10 Things You Didn't Know About Stanley McChrystal

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Sad to say this about GEN McChrystal, but he fell to the oldest adage in the military: Careless talk costs lives, or, in this instance, a career. GEN McChrystal was an excellent soldier and is a fantastic man. When he spoke of the sitation in the White House concerning the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, he wasn't far off. What do you expect from a man who has never served a millisecond in uniform running a war that you have spent 20 years or so training for? President Obama has indeed brought us change... Higher deficit, higher national debt, higher taxes. That's change, alright. I applaud GEN McChrystal for saying what a large majority of uniformed personnel believe. It's just a shame that such a great soldier lost his career over it.

MAJ Parrish of TN 11:49PM July 26, 2010

President Obama has doubled the amount of U.S. troops in the last 18 months from around 50,000 to 100,000. Because of the surge, it is inevitable that there will be (and already has been over the last 4 months) more casualties than ever.
There are now 230,000 coalition troops (U.S., NATO, plus 90,000 Afghan troops) vs. a CIA estimated 30,000 Taliban. Imagine that: we outnumber the Taliban 8:1.
In order to try (but not succeed) to reduce casualties, our political leaders ordered our commanders to pull many remote Forward Operating Bases (FOB) and garrison the majority of troops in big compounds in places like Bagram, Kabul, Khandahar and Jalalabad. Many of FOB's, that were initiated 3-5 years ago, were quite successful in COIN strategy and turned districts around, but now a great majority of troops are hunkered down in bases, only going out occasionally, while trying to avoid incoming RPGs and suicide bombers. Not any reason to be in Afghanistan.
With our politicians having now asserted that they are totally in charge, they will run the war more than ever, instead of the military generals. It is doomed to fail in every way under the heavy handed micro-management of politicians.
The military operation in Khandahar, which Gen McChrystal advised to delay until winter 2010 or later, has now been quickly launched by General Petraeus and President Obama. There will be a record high of U.S. casualties, and the Taliban will have more clout than ever.
Any deadlines, timelines or troops withdrawals should never be based on partisan politics or election cycles. This mistake will cost the lives of hundreds of our brave and courageous men and women in uniform.
Gen McChrystal's media gaffe, which cost his career, was actually very true. There is more division and strife between our political leaders, the State Department, Secretary Hillary Clinton, Secretary Richard Holbroke, Ambassador Karl Eikenberry, and the DOD (Dept Defense) - than any time in the course of Operation Enduring Freedom. Don't let cozy media photo ops, and TV sound bytes about seamless cooperation fool anyone. The only thing that will stop the war is when China decides to quit loaning more war funds to the U.S., and our national debt will drive us penniless. And that is our greatest enemy of all, our burgeoning national debt.

Peter Hansen of CO 9:29PM July 21, 2010

Now Gen. Stanley McChrystal needs to go into great detail on Fox News about the real reason he was willing to make the comments to the Rolling Stones. He doesn't need to hold back and tell it like it is. Like MPS states No 4 star General would do what he did unless there was a very serious matter that needed attention. Like can American really win this war with Obama being a cultural Muslim? Does Obama love his brotheren in Afghanistan more than the American soilder? Does the leadership and soliders in the field really trust their commander in chief has their back? Can the war be won with the limited and constrained response allowed towards the enemy?

rckunz of OK 6:25PM July 13, 2010

Freedom From Religioh Foundation in Madison, WI published details of Tillman's death caused by his fellow soldiers. I wasn't surprised to learn that, because our taxes are being used to aid Christianity. Most military bases have chapels & the chaplain system is costly. We pay & pension chaplains at the highest level of officer pay. Congress & many other public lawmaking bodies open with prayer to the Christian God. Most US wars were against non-Christian or godless nations. As taxpayers we're cheated out of a lot of our assets because military people in religious positions buy much of the stuff advertised in catalogs of "worship supplies." We subsidize companies that sell candles that always need replacement. Wine & wafers are guzzled at every communion. Lucky the makers of all that merchandise. Taxes buy fancy costumes & identifying male millinery, & sashes, slippers, lace, shawls, skirts, ecclesiastic jewelry, crucifixes of all sizes, rosaries, prayer beads, holy books, choir supplies, bells & their ringers, kneelers, etc. Atheists threaten all that profit.

aura dawn veirs of CA 8:56PM June 30, 2010

General McChrystal. a true hero and a great man, who defended America and will always be remembered for his courage, bravery, and dedication.

Jake of IL 6:25PM June 28, 2010

You are right on target. No four star General is going to let comments be printed in a magazine unless he has a reason. He was not going to be the fall guy in Afghanistan and at the same time he layed the President in. Remember four star Generals have egos too!

Robert F Campbell of OH 4:45PM June 28, 2010

As a fighting General in Special OPs, his one flaw is that he did not attend the War College. There he would have learned on how to deal with politicians along with other stuff.

Paul of PA 6:59AM June 26, 2010

What a GREAT Military hero to be fired by a Chicago Mob Lawyer for his freedom of speech. The only thing about this General that I did not like is that he voted for the man that fired him. It would be so cool if he ran against Obama in the next election and won! Then we could have the Constitution and our Freedom of Speech back! I am really fantisizing now about being living in a free country that still cares about the Constitution and still works hard to make things that we now import from China, who is now the home of the hardest working people on the planet! Americans have become lazy wanting to live off of the government and that is why Obama is their President!

Lynette Collina of FL 12:04AM June 26, 2010

Farrell, I don't think you can have it both ways. Right off you stated that, "American Presidents don't fire generals who are winning America's wars."
And then, "McChristal confirms that his strategy isn't working."
It seems that he wasn't winning after all.
I think that he probably realized that the war in Afghanistan could not be won.
I also think that he didn't want to be seen to, "cut and run."
To abandon his troops, so to speak.
Perhaps he arranged to be fired.

Frank of CA 10:32PM June 25, 2010