Posted on Nov 24, 2014
LTC Field Artillery Officer
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With Secretary Hagel's resignation, how will this affect the DoD? The new SECDEF will be the 4th under this administration (which in itself is not a problem), but the fact that the last two SECDEFs have served less, combined, than Secretary Gates served.

Should the SECDEF be like the Chiefs of Staff and the CJCS, where it is a 4 year term, minimum? How can we continue to grow as a defense department when our senior leader keeps rotating out?

Thoughts?

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/25/us/hagel-said-to-be-stepping-down-as-defense-chief-under-pressure.html
Posted in these groups: Dod color DoDD5cda473 SECDEF
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Responses: 8
CW5 Desk Officer
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LTC (Join to see), I think it's probably unrealistic to make SecDef a four-year "term," because as a cabinet member, the Secretary of Defense serves at the pleasure of the President. He's not a judge or something, he's a cabinet member.

As for global crises testing the Pentagon (in the NY Times article), I submit that global crises are testing this administration, and Secretary Hagel is a "victim" of that problem.
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LTC Field Artillery Officer
LTC (Join to see)
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Chief....I agree that it may be a stretch for a 4 year term or whatnot, but there has to be some sort of checks and balance for the appointment. In this case, and I am sure in other administrations as well, it was the administration that appointed the cabinet member, and then made the change. Just seems like the defense department as a whole suffers when someone doesn't turn out they way they thought.
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SSgt Forensic Meteorological Consultant
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Two More years!!!
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LCpl Steve Wininger
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The problem is the administration. So many SECDEF's in this administration gives one the conclusion that the DOD's real leadership was coming from the House. All former SECDEF's complained of interference from the White House and micro managing.

As long as Obama is the president, I don't think we will have real leadership from any SECDEF. I respect all of them, but when your hands are ties, what can you do?
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