This is another in our Daily Dose of Sarah Palin, because even if John McCain didn't think it was that important to learn a lot about the person who might be the next President should some medical event befall the 72 year old cancer survivor should he be elected, most people want more information. Previous installments here. So much material, so little time. Today, commanding the National Guard.
Sarah Palin's argument she is "ready on Day 1" to be Commander in Chief of the US military rests on her role as commander of Alaska's National Guard unit. Unfortunately the state's commander of that unit said neither he nor Palin really commanded the Guard outside of Alaska. The US Department of Defense did that. Moreover, he implied her role within Alaska's borders was largely ceremonial. Speaking to the Boston Globe, Major General Craig Campbell said:
"Our National Guard is basically just like any National Guard," Campbell told the paper. "You could call [Adjutant General] Joe Carter in Massachusetts and he would say he is organized the same way.""She is very much engaged in what we are doing and she asks a lot of questions," Campbell added. "Maybe not the most engaged, but definitely engaged.
He noted that 75 percent of the Guard's budget is controlled by the National Guard Bureau in Washington, and that Alaska's anti-nuclear missile site is not under his or Palin's purview. (Raw Story)_
Wrong answer. So he went on Fox News (where else?) to say what he really thought (no doubt after hard reflection):
"I'll tell you, in the last few days, I've been watching the press, and I've not been very pleased with what I've been seeing about the chastising of the National Guard by having it diminished by the insinuation that a commander-in-chief of the National Guard doesn't really control the military," he remarked. "The National Guard has 500,000 people in it around this great country, serving in states and overseas. National Guards are state military forces run by governors, and Sarah Palin does it great."
That's better. Thank you, Major General Campbell. What? Oh, sorry. Thank you, Three Star General Campbell. (NB: promotion for identification purposes only. Ask the Defense Department if this promotion is right for you. Valid only within the borders of the State of Alaska).
Yes, that's right. The day after his Fox News appearance, Governor Palin promoted Campbell to rank of three star General. Unfortunately the promotion isn't valid outside of Alaska because only the Defense Department can promote people to this rank, so it's a "State business only" promotion. But well earned, no doubt. He had to go on Fox News and eat shit to get it.
That's bravery. And Governor Palin is always quick to recognize bravery. She can even put lipstick on it.
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If he grovels pleasingly enough again, he might get booted up from Lt. General to (just-plain) General, and then possibly to General of the National Guard. After that, I guess Gov. Palin will just have to knight him.
After that she'll probably stop. Because once a knight it enough.
Have a look at "Countdown with Keith Olbermann" - some very interesting points were made.
So this is how she would act as Commander in Chief?
A CiC who gives out promotions in return for media presentations? Promotions that don't "mean" anything other than as a ceremonial title? Titles that the only utility of is to try and impress people due to their false expectations that the title of "general" actually means something? Of course the only people that would be impressed are those who don't know that the title doesn't mean anything. Is this how she views people who are ignorant? As people to be deceived into thinking things are different than they actually are?
Except if she was CiC the promotions wouldn't be ceremonial.
Is that how she views command and the chain of command?
You probably already know this, but it looks as though her campaign's been called on yet another lie.
Sarah Palin's visit to Iraq in 2007 consisted of a brief stop at a border crossing between Iraq and Kuwait, the vice presidential candidate's campaign said yesterday, in the second official revision of her only trip outside North America.
Okay Revere, you have gone and denigrated the military of the US now and I have to clarify some points here.
The NG's both air and army when they are within the confines of the borders of their respective states report directly to their Guard Bureaus. Those troops and airmen are beholding only to the CIC of their respective states unless they are nationalized by the President.
I will also clue you into a little known fact about states rights and you had better get this one right. If in the sole opinion of the Governor of a state that a state of emergency or martial law is declared that CIC has sole control over those forces until the Gov. orders a stand down. Those troops during a state of emergency or martial law cannot be nationalized during that time.
During the time that there is no emergency/martial law the head of the Guard Bureau of the state has operational control of the forces in that state, the CIC is in overall control. Its in every org chart out there and defined here
http://www.flra.gov/decisions/v17/17-080-3.html
I will also tell you that acting upon the orders of a governor and state of emergency/martial law they could and would happily gun you down if ordered to do so. E.g. Los Angeles riots/Rodney King..... A guy tried to run a checkpoint and he died of severe lead poisoning.
A governor can raise anyone in his/her command to whatever rank they would like but unless this rank is approved by the Congress/President that rank only applies inside that state. This goes back to the days of Sam Houston and Texas being a country. It was one of the requisites that were forced upon the US they they could remove themselves from the Union if they so desired and that those troops if they were removed wouldnt/couldnt be nationalized to prevent it. In otherwords they couldnt order the head of a Guard detachment to arrest or otherwise act against the head of a State.
When those troops are deployed they do so with the blessings of the governor of each state generally. Its a formality and even Michael Dukakis signed the order. A failure to give them over is a states right, but at that point in time the federal government can also withhold all funding.
Ft. Sumter in SC was the focal point of the Civil War for just this point. Lincoln was fine with the secession of the states in question, but the second they tried to take federal assets and use them as part of the Confederate States thats when the shooting started. They seceded as a part of the Constitution... But that doesnt matter to you I guess? It only works to your smear to incorrectly portray the events...
Now I understand you think you are right in this considerable Palin smear but you are now denigrating the military and thats where I draw the line. There is a command structure, it is followed and it has been followed from day one on this and that includes Alaska. The highest rank that any state officer will be recognized is brigadier by the US government unless he is a former full US military officer holding that higher rank. In other words, no two stars or four for that matter. In the event of a war, that rank can be recognized if they so desire and the President approves. It was even done oh my god by the super-lib FDR...
That is there because in case a place like Massachusetts's gets the hell blown out of it, the President can order the nationalization of the Maine NG and order them into position. That would ONLY be done after an approval of the governor of Maine and a declaration of a state of emergency by both the governor of MA and the President. Both must concur for it to be legal unless there is NO governmental structure in MA.
You denigrate a member of the military structure of the US Revere. He has put in over 20 years in active duty and NG status. His troops are in Iraq now. They all are in support of this mission in some manner and others and it makes me sick for you to sit back and act like this is some pumped up program. Other states have done this too and promoted to as high as four stars in advance of a retirement of a senior state officer. LT. Colonel to full Colonel on the day of retirement so that they can collect their well deserved retirement pay for putting up with lack of supplies, lack of money, lack of personnel and of course, the lack of support from the libs at home. They dont do anything but put out forest fires and pass out MRE's after a storm now do they?
I am sure you want to denigrate the NG a bit more. Tell you what. Call the Governors of Texas and LA tommorow and tell them that they are nothing but baby killers as the CIC. That all they do is strafe women and children (come on now... the Messiah said it) Do say that the Texas NG troops and their helicopters hold no weight in the equation of this thing about Palin. Yep, you should hold a lib cookout and do a conference call so that you can vent your bowel on them.
I can guarantee you how those troops will vote Revere. I doubt very seriously you have ever been spit on by some left wing lib who thinks that by providing the security that you enjoy that the libs are entitled to do that kind of stuff. But thats politics for you... those military guys dont mean shit and neither does any governor who is CIC of their state troops. Its also the law and we just dont follow that around here. Nope cant do it, it doesnt work with the agenda to smear Palin.....I would think that even you would stop this crap now. I wouldnt call McCain a 72 yr old cancer survivor either Revere. I would say he survived that left wing lib Johnsons war... Much to everyones surprise.
But that would mean that you would have respect for them from having been elected by the people of Arizona and Alaska and I find you have none. I also find that you have no respect for the laws of the US and Alaska.
Why?
I havent a clue but I guess its above your pay grade like someone else we know?
Or wait, do we? I know more about Palin in under two weeks than Barry has been willing to spill in almost 18 months... Why is that? Come on, tell us now why he wont release his income taxes ... Not Michelles, his. How about releasing the actual Bureau of Vital Statistics copy of the birth certificate. How about that money thing with the Risko's and the Reverend? I also have seen complete fabrications and an investigation to no where rather than a bridge to nowhere.
Troopergate? Her ex-brother in law CONFESSED to everything including tasering a ten year old stepson, driving in police cars tanked and numerous other things. So if he confessed, should she as someone who is in his management tier justified in firing him? You bet she is. But I guess you support tasers and being tanked in a car.... trooper or not.
Oh I expect you to try to defend it but you cant. The guy is a confessor to a crime and had been written up many times across his tenure as a trooper. But you just over look it and try to create a situation where there is some sort of BS going on.
Randy: Everything you said I also said in the post about who commands what and what promotions are where. I didn't denigrate the military in the slightest. This is a manufactured claim on your part akin to the lipstick on a pig b.s. of McCain.
As for Troopergate, yes he tasered an 11 year old, which was bad judgment. But the 11 year old asked him to do it so others would stop bullying him as a momma's boy, the taser was on "test," it was taped to his skin as is the custom for these kind of demos, and it was only on for a second. The kid said it didn't hurt. Since you are so obsessed with legality, he was disciplined and legally that was the end of it. But as you are so fond of saying, now we'll let the court sort it out. What i've said above was from the results of the official trooper investigation (not that i necessarily trust cops investigating cops, so I'll leave the end result open until we know more).
BTW, there is no such thing as an "actual Bureau of Vital Statistics" birth certificate. Birth certificates are kept by local jurisdictions, not the federal government.
As for whose war McCain survived, it was mainly Nixon's war for most of the time he was a POW. And the record is pretty clear that Nixon prolonged it intentionally. But I blame LBJ for his part in it. It was a travesty and I opposed LBJ all the way. My concerns are not just partisan politics. I've been beaten up by Democrat goons in my life and I've voted for Republicans. I expect I am less partisan than you are. But then so is half the country.
I freely confess I don't read most of your comments. But you apparently don't read most of my posts, either, or you wouldn't be doing a McCain style distortion of them.
If there is any denigration of the military, it's by people who think she commands the Alaska NG troops in any way. Perhaps you'd like to tell us all about a single instance where she commanded the Guard? I'd suggest you ask her, but when Campbell Brown asked for such an instance she couldn't come up with one. So maybe you should ask John McCain. He just makes stuff up.
Revere, you dont know what you are talking about. Palin and any other governor are in command of the NG in their states. Period. There is no discussion.
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Of course you will require proof.......Globalsecurity.org
"The ARNG is organized with each state having command and control over their state National Guard. State Governors and the TAGs direct all National Guard actions and accomplishment of training for the state. To accomplish the Total Army School System (TASS) missions within and across state boundaries, the NGB and the TAGs developed the Combat Arms Training Brigades (CATB), Leadership Training Brigades (LTB), and the Regional Training Institutes (RTI). Each Brigade or RTI contains functionally aligned TASS Training Battalions and General Studies Training Battalion. Under the Battalions are functionally aligned Combat Arms Training Companies, OCS Training Companies, and Leadership Training Companies. These organizations have coordinating authority to conduct regional TASS missions directed by the ARPRINT. Each state/territory is organized with either a CATB, LTB, or a RTI. The Brigade and RTI are equal, however they have different levels of responsibility.
The two-star generals who command the National Guard the states and territories report to the governors, not the Defense Department. All but two adjutants general are appointed by state governors [they are elected in Vermont and South Carolina]. The Adjutants General are not required to meet military service or education requirements of active duty generals, and governors can appoint junior officers as Adjutant General.
The Army National Guard is a community based force, with approximately 3,200 armories located in nearly 2,700 communities across the states and territories. Additionally, the Guard's extensive maintenance, training and aviation facilities serve to support the readiness of units across America. The Guard is comprised of members of the communities in which they are stationed. Moreover, many Guard armories are a meeting place for their communities - and not just during local emergencies. This bond to the community is part of the legacy of the citizen-soldier.
Both the state and the federal government control the Army National Guard, depending on the circumstance. Whereas, the Active Army and Army Reserve (USAR) are completely controlled by the Federal Government, and the Army Reserve serves solely as a federal reserve to the Active Army. The Army Guard force structure consists of Combat, Combat Support, and Combat Service Support units, while the Army Reserve force is primarily comprised of Combat Support and Combat Service Support. The ARNG consists of approximately 350,000 soldiers versus just over 200,000 in the USAR.
The Guard has a unique dual mission, with both Federal and State responsibilities. During peacetime, the Governor through the State Adjutant General commands Guard forces. The Governor can call the Guard into action during local or statewide emergencies, such as storms, drought, and civil disturbances, to name a few. In addition, the President of the United States can activate the National Guard to participate in Federal missions. Examples of this are the many Guard units that have deployed to support operations in Bosnia. When federalized, Guard units are commanded by the Commander in Chief of the theatre in which they are operating. "
Tasering a kid?... Defend that one to make your point Revere. Please. I really want to know how he went in asked mom if it was okay for the stepdad to taser his tail because he was a wussy. How about this, tasering in New York got how many cops fired? How many 11 year olds would it take to call it a crime....? Quick you have 10 seconds to make it to the bonus round.
Then to remove such a piece of work from the employment of the state... I would have done it myself on the State Senate floor. She ordered a subordinate to fire him, he refused. Then told another to do it and he was. Abuse of power... Give me a break. I really want to see this Senate try to call it abuse when the State Troopers according to the org chart says that they serve at the behest of the governor. Sorry, more smear by Revere. Dedicated 11 days to it now Revere. How about holding Barry and Biden up to the same standards..... Can only denigrate the Republicans huh?
Promotions Deadie....? There are a few others. http://www.ngms.state.ms.us/
How about WJ Clintons experience? Did he command his troops? Not under your criteria folks. But he became President and Al Gore became a charlatan waiting to reap the money from what he has sown.
As for general command thats what the AG's do. Most are one stars, but they can be promoted to whatever they want them to be. MS had a four star in the 90's under Clintons watch. Oooooh, how did that happen?
Besides they are all by definition subordinate to the Governors.. as I said.
Here, this one will scare the shit out of Revere... Now they will become full fledged militaries, but still under the control of the governors and a super general will become a member of the Joint Chiefs....
Crap...whats this world coming to? Certainly not anything but a smear.
http://www.ngaus.org/tier2.asp?bid=11621
Besides, we dont have to worry about Obama we know he is just going to negotiate with them..... Whats he going to do, broker a deal for the breakup of Georgia with Putin?
Hang in there Neville C. Company is a coming!
Oh and Revere to clarify a point. Those born before 1970 can still get a copy from the Census Bureau of their birth certificates if the states cannot produce one. Barry hasnt produced anything but something that says "laser version" which we know wasnt around when he was born. And then there is that raised seal. Now he couldnt get a drivers license at 15 without it then or now.
Produce a valid raised seal copy with a date and year of the notary and I'll shut up on that one. Even the one KOS produced hasnt got it. Why is that? Oh well lets find out what the judge says. They took the case and by definition if its wrong, well Obama aint going to be a Senator either.
Oh and Revere, I read everything you write because its loaded with a lot of muck that is deliberately mis-cued from the facts in a lot of cases. I dont think that you are wrong (galveston post) on a lot of things and you know it. When I think you are I will simply make my sometimes too long a point and try to behave myself as best possible.
You are going on about McCain and Palin and the facts are simple. McCain was shot down and spent an extraordinary long amount of time getting the crap kicked out of him. You assert that this was because of Nixon... How about this. Johnson didnt have to expand the war either. But he was a super lib too. Kind of like what we have now. Two Republican parties and two Democrat ones. We have the kooks like Gore, Biden and Barry and then we have what I consider to be right of this Hillary. We have the Reaganites which McCain isnt, running with Sarah Palin who is.
Doesnt matter. I wouldnt vote for Obama on a good day any more than you would for Reagan. But its about that majority rule and in this case it means the Electoral College. Cant scream stealing the election this time around, or disenfranchisement... Its going to be about convincing people what change is and that means that Obama has to put some pants on his straw man and we will have to decide whether we like them or not. Same with "Its hard for me to agree with McCain." I mean its a government test. We are picking the best worst answer. I doubt that anyone could disagree on either side of the aisle on this one. If we get Barry 1/2 of the country will receive all sorts of new benefits, the other half will pay for it. With McCain we will get all sorts of rhetoric, a meager budget and them porkers are going to go or he is going to out everyone of them and that includes Republicans. They will all impeach him of course. Then, you get Palin which will make you pale.
Hang in there old friend...We are both screwed in November any way you look at it.
It looks like General Campbell bribed Palin again. It will be a surprise as he is probably covering up for her. This guy is a genius at fooling people. Guess the Legislature will be fooled also.