CT Center to be run by Navy Vet

[Roguish Lawyer]

I don't know the guy, but it sounds like a ridiculous hire to me.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...061000990.html

Bush Names Director for New Counter-Terrorism Center

By Daniela Deane
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, June 10, 2005; 12:11 PM

President Bush announced today that he will nominate retired Vice Adm. John Scott Redd to be director of the new National Counter-Terrorism Center in McLean, the country's primary agency for analyzing terrorist threats and planning counterterrorism operations at home and abroad.

Redd, 60, was executive director of the Silberman-Robb presidential commission on U.S. intelligence failures in Iraq. He is a former commander of U.S. naval forces in the Middle East, served in the Navy for 36 years and was also the Pentagon's director of strategic plans and policy on the joint staff. He recently served as deputy administrator and chief operating officer of the Coalition Provisional Authority in Baghdad.

Bush made the announcement in a speech at the McLean center, which was established last fall under a presidential executive order. Redd will report to the Director of National Intelligence John D. Negroponte. His nomination requires Senate approval.

Under the law and the executive order, the center is to be the central organization for analyzing and integrating all foreign and domestic intelligence on terrorism. It is also to conduct "strategic operational planning" for counterterrorism operations at home and abroad "integrating all elements of national power."

During his speech, Bush also repeated his call to Congress to renew the USA Patriot Act, saying it has helped "save American lives and protected American liberty."

Bush said the Patriot Act "had made a difference to those on the front lines" of the war against terrorism.

The law, which extends the government's surveillance and law enforcement powers to track down potential terrorists, was quickly enacted after the Sept. 11 attacks on New York and Washington. But it has sparked a intense debate about balancing national security concerns with personal freedoms.

[Roguish Lawyer]

http://www.nps.navy.mil/or/alumni/reddbio.htm

JOHN SCOTT REDD
Vice Admiral, United States Navy (Retired)
Chairman, CEO & President of NetSchools Corporation
Vice Admiral (VADM) Scott Redd is the Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of the NetSchools Corporation, a high technology education company headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. He retired from active military service on 1 September 1998. Since joining NetSchools Corporation in the spring of 1999, he has taken an active leadership role in the rapidly growing education technology sector.

VADM Redd is one of the most recent CEOs to join the CEO Forum on Education and Technology. The Forum was founded in the fall of 1996 to help ensure that America's schools effectively prepare all students to be contributing citizens and productive workers in the 21st Century. Other key industry leaders such as AOL, IBM, Compass Learning, Classroom Connect and BellSouth Business are represented on the Forum. He is also a member of the Georgia Tech Research Institute’s External Advisory Council.

During his military career, he earned a reputation as an authority on defense policy, international affairs, strategic and operational planning and leadership.

His last assignment on active duty was as Director of Strategic Plans and Policy (DJ-5) on the Joint Staff. As the senior strategy and policy advisor for the U. S. military, he guided the development of a new National Military Strategy (NMS) and the military strategy portion of the Secretary of Defense's $1.5 trillion Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR). Additionally, as the military's "secretary of state," he was one of three military officers (with the Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff) who regularly attended senior NSC meetings at the White House. These cabinet level meetings addressed the broad range of politico-military policy issues of the day, including Iraq, Iran, Bosnia, Russia, Korea, China, Japan, Kosovo, Haiti and NATO. Previously, he served as the senior strategy and policy advisor for the U.S. Navy and as chief of staff to the Secretary of Defense's senior civilian policy advisor.

From 1994-1996, VADM Redd commanded all U.S. naval forces in the Central Command theater of operations, including the Persian Gulf. In 1995, he recommissioned the only new U S Navy Fleet in half a century, serving as the first Commander FIFTH Fleet (COMFIFTHFLT) since the World War II era. During this period, he commanded seven real world operations involving Iraq, Iran and the withdrawal of United Nations forces from Somalia. Earlier commands included a carrier battle group, a multinational NATO force, a destroyer squadron, and a guided missile destroyer.

A native of Sidney, Iowa, VADM Redd graduated second in the class of 1966 from the United States Naval Academy where he studied as a Trident Scholar and majored in mathematics and physics. Following graduation, he was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship and conducted graduate studies in Uruguay. He was also awarded a Burke Scholarship and completed a Master of Science degree in Operations Analysis, with highest honors, at the Naval Postgraduate School. In 1983, he attended the Program for Senior Executives at the Sloan School of Management at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

VADM Redd's personal commendations include five Distinguished Service Medals, the highest joint and naval peacetime awards. He also wears the Order of Bahrain.

VADM Redd is President of the Naval Academy Class of 1966 and has served on the Boards of Directors of several non-profit organizations. Following retirement, he also served on the Overseas Presence Advisory Panel, a congressionally chartered group advising the Secretary of State on diplomatic presence in the new millennium. An avid amateur radio operator, VADM Redd has won one national and five world championships. He has published several articles in professional publications.

[Roguish Lawyer]

http://ocf.gospelcom.net/pubs/leadership_coreskills.php

Leadership: A Biblical Approach to the Military Officer's Core Skill
Vice Admiral John Scott Redd, U.S. Navy, Retired
Leadership is the defining skill of a military officer. Intellect and education are important. Indeed, in our technological profession, they are prerequisites. But professional performance and progress depend fundamentally on how well you master the art and science of leadership.

There is a tendency to regard leadership primarily as an art form-we often speak of a person's "leadership style." But while style is important, it should not be confused with substance. There are, I believe, a basic set of principles which apply to leadership-whatever the leader's style or situation. These form the substance or "science" of leadership. What follows is one man's view of those leadership principles based on several decades of studying and applying God's word, the Bible. It reflects a belief that leaders are made, not born, and that substance is more important than style. The principles are presented in the acronym VECTOR, representing: Vision, Excellence, Character, Teamwork, Organization and Respect. It's an appropriate term, since vectors indicate both direction and strength.

Vision
Vision is the inspiration that motivates us. It's what gives a sense of purpose to our work and sacrifice at the end of a long day, a long deployment, or a long career. For the Christian, a godly vision is the compass which sets a career and a command on course, and keeps it pointed fair when heavy winds and seas buffet. The short hallway in the Pentagon which leads from the Office of the Secretary of Defense into the National Military Command Center (NMCC) is special to me. Every day for over three years-encompassing the Persian Gulf War and numerous other crises-I walked down that passageway to meet with the Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and, often, the Secretary of Defense, to discuss the serious military issues of the day. Just outside the NMCC is a quotation emblazoned on the wall in gold letters. It's taken from the Book of Proverbs (29:18 KJV): "Where there is no vision, the people perish." There are few professions for which that passage is more literally true than for the military. It is true at all levels of leadership, from the National Command Authority (NCA) to the platoon leader. A leader without a vision has a command without a vision. And a command without a vision is rudderless.

Excellence
Excellence is doing it right. It is trite but true-in warfare there is no prize for second place and the winners write the history books. Colossians 3:23 sets the standard: "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men." But it is not enough just to do the thing right. We are also called to do it in the right way. The end does not justify the means. We do not intend harm to innocent civilians, for instance. And we do not seek personal success at the expense of our subordinates. Finally, there is a third test, probably the toughest of all. Not only are we to do the thing right in the right way, we are to do it for the right reason. In 1 Samuel 16:7, the Lord instructs Samuel: "...The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." God is interested in our motivation-the right reason-for doing the thing right and in the right way.

Character
The connection between leadership and character is a continuing theme throughout the Scriptures. Proverbs 29:2 notes: "When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice." 1Timothy 3:1-12 and Titus 1:5-9 set out some very specific qualifications for leadership in the church. I believe they are equally good guidelines for those of us in authority in the military. Leadership begins with personal example-which is driven by character. Someone put it this way:

Your Image is who you want people to believe you are.
Your Reputation is what people believe and say about you.
Your Character is who you really are.
Former Secretary of the Navy Dalton put character in perspective: "The question of military character and ethics is not an abstract topic for discussion. It is a readiness issue. It is a readiness issue because without ethical leadership in our armed forces, there can be no trust by subordinates in the orders of their superiors." Character...is who you are when only God is looking!

Teamwork
Teamwork is the bread and butter of everyday leadership-fostering unity in a diverse group of individuals. Unity is essential. In the words of Luke 11:17: "Any kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and a house divided against itself will not stand." A command which is permeated by jealousy, backbiting or dissension is in deep trouble. The "how to's" of building teamwork are critically important, but there is an overriding value which must guide the leader in building a team-the attitude of a servant's heart.

Christ, speaking in Matthew 20:26, says that unlike rulers of the gentiles who lord their position over their subordinates, "Whosoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant...just as the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve." A wise leader will daily ask himself: "How can I use my position to help those entrusted to my leadership?" An important corollary relates to one of the biggest pitfalls a leader faces. That pitfall is pride. The biblical view of pride is clear throughout the Bible, and is summarized in Proverbs 16:18: "Pride goeth before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall." Remember, you do not have all the answers. Proverbs 20:18 applies: "Every purpose is established by counsel, and with good advice make war." Subordinates must be comfortable approaching you with both good and bad news.

Organization
Military officers, especially senior ones, seem to have an obsession for organizational charts. As a junior officer, I never understood that.

To a cynic, this preoccupation with organizational structure is a case of putting form over function. But there is a healthy reason for getting the organization right. It has to do with responsibility, authority, and accountability. Leadership by committee doesn't work, especially in combat. In a war, knowing who is responsible for what is a matter of life and death. A corollary of organization is chain of command. The idea of a chain of command is several thousand years old, and while it may seem bulky at times, it is still the best method devised. Check out Exodus 18 for one of the first recorded descriptions of the chain of command.

Respect
In a republic it is fashionable from time to time to tear down institutions and to denigrate people in positions of authority. It's fashionable...but it's also wrong. Respect is the glue which binds people and organizations together. It's what makes fighting units successful in combat. As a senior officer, you become adept at quickly taking the temperature of a command. Good commands all have one thing in common-a healthy atmosphere of respect for authority. You can sense it. Romans 13:1-7 carries a profound lesson both for our society and our military.

Vision...Excellence...Character...Teamwork... Organization ...Respect... VECTOR...Lead on!

Vice Admiral J. Scott Redd, United States Navy, Retired
Admiral Redd has had eight operational commands ranging from a Guided Missile Destroyer to a Fleet. In 1995, he re-commissioned the U.S. Fifth Fleet in the Arabian Gulf, the Navy's first new fleet in fifty years. In that capacity, he commanded seven naval, joint, and combined operations involving Somalia, Iraq and Iran. He retired in 1998 after serving for two years as the Director, Strategic Plans and Policy (J-5), the Joint Staff, where he functioned as the military's chief strategist and policy advisor for the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. A 1966 graduate of the Naval Academy, he has been an OCF member since 1962 and has served two terms on the OCF Council. He and his wife, Donna, live in Annandale, Virginia, where he is the president and CEO of NetSchools.

[Sweetbriar]

RL, why do you think he is "ridiculous" for the post? Were his active duty postings insufficient to qualify him, or his retirement occupation? Or is it something else?

[The Reaper]

Originally Posted by Sweetbriar

RL, why do you think he is "ridiculous" for the post? Were his active duty postings insufficient to qualify him, or his retirement occupation? Or is it something else?

Conventional Navy guy, no SOF experience, no AT/CT experience.

Sadly, sounds like a political connection to me.

TR

[Roguish Lawyer]

Originally Posted by The Reaper

Conventional Navy guy, no SOF experience, no AT/CT experience.

Sadly, sounds like a political connection to me.

TR

Concur, although I am not sure that lack of SOF experience is a disqualifier. Certainly having it would be a big plus, but I would not require it.

Someone a while back was talking about Rumsfeld having a bias in favor of the Navy, and I am starting to believe it.

[AngelsSix]

I have to agree. I never met a whole lot of Navy folks that even knew what CT was..........

[aricbcool]

Originally Posted by AngelsSix

I never met a whole lot of Navy folks that even knew what CT was..........

Um... It looks like they actually do.

See here: http://www.fas.org/irp/agency/navsecgru/personnel.htm



--Aric

[Razor]

Originally Posted by AngelsSix

I have to agree. I never met a whole lot of Navy folks that even knew what CT was..........

Outside of SOF and specific government agencies, most folks, even those in the military, don't have all that much knowledge of CT. AT/FP, yes; CT, no.

[Smokin Joe]

Originally Posted by Razor

Outside of SOF and specific government agencies, most folks, even those in the military, don't have all that much knowledge of CT. AT/FP, yes; CT, no.

That is the way I have always understood it.

MOST (if not all) Federal agencies won't touch C T with a ten foot pole its way to "Aggressive" for the politicians (both inside and outside of those agencies).

Personally, I say let the SOF community handle C T with a "Dog-off-Leash" philosophy.

I also really don't care if Admiral (Ret.) JOHN REDD has SOF experience or not as long as he hires the correct people with the necessary background in the field to do the deed with brutal efficiency.

Just my .02 cents