View Full Version : Pentagon picks familiar face to lead Special Forces
Pentagon picks familiar face to lead Special Forces
By Henry Cuningham
Military editor
The Army has selected Maj. Gen. Thomas R. Csrnko to command U.S. Army Special Forces Command at Fort Bragg, the Pentagon said Wednesday.
Csrnko has been commander of Special Operations Command, Europe at Patch Barracks in Stuttgart, Germany, since August 2003.
He will replace Brig. Gen. John F. Mulholland, who became the leader of the Army’s Green Berets on Sept. 30. Mulholland’s next assignment has not been announced, said Maj. Jim Gregory, a command spokesman.
Special Forces Command has about 9,500 soldiers in five active-duty Special Forces groups, including the 3rd Group and 7th Group at Fort Bragg. Two groups are in the National Guard. The command trains and prepares Special Forces units to deploy and conduct missions around the world.
Csrnko commanded the 1st Special Forces Group at Fort Lewis, Wash., from 1998 to 2000 and then served as deputy commander/assistant commandant of the John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School at Fort Bragg. The school oversees how Special Forces train and fight.
Csrnko said in an interview in 2001 that he only met one person who correctly guessed the origin of his name, which is pronounced “schronko.”
‘‘The nationality is Wendish,’’ he said. ‘‘It’s a Gypsy nationality on the Austria-Hungary border prior to World War II. With the German invasion, they went and settled in southern Yugoslavia.’’
He grew up in Bethlehem, Pa., where his father worked for a steel company for 35 years. His passions are sports, the outdoors and scouting.
Csrnko was commissioned through Army ROTC at Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 1974 with a bachelor’s degree. He began his Army career in the infantry, spent time in tank units and commanded Special Forces organizations that work in the Middle East and the Pacific Ocean nations.
He graduated from the Special Forces Officer Qualification Course at Fort Bragg and then commanded an A-team and a company in the the 5th Special Forces Group at Fort Bragg.
From 1985 to 1988, he was inspector general of the JFK Center.
From 1993 to 1995, he commanded the 1st Battalion of the 5th Group, which had relocated to Fort Campbell, Ky.
Military editor Henry Cuningham can be reached at cuninghamh 'at' fayettevillenc.com or 486-3585.
Mulholland to go to Joint Special Ops
By Henry Cuningham
Staff writer
Brig. Gen. John F. Mulholland Jr. will become the deputy commander of the Joint Special Operations Command at Fort Bragg, the Army announced on Friday.
Mulholland will turn over command of Army Special Forces Command to Maj. Gen. Thomas R. Csrnko on July 17 at Fort Bragg.
The Joint Special Operations Command oversees the counterterrorist forces of the Army, Navy and Air Force, including Delta Force and some Navy SEALs.
Mulholland commanded the 5th Special Forces Group, which is based at Fort Campbell, Ky., from 2001 to 2003. During that time, he was in charge of joint task forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. In the mid-1990s, he served as an assistant operations officer, deputy operations officer and operations officer in Delta Force.
Csrnko has been commander of Special Operations Command, Europe, at Patch Barracks in Stuttgart, Germany, since August 2003. Mulholland became the leader of the Army’s Green Berets on Sept. 30.
Special Forces Command has about 9,500 soldiers in five active-duty Special Forces groups, including the 3rd Group and 7th Group at Fort Bragg. The command trains and prepares Special Forces units to deploy and conduct missions around the world.
In another military announcement, the Air Force said Friday that Brig. Gen. Ronald R. Ladnier will become to vice commander of the Tanker Airlift Control Center of the Air Mobility Command at Scott Air Force Base in Illinois.
Ladnier attended Seventy-First High School and graduated from Douglas Byrd High School in 1973. He commanded the first operational C-17 airlift squadron and has been nominated for promotion of two-star general.
He is director of resource integration for the Air Force deputy chief of staff for logistics, installations and mission support at the Pentagon. In that job, he is responsible for the planning, programming, budgeting and execution of more than $30 billion annually for Air Force logistics systems and functions, according to his military biography.
Military editor Henry Cuningham can be reached at cuninghamh 'at' fayettevillenc.com or 486-3585.
What is the authorized rank of the USASFC Commander. BG Mulholland was a 1 star,(obviously) and he is being replaced by a 2 star. Has it always been a 2 star post or is this something new.
I did search, but couldn't find anything.
The Reaper
07-09-2006, 10:12
What is the authorized rank of the USASFC Commander. BG Mulholland was a 1 star,(obviously) and he is being replaced by a 2 star. Has it always been a 2 star post or is this something new.
I did search, but couldn't find anything.
The USASFC CG is a two-star position. It has recently been a "growth" position, as the CG is usally appointed as a BG or a BG(P) and pins the second star while in the job. The senior SF two-star position is SWCS, which the USASFC CG frequently moves into. Otherwise, there are very few ways for an SF officer to make it to MG or LTG, as the Army makes very few slots available in "Big Army" for SF GOs.
HTH.
TR
Thanks for the quick reply. You learn something new every day. I do find it interesting, that the SWCS commander outranks the USASFC Commander.
I do find it interesting, that the SWCS commander outranks the USASFC Commander.
Same here.
Edit to add. I'm guessing the SWCS CDR is the Proponent of SF and that's the reason.
The Reaper
07-09-2006, 12:40
IMHO, it goes back to the USAJFKSPECWARCEN being the admin HQs for SF.
That, and when USASOC stood up, they raped all of the billets they could from the MSCs, like 1st SOCOM, which became USASFC. IIRC, when I was there, the USASFC G1 and G4 each had two personnel assigned. The G2 would have looked like that as well, had they not had a CI Det.
With five AC SF Groups, two RC SF Groups, and the other assorted units that the USASFC CG has been given responsibility for, the argument could potentially be made for a MG-LTG billet. Certainly, the USASFC staff should be bigger and do more for the Groups.
Finally, I would make the USASFC HQs at least partially deployable. The theater SOCs and SFGs are being forced to form the CJTFs and CJSOTFs on a permanent basis, rather than the Groups functioning as at worst, the ARSOTF HQs. This is unsat and the units were never staffed to be the joint HQs in a combat environment. The sad fact is that IMHO, SF is the only SOF unit that built any real deployable staff capability into their TO&E. The somewhat more robust theater SOF staffs are a result of SF GO input. To do this wartime SOF business right, the SOCs at war (especially a theater with multiple countries in combat operations) need an IMA type plus up with one year tours. USASFC needs to be deployable, with the ability to form a CJSOTF should the need arise.
Look at CENTCOM right now. They have combat ops in Iraq, Afghanistan, multiple lesser contingencies from the Horn of Africa to Pakistan. What is left over to be looking at Iran and planning for possible operations there? We already have the remaining SF Groups apportioned to other theaters rotating through CENTCOM. How long can we keep this up?
All of this really points to the decision under Klinton (and Bush 41) to eliminate large parts of the US ground combat forces as a "peace dividend". The two simultaneous major theater war (MTW) strategy was designed to prevent a second theater from lacking military leverage and becoming a potential threat while we were engaged in a MTW elsewhere. That was downgraded to two near simultaneous MTWs, where we fought the first and used the air and naval forces available to delay while we resolved the first conflict. That was then further reduced as force structure no longer matched strategy. This (and the extended commitment of virtually all conventional forces in Iraq) is IMHO, one of the primary reasons that we are having issues with the Iranians and North Koreans right now. They know that we are tied up in Iraq and Afghanistan, and do not present any sort of threat, other than air attack or a nuke strike. I also believe that is the reason for the dismissal of Shinseki (for saying the Emperor has no clothes) and for the reorganization into BCTs and unit of action under the current CSA. More units look better on paper, without really increasing end strength or combat power. Kind of like when we went from five tanks per platoon to three tanks per platoon. It is a shell game. Rant off.
Back to the point, yes, USASFC is understaffed. BG Mullholland is a good guy, led 5th Group into OEF, and will do well wherever he goes.
TR
NousDefionsDoc
07-09-2006, 13:39
Back to the point, yes, USASFC is understaffed. BG Mullholland is a good guy, led 5th Group into OEF, and will do well wherever he goes.
I know his brother very well.;)
The Reaper
07-09-2006, 17:18
I know his brother very well.;)
Sean claims to be his cousin, not his brother.
TR
NousDefionsDoc
07-09-2006, 17:39
Sean claims to be his cousin, not his brother.
TR
I thought he told me once they are brothers - but I could be wrong. Cousins would explain a lot. LOL
Do you think it say's something about the prominence of SF that instead of a BG (P) they put a MG in. I would assume that a MG has a lot more ass to throw around then a BG.
The Reaper
07-10-2006, 10:20
Do you think it say's something about the prominence of SF that instead of a BG (P) they put a MG in. I would assume that a MG has a lot more ass to throw around then a BG.
Not in the circles he operates in. A better conclusion would be where are the SF three-stars and where are they going. It is a very short list.
I would say that the rank of the individual in that job has more to do with who is available and where they are planning to move him next.
Look at JSOC, upgrading to a three-star when the apportioned forces are less than half of USASFC, much less USASOC. Politics, plain and simple, IMHO.
TR
MG Csrnko was my Group commander at 1st Group from 1998-2000. He was a very approachable officer who liked to rough it up. He played rugby and we regularly played ultimated football, combat soccer, rugby or anything else where he could put a little "Sumpin Sumpin" on a senior NCO or Jr. Officer. The truth though was that he could also take a hit and get knocked on his 4th point of contact, pick himself up, fix his glasses, and grin at you and say "Nice Shot". Course, we all knew pay back was enroute but he was a great sport and a excellent commander. He was a far cry better then the previous commander and one who is still considered one of the best we had there. I considered it a priveledge to serve under him and I think SF is a better place with him in charge at the Two Star level now.
Good job sir and good luck in your new position,
V/R
SGM Dave Randall
IMHO, it goes back to the USAJFKSPECWARCEN being the admin HQs for SF.
That, and when USASOC stood up, they raped all of the billets they could from the MSCs, like 1st SOCOM, which became USASFC. IIRC, when I was there, the USASFC G1 and G4 each had two personnel assigned. The G2 would have looked like that as well, had they not had a CI Det.
TR
Sir,
Would playing out that USAJFKSWCS is or IMO was a CENTER play out more on why it is a 2-star position? I was told about the old days or SWC and the thinking cnenter and how that all changed during the 80's and how SWC got smaller with psoitions, etc.
??
VG