After the XXXX IPR to GEN Schoomaker on 13 May, the CSA made several comments which he asked us to pass on.The CSA stated that the Abu Ghraib leadership and discipline problems remind him of what a company commander faced on a daily basis in the mid-1970s. But the Army has progressed signficantly since then, and he emphatically stated the Army today is better than that. There are too many good things going on in the Army for us to accept Abu Gharib as a systemic problem.
The CSA stated "the Army does not need its leaders walking around kicking rocks" when there is bad news. Soldiers watch their leaders in difficult times, so as leaders today: "Keep your chin up."
He stressed that "We have a war to win and an Army to transform." He then talked about discipline - character - values & ethics. "There is nothing we can’t do, there are things we should do, and there are things we won’t do."
The CSA also made comments regarding reports of a DOD - Army rift, which he said were nonsense. He cited examples of funding support (such as the Army keeping all the Comanche helicopter funds for other programs), and the 30,000 increase in personnel end strength. DOD is providing support whenever the Army asks.
The CSA closed by reminding us that the times we face are new, and we cannot accurately predict the challenges we will have to face in the future. Our goal must be building agility into our Army.
As one who kicked a few rocks around last week, I'm happy to pass this along.
Duty First!
