Donald Trump Earns Backing of Nearly 90 Military Figures

[Right_in_Virginia]

Donald Trump Earns Backing of Nearly 90 Military Figures
New York Times, Sep 6, 2016, MAGGIE HABERMAN

Donald J. Trump’s campaign will release an open letter on Tuesday from about 90 retired generals and military officials endorsing his presidential campaign, urging a “long overdue course correction in our national security posture.”

The letter in support of Mr. Trump, signed by 88 retired military figures, will come as the campaign prepares for a week focused on national security, with a forum hosted by NBC and MSNBC on Wednesday evening alongside Hillary Clinton, the Democratic presidential nominee.

“The 2016 election affords the American people an urgently needed opportunity to make a long overdue course correction in our national security posture and policy,” the letter states.

“As retired senior leaders of America’s military, we believe that such a change can only be made by someone who has not been deeply involved with, and substantially responsible for, the hollowing out of our military and the burgeoning threats facing our country around the world,” the generals and admirals write. “For this reason, we support Donald Trump’s candidacy to be our next commander in chief.”


Read more:  http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/07/us/politics/donald-trump-earns-backing-of-nearly-90-military-figures.html?_r=1

[Right_in_Virginia]

Open letter shown here:


http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/09/06/us/politics/military-letter.html

[DCPatriot]

Let's demand that all military personnel serving overseas have their votes counted THIS TIME! 

[sinkspur]

Donald J. Trump’s campaign will release an open letter on Tuesday from about 90 retired generals and military officials endorsing his presidential campaign,

75 of those officials are from Venezuela.

[TomSea]

Looks like Trump may even walk this election, things are really coming together.

[Right_in_Virginia]

TTTT

[Night Hides Not]

75 of those officials are from Venezuela.

I recognized a couple, but there was one name missing, and it means a lot to me: LTG Jay Garner.

If you'll recall, he was the #2 man in Iraq after Saddam was ousted. However, he lasted only a month, as his stated objective was to return Iraq to Iraqis, "it's their country." For that, he was recalled after a month.

I knew him when he was a Battalion Commander in Germany in '79. I was acting as an XO of a support detachment on a German antiaircraft range (Todendorf). Part of my job was to shadow the Battalion Commander during their week of live fire training, to make sure they had everything they needed.

Just being around him, you could see his leadership abilities, how he interacted with his officers, NCOs, and soldiers. They thought the world of him.

There's little doubt in my mind that his evaluation of my detachment kept my rear out of hot water. My battalion was 6/56 ADA (Night Hides Not), his was 2/60 ADA, and we were both under 108th ADA Group. I was usually in command, as the CO was often at home station 400 miles away due to marital problems. Our support from Bremerhaven was 200 miles away, and I spent two days a week driving there to turn in dining facility money, and coordinate with other elements that provided other support.

I was a 25 YO 1st LT in a unit that was isolated, and I dealt with any situations as I saw fit. We had a great team, and it was a well run operation. We all had a great time, particularly the bachelors among us. We were oddities to the locals, the only Americans for 200 miles, in a tourist area that attracted a lot of newly divorced women.

A month after the 3 month assignment ended, I was at Group HQ for a meeting. A CW4 who I worked with in logistics pulled me aside, and said "LT, you were cracking me up all summer. There wasn't a week that went by when I'd hear someone in the hall saying, 'did you hear what NHN pulled this week?'"

About a year later, they all found out what I was really capable of, when I took over as the Supply Officer (Battalion S-4). For someone with a Public Accounting degree, it was never a fair fight. lol

[Maj. Bill Martin]

I recognized a couple, but there was one name missing, and it means a lot to me: LTG Jay Garner.

If you'll recall, he was the #2 man in Iraq after Saddam was ousted. However, he lasted only a month, as his stated objective was to return Iraq to Iraqis, "it's their country." For that, he was recalled after a month.

I knew him when he was a Battalion Commander in Germany in '79. I was acting as an XO of a support detachment on a German antiaircraft range (Todendorf). Part of my job was to shadow the Battalion Commander during their week of live fire training, to make sure they had everything they needed.

Just being around him, you could see his leadership abilities, how he interacted with his officers, NCOs, and soldiers. They thought the world of him.

The name I was looking for, but also didn't find, was Marine General John Kelly.  That's a guy I'd have followed anywhere.  He retired as a 4-star this past January, and there aren't many of those in the Corps.  Actually, I only saw two Marine generals period out of those 80 flag officers, which is disproportionately low.  Not many endorsed Hillary, either.

General Mattis is another one.  I never served under him, but I know plenty who have, and they respect him as well.  Both Kelly and Mattis are very blunt, "Marine's Marine" kind of guys.

[NavyCanDo]

Don't get too excited.

The cold hard ugly truth is the Democrats have always been able to find high ranking backers in the Pentagon, along with retired generals. Lots of them. I was a bit shocked at how many came out in support of Obama in the last two elections.     I would bet Hillary could easily match that 90 number with plenty of uniformed lobbyist protecting targeted military spending to be had, along with those looking for a Presidential appointment with a higher pay grade.

[catfish1957]

Donald Trump Earns Backing of Nearly 90 Military Figures
New York Times, Sep 6, 2016, MAGGIE HABERMAN

Donald J. Trump’s campaign will release an open letter on Tuesday from about 90 retired generals and military officials endorsing his presidential campaign, urging a “long overdue course correction in our national security posture.”

The letter in support of Mr. Trump, signed by 88 retired military figures, will come as the campaign prepares for a week focused on national security, with a forum hosted by NBC and MSNBC on Wednesday evening alongside Hillary Clinton, the Democratic presidential nominee.

“The 2016 election affords the American people an urgently needed opportunity to make a long overdue course correction in our national security posture and policy,” the letter states.

“As retired senior leaders of America’s military, we believe that such a change can only be made by someone who has not been deeply involved with, and substantially responsible for, the hollowing out of our military and the burgeoning threats facing our country around the world,” the generals and admirals write. “For this reason, we support Donald Trump’s candidacy to be our next commander in chief.”


Read more:  http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/07/us/politics/donald-trump-earns-backing-of-nearly-90-military-figures.html?_r=1

90 military figures?

Is this what Trump meant?

[NavyCanDo]

90 military figures?

Is this what Trump meant?

Now that is funny.   

[Maj. Bill Martin]

Don't get too excited.

The cold hard ugly truth is the Democrats have always been able to find high ranking backers in the Pentagon, along with retired generals. Lots of them. I was a bit shocked at how many came out in support of Obama in the last two elections.     I would bet Hillary could easily match that 90 number with plenty of uniformed lobbyist protecting targeted military spending to be had, along with those looking for a Presidential appointment with a higher pay grade.

Oh, no doubt.  The only value in this kind of endorsement is that it blunts the argument that "Trump is so crazy that nobody responsible would support him."  But that is still value. If the Democrats try to say he's a nut that nobody would trust, and who doesn't understand the military (true enough, but....), saying "90 general officers signed a public letter endorsing me" actually matters.  A huge challenge for Trump is in persuading undecided that he's not an unacceptable risk (much like Reagan had to do), and this is one step in that direction.

To be clear, I'm not endorsing Trump's views of/comments on the military in any way.  I'm simply noting the potential positive political impact.