General officers

Could Gen. Jim Amos step down as commandant to head NATO?

By Dan Lamothe on February 20, 2013 General officers, The CMC, Washington

The announcement yesterday that Marine Gen. John Allen will retire instead of becoming the supreme allied commander of NATO immediately raises a question: Who will head to Brussels instead? Foreign Policy reported on its E-Ring blog that names being floated for the NATO job include Marine Gen. Gen. Jim Amos, commandant of the Marine Corps. The Daily Beast had a similar report last week, before Allen’s decision to retire was announced. Could Amos really move on, though? A shift like that would be a shock in the Corps, which Amos has led since October 2010 through a time filled with…

Report: Obama administration may push Mattis out

By Dan Lamothe on January 18, 2013 General officers, Washington

Last month, President Obama nominated Gen. Lloyd Austin to succeed Gen. James Mattis as the head of U.S. Central Command. The choice and its timing immediately raised questions about Mattis’ future, particularly given his standing as one of the most revered military leaders of his generation. Mattis was typically stoic when I approached him for a response. “I’ll remain focused on my job at CENTCOM for now and figure out the rest later,” he said in an email. U.S. military officials have speculated for months that Mattis could leave his CENTCOM post by this summer and join civilian life. Now,…

Commandant Gen. Jim Amos gets a photo credit

By Dan Lamothe on January 16, 2013 Afghanistan, General officers, The CMC

On Monday, I visited Bonnie Amos, the wife of Commandant Gen. Jim Amos, for a feature on her becoming one of the first spouses of a service chief to visit a conflict area. She toured Afghanistan and several other countries on Christmas week, and was excited to share details about it. As most conversations with Mrs. Amos do, the interview turned into a cheerful conversation in which she poked fun at herself and showed an overall love of all things Marine. There’s an interesting footnote, too: a scan through photos released by the Corps shows the commandant is credited as…

5 questions to answer about Gens. David Petraeus and John Allen

By Dan Lamothe on November 13, 2012 Afghanistan, Capitol Hill, General officers, Washington

And so, it’s come to this. The top commander in Afghanistan, Gen. John Allen, is now firmly ensnared in retired Gen. David Petraeus’ sex scandal. It’s widely reported this morning that Allen’s career is in jeopardy for “inappropriate communications” to Jill Kelley, the Tampa socialite whose complaints to an FBI agent about anonymous harassing email led to the revelation that Petraeus had an affair with his biographer, Paula Broadwell. Already, that’s a lot to process. Allen’s involvement in the scandal, however hazy, led to the decision to table his Senate confirmation hearing Thursday for what had been his presumed next…

The ceremonial routine: Speeches first, beer later

By Gidget Fuentes on September 12, 2012 Camp Pendleton, General officers, I MEF, Marines

No doubt a Friday afternoon ceremony, especially held outdoors on a beautiful sunny day, gets a crowd relaxed and eager for the weekend to begin. But make mention of “beer,” or any word hinting of a brew, and surely thoughts wander to the bar or six-pack at home. It’s good reason why reporters try to avoid any such mention in Friday interviews with Marines, at least not until the end. In his speech during a Sept. 7 change-of-command ceremony at Camp Pendleton, Calif., Lt. Gen. Thomas D. Waldhauser praised the work and sacrifices of the Marines and sailors with Marine…

Lt. Gen. John Kelly: ‘I don’t know why they hate us, and I don’t care’

By Dan Lamothe on August 30, 2012 Afghanistan, General officers, Infantry, Iraq, Leadership

Lt. Gen. John Kelly will soon become the new four-star commander at U.S. Southern Command, a post that will require him to oversee the fight against drug trafficking, natural disasters, humanitarian crises and cyber warfare in central and South America. As the Long War Journal points out, Kelly delivered a powerful 30-minute speech on Tuesday to the American Legion National Convention in Indianapolis. He addresses the extremist nature of the threat the U.S. faces from terrorists and how difficult it is for a family to deal with the loss of a loved one in a war zone — something he…

For service chiefs, sequestration question doesn’t go away

By Dan Lamothe on August 30, 2012 General officers, The CMC, Washington

Commandant Gen. Jim Amos has made two appearances in a room full of reporters over the last week, fielding questions about everything from the war in Afghanistan to the ongoing manpower drawdown in the Marine Corps. Perhaps more frequently than anything else, one topic came up: What about sequestration? It’s a tough topic. Anyone following public policy, politics or national security issues in Washington is well aware of the automatic federal budget cuts that are looming if the U.S. government doesn’t find another way to reduce its deficit. They were put in place by the Budget Control Act of 2011,…

Behind the Cover: MARSOC expands

By Dan Lamothe on August 27, 2012 Behind the Cover, General officers, Leadership, MARSOC

It has been more than six years since Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command was established, giving the the Corps its own component in the special operations world. Its development has not been without its headaches, but it continues in earnest. This week’s Marine Corps Times breaks down what’s next for MARSOC and its Marines. A variety of changes have occurred in recruitment and training, and the command continues to add new teams of special operators as it expands. The desired steady state: A mature force that includes all of the enablers needed, plus experienced operators who know how to…

Commandant on Dunford-to-Afghanistan speculation: ‘I like right where he is’

By Dan Lamothe on August 23, 2012 Afghanistan, General officers, Infantry, The CMC

Commandant Gen. Jim Amos met with reporters today at the Pentagon, leading me to ask him about the reports this week that his assistant commandant, Gen. Joseph Dunford, is the frontrunner to become the next commander of the war in Afghanistan. It’s one of those classically awkward situations where journalists feel required to ask a question, knowing it’s unlikely a full answer can be provided. Asked what he would do to replace Dunford, Amos called him “one of the finest officers who have ever worn this cloth,” but declined to go much farther. “He’s been a teammate of mine since…

Gen. Joseph Dunford frontrunner to lead Afghan war, report says

By Dan Lamothe on August 22, 2012 Afghanistan, General officers, Infantry, Leadership

Could another Marine soon be leading the war in Afghanistan? A report in The Wall Street Journal this morning suggests that the frontrunner to replace Gen. John Allen as the next head of the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan is none other than Gen. Joseph Dunford, the assistant commandant of the Marine Corps. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta reportedly recommended him to the White House for the job. From the story: Defense officials said Gen. Dunford is a firm supporter of the Afghan war strategy of Mr. Obama, who has called for continued drawdowns of U.S. forces through the end…

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