War Secretary Hegseth orders rare, urgent meeting of hundreds of generals, admirals Sep 30 in Virginia

[RDKirk]

Probably another successful attempt to troll the left.

Extraordinarily expensive way merely to "troll the left."

And the expense isn't merely the plane tickets, although those are also exceedingly expensive because all these generals will arrive in what are essentially private jets.

But applauding this move to "troll the left" is political irrationality for you.

 

[RDKirk]

This meeting should have been an email.

There is such a thing in the department as what would essentially be a classified zoom call. We've had that capability since the late 80s.

 

[RDKirk]

Talking to a number of retired officers and enlisted over the past couple of days, the consensus is this will be the purge that the right-wing claimed Obama executed.

We expect to see a lot of sudden retirements fall out of this. It won't be glaringly sudden, but watch the count over the next 18 months.

 

[Servus]

Extraordinarily expensive way merely to "troll the left."

And the expense isn't merely the plane tickets, although those are also exceedingly expensive because all these generals will arrive in what are essentially private jets.

But applauding this move to "troll the left" is political irrationality for you.

Or I wasn't being serious.

 

[essentialsaltes]

This certainly could have been an email or Zoom meeting.​

Hegseth’s surprise gathering of top military brass is to deliver speech on ‘warrior ethos,’ sources say​

 

[Aryeh Jay]

Talking to a number of retired officers and enlisted over the past couple of days, the consensus is this will be the purge that the right-wing claimed Obama executed.

We expect to see a lot of sudden retirements fall out of this. It won't be glaringly sudden, but watch the count over the next 18 months.

It's funny, two months ago everyone was pretty much free to say the craziest off the wall stuff in the officers mess. Now that we are snitching on everyone who dosen't show enough enthusiasm for the correct topics, just commenting on the weather makes you a suspected 5th columnist deep state manchurian candidate left wing hate America Liberal pro vaccine and abortion Tylenol taking jimmy kimmel watching commie nazi.

 

[Bradskii]

It's funny, two months ago everyone was pretty much free to say the craziest off the wall stuff in the officers mess. Now that we are snitching on everyone who dosen't show enough enthusiasm for the correct topics, just commenting on the weather makes you a suspected 5th columnist deep state manchurian candidate left wing hate America Liberal pro vaccine and abortion Tylenol taking jimmy kimmel watching commie nazi.

Hey, I got 6 outa 12!

 

[Aryeh Jay]

Hey, I got 6 outa 12!

I got a solid 4. No worries for me though, I'm just waiting for my resignation to be approved by the Navy.

 

[Pommer]

This certainly could have been an email or Zoom meeting.​

Hegseth’s surprise gathering of top military brass is to deliver speech on ‘warrior ethos,’ sources say​

The daily loyalty-oath-signage is down?

 

[RDKirk]

It's funny, two months ago everyone was pretty much free to say the craziest off the wall stuff in the officers mess. Now that we are snitching on everyone who dosen't show enough enthusiasm for the correct topics, just commenting on the weather makes you a suspected 5th columnist deep state manchurian candidate left wing hate America Liberal pro vaccine and abortion Tylenol taking jimmy kimmel watching commie nazi.

Not quite. It was still dangerous to say anything against the DEI agenda. That much was not hyperbole from the right wing.

This is a major gray area. Previously, it was possible within close circles in the military to gripe about broad policies from a non-partisan point of view. It was possible to say "I don't think this is the best policy" while simultaneously saluting and making it happen.

And as you know, under the UCMJ, commissioned officers have always been prohibited from using "contemptuous words" against the President, the Vice President, Congress, the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of a military department, the Secretary of Homeland Security, or the Governor or legislature of any State, Commonwealth (notice, those are all executive branch persons). But that's been interpreted as being limited to the words used, not the ideas expressed. An officer could say, "The president's statement was untrue," but he could not say, "The president is a liar."

But at some point, it became highly dangerous even to gripe in a non-partisan way against general policies to the extent of being "turned in" to some kind of policy officer. I don't think that was even possible, and would have been laughable if tried, or even if there was anyone to turn someone in to.

Until DEI. At that time, sometime either during the Obama administration or the Biden administration, the DEI office became who you could report someone to for anti-DEI rhetoric. To be honest, this had gone under my radar until I learned that at one base the DEI department had more staff than the base's entire Services squadron (to those who don't know the Air Force, it's the Services squadron that mows the grass, washes the laundry, repairs the roofs, and does everything regarding general maintenance not directly connected to a "weapons system."

 

[Aryeh Jay]

Not quite. It was still dangerous to say anything against the DEI agenda. That much was not hyperbole from the right wing.

This is a major gray area. Previously, it was possible within close circles in the military to gripe about broad policies from a non-partisan point of view. It was possible to say "I don't think this is the best policy" while simultaneously saluting and making it happen.

And as you know, under the UCMJ, commissioned officers have always been prohibited from using "contemptuous words" against the President, the Vice President, Congress, the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of a military department, the Secretary of Homeland Security, or the Governor or legislature of any State, Commonwealth (notice, those are all executive branch persons). But that's been interpreted as being limited to the words used, not the ideas expressed. An officer could say, "The president's statement was untrue," but he could not say, "The president is a liar."

But at some point, it became highly dangerous even to gripe in a non-partisan way against general policies to the extent of being "turned in" to some kind of policy officer. I don't think that was even possible, and would have been laughable if tried, or even if there was anyone to turn someone in to.

Until DEI. At that time, sometime either during the Obama administration or the Biden administration, the DEI office became who you could report someone to for anti-DEI rhetoric. To be honest, this had gone under my radar until I learned that at one base the DEI department had more staff than the base's entire Services squadron (to those who don't know the Air Force, it's the Services squadron that mows the grass, washes the laundry, repairs the roofs, and does everything regarding general maintenance not directly connected to a "weapons system."

Correct, I should have been more clear but using my phone to post is not like an old fashioned computer with a keyboard. Yes, anything against Navy/Government policy was off limits, even if it changed overnight. I was referring to more off duty type of conversation. What concerts, comedy clubs, restaurants, events, hobbies and the such.

 

[mindlight]

WaPo

AI Overview

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered an urgent and unprecedented gathering of hundreds of U.S. generals and admirals at a Marine Corps base in Virginia, causing widespread confusion within the Department of Defense. The unusual directive, which did not state a reason for the meeting, was sent to virtually all of the military's top commanders worldwide.

• The rare meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, September 30, at Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia.
• Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell confirmed the meeting, telling The Washington Post that Hegseth "will be addressing his senior military leaders early next week," but offered no further details.

Is this a way of saying that America does not actually need generals or, indeed, a war secretary anymore, because none of these people will be at their posts at a certain time while the meeting is going on? Will Skynet be in charge during the interval? Yom Kippur, anyone?

He could have just given the generals a copy of his book if this were just a pep talk.

China, an excellent time to invade Taiwan?
Russia, how about an incursion into the Baltic states?
Iran, the US could beat you with both hands tied behind its back, so don't even think about it.

 

[RDKirk]

Is this a way of saying that America does not actually need generals or, indeed, a war secretary anymore, because none of these people will be at their posts at a certain time while the meeting is going on? Will Skynet be in charge during the interval? Yom Kippur, anyone?

He could have just given the generals a copy of his book if this were just a pep talk.

China, an excellent time to invade Taiwan?
Russia, how about an incursion into the Baltic states?
Iran, the US could beat you with both hands tied behind its back, so don't even think about it.

Them not being at their "posts" doesn't matter in terms of their missions. Just as this meeting could have been accomplished remotely while they stayed where they were, they can also attend to their missions remotely while they are at this meeting.

Also, the military is explicitly designed to "continue the march" if the leader falls. Their missions are not at risk.

There is a specific reason Hegseth wants all these people all together to be facing him in person. The psychology of that is that they will be able to view as a group their individual reactions to whatever is going to happen in this meeting.

Anyone ever watch "12 Angry Men?" The first vote is a show of hands. We see certain hands rise quickly and decisively, and as the number goes over half, other hands begin to rise slowly and less decisively. Group dynamics.

We saw this in the Soviet Union: Who was willing to be the first man seen by all to stop applauding Stalin's speech?

 

[seeking.IAM]

Perhaps he is preparing for the invasion of Canada or Greenland, or any number of blue U.S. cities?

 

[Tuur]

Is this a way of saying that America does not actually need generals or, indeed, a war secretary anymore, because none of these people will be at their posts at a certain time while the meeting is going on? Will Skynet be in charge during the interval? Yom Kippur, anyone?

It's long been my understanding that it's the NCOs who really run things....

 

[durangodawood]

....But applauding this move to "troll the left" is political irrationality for you.

Rational goal are less important than seeing your enemies squirm.

 

[essentialsaltes]

You're calling top military leaders from all over the WORLD into ONE building?!?! What could go wrong??

Trump to attend gathering of top generals, upending last-minute plans​

President Donald Trump will attend the unusual gathering of hundreds of generals summoned to Virginia on short notice by Pete Hegseth, adding new security concerns.

 

[BCP1928]

Trump to attend gathering of top generals, upending last-minute plans​

President Donald Trump will attend the unusual gathering of hundreds of generals summoned to Virginia on short notice by Pete Hegseth, adding new security concerns.

Uh oh. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that they are not going to be calling for an oath of loyalty to the President.

 

[Pommer]

Trump to attend gathering of top generals, upending last-minute plans​

President Donald Trump will attend the unusual gathering of hundreds of generals summoned to Virginia on short notice by Pete Hegseth, adding new security concerns.

Well, isn’t that special?