The Pink Slip for General McKiernan

How does it feel to get the first pink slip as General of a field of command since Douglas MacArthur during the Korean War?

The lead story in The New York Times this morning is titled, “Pentagon Ousts Top Commander in Afghan War,” and it describes just such an occurrence.

Apparently, the General, David D. McKiernan, was unable to establish a bond with either the Bush administration or President Obama, or more importantly, Defense Secretary Robert Gates, who served under both men. His style of combat was too traditional, and it just wasn’t working as the situation in Afghanistan is deteriorating.

The new General, Stanley A. McChrystal, offers some hope for positive change. He is experienced in counterinsurgency tactics as well as protecting the civilian population during their employment, an issue of recent prominence. Plus General McChrystal was responsible for the forces that captured Saddam Hussein and Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the head of Al Qaeda in Mesopotamia.

It is good to see the continuing proactive stance taken in all respects by the Obama administration. If a policy, or individual, isn’t producing results, another approach or person is tried instead. The stubborn sticking with decisions, the modus operandi for the Bush administration (and recently former Vice President Cheney as well), is gone, and a new rational approach has taken its place.

This cannot help but bode good tidings for our nation.