Flag officers to meet in DC Tuesday

[Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984]

Report I saw said 800 of them. Is that a good idea?

[Cypress Sun]

 

No, it's not. 

 

All of those "VIP's" at Trump's inauguration wasn't a good idea either but nothing happened.

[Chantry]

They are supposed to be meeting in Quantico.  If they can get to 800 flag officers in Quantico, we're in deep trouble.

 

Of course I fully expect security to be much tighter and it would be unwise to stray from one's flight plan on that day.

 

 

Edited September 28 by Chantry

[Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984]

And flag officers have staff.

[Linn Keller, SASS 27332, BOLD 103]

Now I'm just a poor dumb hillbilly and most days I don't know straight up from go-to-hell, but this does not give me a good feelin'.

In an ambush situation, whoever strikes the first blow has the greatest chance of that blow landing.

With that many flag officers in one place, where better to drop a boom and take out an awful lot of our leadership and experience?

I'm satisfied they have precautions in place against any sort of local, national or international attack, but my imagination is kind of an active fellow, and anything from a smuggled-in, truckbed-launched Davy Crockett or equivalent, to one of those legendary Rods of God dropping from orbit could cause an awful lot of harm!

I doubt me not these concerns are already addressed by folks who are younger, smarter, and better looking than me, but I can't help but think all wars start somewhere, and where better than cutting off several high ranking heads all at once?

 

[Texas Joker]

I read a scifi book once where this is how they announced the alien invasion

[Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984]

7 minutes ago, Linn Keller, SASS 27332, BOLD 103 said:

I doubt me not these concerns are already addressed by folks who are younger, smarter, and better looking than me, but I can't help but think all wars start somewhere, and where better than cutting off several high ranking heads all at once?

 

Younger, sure; smarter, maybe; but better looking?  😃

[Linn Keller, SASS 27332, BOLD 103]

1 hour ago, Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984 said:

Younger, sure; smarter, maybe; but better looking?  😃

To quote the cartoon ursine, "Flattery will get you everywhere!"
(Now where did I put that pick-a-nick basket?)

[Cold Lake Kid, SASS # 51474]

Not a good idea.

[Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984]

Hegseth has reportedly said there should be ten percent fewer.

[Chantry]

2 hours ago, Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984 said:

Hegseth has reportedly said there should be ten percent fewer.

I don't want to get too political and have the thread disappear, but I strongly suspect a number of them will retire Tuesday and not all by choice.

[Hardpan Curmudgeon SASS #8967]

I seem to recall having read that the ratio in today's military is something like one flag officer per fourteen hundred service personnel.  In WW II the ration was one for about every six thousand.

 

That's a substantial difference.

 

But it's a different world, and different military - far, far more technical than 80+ years ago.  Likely a higher percentage of higher ranking officers is practical and warranted.  One out of fourteen hundred?  Maybe not... we'll see; likely there is some 'bloat.".  But I do hope that if cuts are coming it's done intelligently, and not just some higher-up ordering "cut ten percent (or twenty, or whatever)!  And YOU figure out how to do it and make DARN sure there's no degradation of effectiveness!"

 

Hm.  "Leaner and Meaner...?"  Mebbe... but someone's workload's gonna get heavier.

 

 

[Subdeacon Joe]

1 hour ago, Hardpan Curmudgeon SASS #8967 said:

I seem to recall having read that the ratio in today's military is something like one flag officer per fourteen hundred service personnel.  In WW II the ration was one for about every six thousand.

 

That's a substantial difference.

 

But it's a different world, and different military - far, far more technical than 80+ years ago.  Likely a higher percentage of higher ranking officers is practical and warranted.  One out of fourteen hundred?  Maybe not... we'll see; likely there is some 'bloat.".  But I do hope that if cuts are coming it's done intelligently, and not just some higher-up ordering "cut ten percent (or twenty, or whatever)!  And YOU figure out how to do it and make DARN sure there's no degradation of effectiveness!"

 

Hm.  "Leaner and Meaner...?"  Mebbe... but someone's workload's gonna get heavier.

 

 

 

When I finally got around to looking at this thread,  worked up the courage, that is. Then read "800 flag officers," my first thought was "Why on God's good green Earth do we have EIGHT freaking HUNDRED flag officers?"

So top heavy it makes Dolly look like an A cup.

 

[Colorado Coffinmaker]

 

Hegseth has all the Military acumen of . . .  A Grape.

[Blackwater 53393]

3 hours ago, Colorado Coffinmaker said:

 

Hegseth has all the Military acumen of . . .  A Grape.

Which puts him far ahead of some of those who have held the same position recently!!

[Texas Lizard]

To many eggs in one basket....So to speak....Did they not learn anything from the problem the Marines had....They lost a lot that day....

 

Texas Lizard

[Forty Rod SASS 3935]

On 9/28/2025 at 5:22 AM, Chantry said:

They are supposed to be meeting in Quantico.  If they can get to 800 flag officers in Quantico, we're in deep trouble.

 

Of course I fully expect security to be much tighter and it would be unwise to stray from one's flight plan on that day.

 

 

Aerial bombing, drones, gas attacks....lots of possibilities there.  I hope no one even tries.

[Rip Snorter]

Most of the working folks, the Non Coms, aren't going.

[Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984]

21 hours ago, Colorado Coffinmaker said:

 

Hegseth has all the Military acumen of . . .  A Grape.

There ya go again, insulting grapes.

[Crazy Gun Barney, SASS #2428]

I sure do love how when we do something like this, we advertise it to the world ahead of time so everybody has a chance to get ready for it.  In the old days, if we said there was gonna be a meeting in Florida, that meant the meeting was probably really in Oregon.  Now we might as well send an invitation to the "bad guys".

[Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984]

Maybe he just never figured out how to use the Pentagon’s secure network?

[Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984]

Ukraine learned that there was to be nearby meeting of the local Russian commanding generals.  BYEBYE!

Edited September 30 by Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984

[J-BAR #18287]

I suspect that after the Secretary of War insists on maintaining physical and appearance standards, there will be a number of retirements announced.

[Rip Snorter]

Ozempic?  Big shots for the BIG SHOTS?

[Subdeacon Joe]

https://www.war.gov/News/Transcripts/Transcript/Article/4318689/secretary-of-war-pete-hegseth-addresses-general-and-flag-officers-at-quantico-v/

[PowderRiverCowboy]

52 minutes ago, J-BAR #18287 said:

I suspect that after the Secretary of War insists on maintaining physical and appearance standards, there will be a number of retirements announced.

That was a big one, as well as across the board Personal Hygiene standards for men and woman No more Air Farce can do this why cant we?

It also holds Staff officers to the Physical standards and the common soldier (age taken into account) there is zero reason some obese General (Austin) that stays in 40 plus year that cant walk a mile in a Kit gets a pass when that E-6 Grunt soldier would be kicked to the curb .

 

Same reason I took a medical board from combat If I cant keep up and do the job I need to I need to leave and let someone that can do it. 

 

This is  the Military not a corporation  that you can get carried in , Our main job is to destroy the enemy . If you cant do that get out, to many officers have to much $$ riding on prolonging a war "Hey General OBL is confirmed here. no hold we will send other unit" 

Fun Fact we could have ended Afghanistan within weeks if let off the lease. 

 

[John Kloehr]

2-1/2 hours long, but a big section of music in the middle which can be skipped:

 

 

 

[Blackwater 53393]

I just hope that Hegseth is breathing fire and not just blowin’ smoke!!

 

I get the same reaction from a couple of my friends who have been there!!

[Matthew Duncan]

On 9/28/2025 at 6:16 PM, Colorado Coffinmaker said:

 

Hegseth has all the Military acumen of . . .  A Grape.

I listened to his speech and I respectfully disagree with you.

[John Kloehr]

Hegseth delivered a very polished and clearly practiced speech, I commend both him and his message. There were a few things which caused me some discomfort, the dichotomy might simply be due to the difference between signing up for the draft and having actually served. Hegseth actually served so I will suck up my discomfort in deference to this as I only signed up for the draft.

 

A very powerful message just got sent to the world and I am sure it listened.

[Charlie Harley, #14153]

Political theater.  Nothing more or less.  
 

The message could have been communicated without the tactical foolishness of putting so much senior leadership in range of one well placed drone strike.

[Rip Snorter]

8 minutes ago, Charlie Harley, #14153 said:

Political theater.  Nothing more or less.  
 

The message could have been communicated without the tactical foolishness of putting so much senior leadership in range of one well placed drone strike.

If they thought they could have, they would have.  A different and additional message sent and received.

[PowderRiverCowboy]

19 minutes ago, Charlie Harley, #14153 said:

Political theater.  Nothing more or less.  
 

The message could have been communicated without the tactical foolishness of putting so much senior leadership in range of one well placed drone strike.

Like what a email ? that loses meaning or doesnt get read ohh a Teams /zoom meeting that you can literally fall asleep in. 
I just had to tell a Airman that said their oath didnt say "obey orders from those higher " So I call BS get them there and hear it first hand hold them to the fire Did you watch the entire speech ? I didnt most wont same as remote. 
 
 Everyone saying could have done this or that , why are you covering for a group in combat that would not deploy with the unit but fly into Kuwait and check in on say today and stay until  tomorrow? Do you know why they did this? Combat pay and untaxed paycheck for 2 months

, we couldnt do that ever.

[Rye Miles #13621]

5 hours ago, Matthew Duncan said:

I listened to his speech and I respectfully disagree with you.

I agree 100%, I think Pete is doing an awesome job!

[Dantankerous]

6 hours ago, Rye Miles #13621 said:

I agree 100%, I think Pete is doing an awesome job!

Same here. 

 

Excellent speech. One that needed saying and more importantly one that needed to be heard. An email would not have the same effect. Not even close. I have no doubt there are a number of career hand-wringing woke types wearing the uniform who are currently confused as to the military's role. Pete ain't messing around and nor should he. It's sad this speech had to be given in the first place. 

 

I listened to the speech and I absolutely laud and commend the changes. All of them are for the right reasons.