TOP 5 LIST - Chief of Staff of the Army (CSA)

SGM Matthew Quick — Sat, 22 Feb 2014 15:24:54 -0500

Based on their importance to the Army (during tenure or thereafter), how would you rank the Army's top officer and why?

If you're already familiar with military history, you may be able to name your 'Top 5' without hesitation.

If you are not familiar with military history, do a little research and post your 'Top 5' list.

Looking forward to reviewing your list.

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 22 at 2014 3:30 PM

1SG Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 22 Feb 2014 15:30:31 -0500

GEN Raymond T. Odierno

GEN George C. Marshall

GEN Omar Bradley

GEN Creighton Abrams

GEN Eric Shinseki

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 22 at 2014 3:43 PM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 22 Feb 2014 15:43:13 -0500

TOO easy:

GEN Pershing
GEN Casey
GEN Eisenhower
GEN Reimer
GEN Bradley

Closely followed by:

GEN Abrams
GEN MacArthur
GEN Marshall
GEN Sullivan

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 22 at 2014 7:54 PM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 22 Feb 2014 19:54:51 -0500

Adding my reasoning for my top five.

I
picked GEN Pershing as my top pick because I believe he was one of the greatest
Officers in US Military history. He was the only General to be named “General
of the Armies” during his career. President George Washington is the only other
one to hold the title although he was posthumously given the title in the
1970s. GEN Pershing was well loved by the military and he was one tough cookie.
His “Pershing Map” led to the development of the US highway system. There are
many other great things about him but one final note: as a young Officer he
served as a Quartermaster.

For GEN
Casey, I liked and respected him as the senior commander in Iraq then being
selected as the CSA. He took over in Iraq after many failings of previous
personnel, and did his best to keep it from igniting into a powder keg. I
recommend reading “The Fourth Star” for some great insight on not just GEN
Casey but also GENs Petraeus, Abizaid, and Chiarelli. The book talks about GEN
Casey’s early life, how he struggled with his father’s (also a GEN) untimely
death in Vietnam and how it affected him in his own career.

For GEN
Eisenhower, he too was well loved by the military. He served with and under
other great GEN to include two on my list: GEN Pershing and GEN Marshall. He
was also from my home state of Kansas. The one negative thing about him though
was his incorrect assumptions about the Soviet Union.

For GEN
Reimer, honestly I can’t say much on him since I have not done much reading about
him. My gut/instincts tell me he’s a good GEN. I know that’s not much to go on
but just what I think.

For GEN
Bradley, what can I say that we all don’t know already. Definitely another GEN
who was loved by the military, and was a kind Officer. He was not only the last
person to attain the 5-star rank but also the first ever Chairman of the Joint
Chief. Of course, we had a tank named after him too.

Response by CW4 Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 14 at 2015 2:46 PM

CW4 Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 14 Aug 2015 14:46:14 -0400

SGM Matthew Quick, in no particular order, Generals Washington, MacArthur, Sherman, Patton and McKiernan.