Okay, as a mere colonel who retired with a mere 33 years of time in uniform, which included combat as a Lurp & Ranger & with the PRU program in Viet-Nam as an NCO before I went to OCS at the age pf 30, time in the Pentagon on ARSTAF, OSD, NGB, and JCS, 30 months of command time as an O6 (colonel) plus another almost dozen years in DOD, which included over 3 1/2 years in theater dealing with training issues, with another three years with JIEDDO, along with tree graduate degrees, I think that I can refer to Pete Hegseth as an unqualified, incompetent dumbshit completely in over his head as SECDEF. The performance at Quantico was nothing short of mind-boggling. Something like over 800 GO/FO & senior enlisted advisors and dumbass lectures them on something that might, at the very best warrant an email?
Hegseth's tour with the 101st in IQ took place while I was in theater. He spent relatively little time as a platoon leader before being shuffled off to be a civil affairs officer. Not a lot of "dust on the boots" time in the field. I probably saw far more combat in a "slow" month in Viet-Nam as a Ranger than Hegseth ever saw during his year-long tour. In AF, Hegseth was a FOBIT, holed up at the COIN academy. As an officer or senior NCO, if you were in IQ of AF and didn't fuck too badly, you automatically got a Bronze Star just for showing up for your flight home.
As an LT I spent some time as an aide to a GO and later served as the XO for a GO. During my time in The Pentagon, I dealt with a ton of GOs and several FOs on a routine basis thanks to my various assignments (as well at FORCOM & TRADOC HQs). That on one got up and left is testament to the professionalism the United States military has embraced. Personally, even before Cadet Bonespurs gave his usual MAGAT spiel of bullshit, I would been extremely tempted to stand up, tell Wannabe Pete (who is NOT an Airborne Ranger, by the way, but I am...) to get fucked and walked out. But, that is not how we are. We are inculcated with the notion of civilian leadership being paramount in civil-military relations. Even, alas, if the civilians are batshit fucking idiots. (Believe me, speaking from personal; experience, both political parties have dumped a few of those on The Pentagon.
As horrific as Hegseth's performance was, Cadet Bonespurs was infinitely worse. As if that were possible. O'Neill along with a multitude of others captures that bit of insane performance art quite well. This is not a good thing that happened. We are already in deep shit and that shit is only getting deeper and deeper as Dear Leader becomes more and more unhinged.
While I still have problems believing the United States somehow got itself into this mess, if you paid attention, you could see it coming...
Pigs breath Hegeseth, looked like a moron pacing the stage. This is a WTF moment for the most elite in our military described by former Marine fighter pilot Amy McGrath to Jen Rubin. Did she ever take the words out of my mouth when I saw the spectacle in Quantico yesterday. Two very small wannabe dictators before the country and the world are an embarrassment to the United States. No new democratic government will ever look up to our great country until we can dispense with these buffoons.
Agree! The two clown-like Wannabe's might be funny if it were not true, real, and happening in this country. They are literally and figuratively, taking democracy "down." They are the most unworthy, unqualified, ill-suited to their positions, that this country has ever had.
He didn't just look like a moron -- he showed that he is a moron. Frankly, one can't help but wonder what sort of male insecurities are driving his behavior, because this is not the behavior of someone with either confidence or intelligence.
As every Contrarian knows, clowns with weapons can do enormous damage.
The evidence is overwhelming that this regime does what it wants regardless or norms or law - and some of its dictator tactics have involved the military who have done what they were ordered to do. Like it or not.
So when these clowns talk about using the military to go after the "enemy within", about licensing force without WOKE rules of engagement, about defining domestic political opposition as terrorism, about abandoning European allies, and on and on, I feel terror.
“This is a government run by people who mistake proximity to uniforms for authority over arms”
The is true but does not negate the real, but alarming, authority that Trump and Hegseth have over arms. It is near-absolute. Can their dreams of militarized cities where soldiers intimidate voters, and seize supposedly-illegitimate ballots, be derailed before the mid-terms? For the sake of our beloved democracy we can hope so.
What about Trump’s talk of readying for a war from within? He telling full military brass to get with that program. Not so easy to smirk away that specter. Read Ruth Ben-Ghiat’s take on it.
What does everyone think about Hegseth and his manic performance? Was he on something? The pacing back and forth was like he was performing on a stage. Scary and deranged, both him and the Dear Leader.
A country where top military brass, that is generals and admirals and other high ranking officers, are being "lectured" on "warrior ethos" by an ex fox news TV face who is a recovering drunk and also a wife abuser (allegedly?).
What is next? A guy who managed to bankrupt his own casino's and is a convicted felon for president?
Thank you, Brian, for your sobering take on such an impudent performance, and the possible danger of gathering our high military leaders in one place. More wasted expenditures by the Trump administration, also.
Okay, as a mere colonel who retired with a mere 33 years of time in uniform, which included combat as a Lurp & Ranger & with the PRU program in Viet-Nam as an NCO before I went to OCS at the age pf 30, time in the Pentagon on ARSTAF, OSD, NGB, and JCS, 30 months of command time as an O6 (colonel) plus another almost dozen years in DOD, which included over 3 1/2 years in theater dealing with training issues, with another three years with JIEDDO, along with tree graduate degrees, I think that I can refer to Pete Hegseth as an unqualified, incompetent dumbshit completely in over his head as SECDEF. The performance at Quantico was nothing short of mind-boggling. Something like over 800 GO/FO & senior enlisted advisors and dumbass lectures them on something that might, at the very best warrant an email?
Hegseth's tour with the 101st in IQ took place while I was in theater. He spent relatively little time as a platoon leader before being shuffled off to be a civil affairs officer. Not a lot of "dust on the boots" time in the field. I probably saw far more combat in a "slow" month in Viet-Nam as a Ranger than Hegseth ever saw during his year-long tour. In AF, Hegseth was a FOBIT, holed up at the COIN academy. As an officer or senior NCO, if you were in IQ of AF and didn't fuck too badly, you automatically got a Bronze Star just for showing up for your flight home.
As an LT I spent some time as an aide to a GO and later served as the XO for a GO. During my time in The Pentagon, I dealt with a ton of GOs and several FOs on a routine basis thanks to my various assignments (as well at FORCOM & TRADOC HQs). That on one got up and left is testament to the professionalism the United States military has embraced. Personally, even before Cadet Bonespurs gave his usual MAGAT spiel of bullshit, I would been extremely tempted to stand up, tell Wannabe Pete (who is NOT an Airborne Ranger, by the way, but I am...) to get fucked and walked out. But, that is not how we are. We are inculcated with the notion of civilian leadership being paramount in civil-military relations. Even, alas, if the civilians are batshit fucking idiots. (Believe me, speaking from personal; experience, both political parties have dumped a few of those on The Pentagon.
As horrific as Hegseth's performance was, Cadet Bonespurs was infinitely worse. As if that were possible. O'Neill along with a multitude of others captures that bit of insane performance art quite well. This is not a good thing that happened. We are already in deep shit and that shit is only getting deeper and deeper as Dear Leader becomes more and more unhinged.
While I still have problems believing the United States somehow got itself into this mess, if you paid attention, you could see it coming...
Rangers lead the way, Colonel
Thank you for sharing your perspective. I’ve been dying to understand what folks close to this world really thought.
And what does it say about his own sense of his masculinity that put on this show?
Pigs breath Hegeseth, looked like a moron pacing the stage. This is a WTF moment for the most elite in our military described by former Marine fighter pilot Amy McGrath to Jen Rubin. Did she ever take the words out of my mouth when I saw the spectacle in Quantico yesterday. Two very small wannabe dictators before the country and the world are an embarrassment to the United States. No new democratic government will ever look up to our great country until we can dispense with these buffoons.
Agree! The two clown-like Wannabe's might be funny if it were not true, real, and happening in this country. They are literally and figuratively, taking democracy "down." They are the most unworthy, unqualified, ill-suited to their positions, that this country has ever had.
He didn't just look like a moron -- he showed that he is a moron. Frankly, one can't help but wonder what sort of male insecurities are driving his behavior, because this is not the behavior of someone with either confidence or intelligence.
I'm not laughing.
As every Contrarian knows, clowns with weapons can do enormous damage.
The evidence is overwhelming that this regime does what it wants regardless or norms or law - and some of its dictator tactics have involved the military who have done what they were ordered to do. Like it or not.
So when these clowns talk about using the military to go after the "enemy within", about licensing force without WOKE rules of engagement, about defining domestic political opposition as terrorism, about abandoning European allies, and on and on, I feel terror.
See you at a protest on October 18th.
This piece was really helpful to understand how the senior military leaders and leaders abroad will react to this ridiculous piece of theater.
“This is a government run by people who mistake proximity to uniforms for authority over arms”
The is true but does not negate the real, but alarming, authority that Trump and Hegseth have over arms. It is near-absolute. Can their dreams of militarized cities where soldiers intimidate voters, and seize supposedly-illegitimate ballots, be derailed before the mid-terms? For the sake of our beloved democracy we can hope so.
The first thing that needs shutting down is the Oval Office.
What about Trump’s talk of readying for a war from within? He telling full military brass to get with that program. Not so easy to smirk away that specter. Read Ruth Ben-Ghiat’s take on it.
What does everyone think about Hegseth and his manic performance? Was he on something? The pacing back and forth was like he was performing on a stage. Scary and deranged, both him and the Dear Leader.
Bread and circuses. Hasn't there been a history lesson about this? Have Trump and Hegseth deliberately modeled themselves on Ancient Rome?
Crazy country, the US of A!
A country where top military brass, that is generals and admirals and other high ranking officers, are being "lectured" on "warrior ethos" by an ex fox news TV face who is a recovering drunk and also a wife abuser (allegedly?).
What is next? A guy who managed to bankrupt his own casino's and is a convicted felon for president?
Wait a second.........
Thank you, Brian, for your sobering take on such an impudent performance, and the possible danger of gathering our high military leaders in one place. More wasted expenditures by the Trump administration, also.
An old man with dementia and a cosplaying drunk harangued military leaders. It was embarrassing.
What about Tr