Old Soldiers Never Cash Out

[Richard]

Does it never end in the fetid dens of the polecatus washingtonium crowd - and how much more of it all can we as a nation afford?

Richard

Old Soldiers Never Cash Out
NYT, 22 nOV 2009

For all the stars of ranking generals and admirals in Washington, it turns out there’s still a higher grade — “senior mentor.” These are retired brass enjoying lucrative compensation as part-time Pentagon advisers, who, in most cases, also draw V.I.P. pay from companies seeking defense contracts. The mentor cohort has quietly grown in recent years from a handful to at least 158 ranking retired officers — 80 percent of whom hire on at the same time with defense contractors.

There is nothing illegal about the double-dipping. But few people in Congress or elsewhere knew about it until now because there is no requirement to tell anyone, even the Pentagon. As Pentagon advisers, mentors are paid hundreds of dollars an hour for offering counsel to former colleagues on war games and other specialties. As defense contract consultants, they can make considerably more. It’s time to closely manage the retirees’ good deal, documented in a report by USA Today (http://www.usatoday.com/news/militar...generals_N.htm).

Defense specialists in the Senate are proposing that ethics rules be written at least to mandate financial disclosure to avoid conflicts of interest. More than that may be needed. The Air Force has just directed that financial statements be required from mentors who might “potentially influence procurement decisions.”

The military and its mentors insist that weapons hawking is unlikely under existing rules, and that the dual role represents a wise investment in expertise needed to burnish the officer corps and maintain national security. “The taxpayers are getting a steal,” declared a retired admiral while declining to disclose his clients.

A steal it may be. Transparency will only secure the mentors’ presumed virtue, not harm it.

Federal regulations require part-time employees paid at executive rates to file disclosure reports. But the senior mentors are not covered because they are hired as consultants, not employees. This may not qualify as Catch-22 in the world of Captain Yossarian, nor “the acquisition of unwarranted influence” that President-and-General Dwight Eisenhower foresaw in the military-industrial complex. But it’s time Congress and the Pentagon made sure and got a handle on retired brass who sell their advice to both parts of the complex.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/23/opinion/23mon4.html

[Red Flag 1]

FWIW,

The Senate, House and Administration should lead by example here. Full disclosure, transparency and open investigation should should start at the top.

Demanding disclosure and transparency from the bottom of a dirty laundry bin is laughable, IMHO.

My most likely monitored $.02.

RF 1

[greenberetTFS]

Originally Posted by Red Flag 1

FWIW,

The Senate, House and Administration should lead by example here. Full disclosure, transparency and open investigation should should start at the top.

Demanding disclosure and transparency from the bottom of a dirty laundry bin is laughable, IMHO.

My most likely monitored $.02.

RF 1

Excellent point Jim,but we know it will never happen.........

Big Teddy

[Utah Bob]

I could envision a company with retired 0-7s and up on call..

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[greenberetTFS]

Originally Posted by Utah Bob

I could envision a company with retired 0-7s and up on call..

Rent-a-Gen

Let us fill your need for military expertise.
Our generals are the best on the market, trained in smooth talking and able to switch political sides at a moments notice.
We can send you a prospectus listing our on-call brass with a detailed synopsis of their military experience and areas of expertise (real or imagined), their business and government connections.
For an additional fee you can also see who owes them favors.
We also have a cadre of camera ready officers suitable for MSM soundbites!

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UB,

You out did your self............ Terrific idea,lets start a small business company,get a SBA loan and I'll even let you be COO if you let me be CFO......

Big Teddy

[Red Flag 1]

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Thank you for contacting Rent-A-Gen.
Have a perfectly PC day.

I think this will fly!



RF 1

[Utah Bob]

Originally Posted by greenberetTFS

UB,

You out did your self............ Terrific idea,lets start a small business company,get a SBA loan and I'll even let you be COO if you let me be CFO......

Big Teddy

Sure, sounds good.........wait a minute.
CFO has access to the cash right?

Fuggagedaboutit.

[Utah Bob]

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[Richard]

Better put a Surgeon General's warning on there about General's having aides.

Richard's $.02

[greenberetTFS]

Originally Posted by Richard

Better put a Surgeon General's warning on there about General's having aides.

Richard's $.02

Richard,

You were being considered for Senior V.P. of Public Relations,but the board felt you were just a bit too contrary........ Sorry,better luck next time..........

Big Teddy

[LongWire]

Will the hotline be multilingual? Im sure some Mexican Generals can weigh in too!!!

[SF_BHT]

Originally Posted by LongWire

Will the hotline be multilingual? Im sure some Mexican Generals can weigh in too!!!

With as much money USD that they have siphoned off from US programs they can afford to learn english......

[echoes]

"Adm. Michael Mullen said the military services were examining their "senior mentor" programs because of concerns raised by a USA TODAY investigation published Wednesday.

"This is a group of individuals who provide incredibly valuable, seasoned, wise advice," Mullen said. "But at the same time, we have to be terrific stewards of the taxpayers' money. We have to be aware of any conflicts of interest or a perception of conflicts of interest."

His comments came as Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., said she will investigate the military's use of retired generals and admirals who also work for defense contractors. In a letter to Defense Secretary Robert Gates, McCaskill called for the Pentagon turn over a large volume of records by Dec. 22."

Is it inappropriate to ask a question about this??? (As I was ready, after reading the article, to tell this Senator to bite me!)

Am confused as to why our retired BG's and higher being used as mentors is a bad thing. Am not military, so obviously am at a disadvatage in my understanding here. Hope it is okay to ask?

Holly