weight now then it did then. His legacy is a uniform change and lack of leadership.
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USAF Retired

RiggerPJS · Posted: Thu Aug 26, 2004 7:40 pm Post subject:

Not only did McPeak piss off the troops with his idiot change of uniform, but he was also instrumental in a mass exodus of people who were REALLY tired of increased Ops Tempo with less people to do the job.

I had zero respect for the man, still do, and consider him a major factor in my decision to retire. His endorsing Kerry is no surprise.
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Retired C-141 Loadmaster from the good 'ol MAC days.

Rurik · Posted: Fri Aug 27, 2004 3:07 am Post subject:

A close frend of mine, a USAF colonel retd. (He's not yet registerd here, and I won't give his name, just try to encourage him to logon) suggested that McPeak hopes to become Secretary of Defense in a Kerry administration. Rolling Eyes

He was a sod before, and now he wants to be a SOD.
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Hating John Kerry continuously since 1971.

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Fabius Cunctator · Posted: Fri Aug 27, 2004 1:42 pm Post subject: Re: General Gray

PhuCat to Phu Quoc · Lt.Jg. Joined: 24 May 2004 Posts: 110 Location: California

jrwhite85 · Seaman Recruit Joined: 22 Oct 2004 Posts: 44

Let's not forget Wesley Clark - a man who wore lifts in his shoes and shoulder pads in his dress greens.

But he is a very short dude.

His exchange with General Sir Michael Jackson is now legend in NATO. When Jackson told him: "F**k you SACEUR, I'm not starting World War III for you!" I think the Brit was drunk. Clark was a scary scary dude as well. Completely willing to do whatever it took - to make him loko good, that is.
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