Lessons From General Marshall

Many 2nd Amendment defenders and SCOPE members are veterans who follow, with considerable interest, the goings-on in the current military service.  On Tuesday, the senior military officers and enlisted were called to a meeting by Secretary of War Hegseth and President Trump.

But first, a little history. 

General George C. Marshall was the highest-ranking Army officer in World War 2; at that time, the Air Force was known as the Air Corps and was also a part of the Army.  Marshall was sworn in on September 1, 1939.  The same day that World War 2 started with the German invasion of Poland.  (What a way to start a new job!)  The U.S.A. did not enter the war until Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.

In his book, The Generals, Thomas E. Ricks writes that Marshall understood that political and other pressures “had resulted in the appointment to high command in past wars of so many mediocre and even incompetent officers.”  Marshall set about weeding out ‘mediocre and incompetent officers’ before the USA entered the war.  He later said about this subject, “I was accused…of getting rid of all the brains of the army.  I couldn’t reply that I was eliminating considerable arteriosclerosis.”

At Tuesday’s meeting, Secretary of War Hegseth said that the military has promoted too many leaders for the wrong reasons; political pressure based on race, gender quotas and historic firsts.  “The era of politically correct, overly sensitive don’t-hurt-anyone’s-feelings leadership ends right now at every level.”

Sounds straight out of George Marshall’s plan to increase military readiness and effectiveness.

Even before Marshall was appointed Chief of Staff, he was thinking about what would be the necessary traits for the upper ranks when a war broke out.  Two of the qualities he was to demand of his officers were “physically strong” and “display marked energy.*  Marshall had “determined that most of the top generals in the Army were too aged for combat, and just below them were many officers who were also past their prime.”

At Tuesday’s meeting, Hegseth said, “…I’m also directing that war fighters in combat jobs execute their service fitness test at a gender-neutral, age-normed, male-standard, scored above 70%...It all starts with physical fitness and appearance. If the Secretary of War can do regular, hard, PT, so can every member of our joint forces.”

Sounding absolutely Marshal-like.  Hegseth added that the physical fitness standards included generals and admirals.

By the time we entered WW2, two years after he had assumed office, Marshall estimated that he had forced out at least 600 officers.  It will be interesting to see the reaction and results from Hegseth’s imitation of General Marshall.

Hegseth has issues to deal with that Marshall did not.  It would not be only generals and admirals complaining about new physical fitness standards.  Anticipating criticism, Hegseth said it is not about preventing women from serving in combat positions.  “If women can make it, excellent; if not, it is what it is. If that means no women qualify for some combat jobs, so be it," he said. "That is not the intent…”

President Donald Trump summed up the meeting, but he could also have been summing up the purpose of the 2nd Amendment: “The [purpose] of America’s military is not to protect anyone’s feelings. It’s to protect our republic…We will not be politically correct when it comes to defending American freedom. And we will be a fighting and winning machine.”

The Socialism movement in America has a goal of disarming the American citizen and Socialists have made inroads by hiding their ultimate goal behind emotional terms meant to evoke feelings instead of rational thinking.  “Gun violence” and “assault weapon” are a few examples.    

Our military deals with national defense and the 2nd Amendment is intended to work in parallel to our military and deal with local defense; personal protection.  Just as what is now happening in our military, we must cut through the rhetoric, stand firm against every attempt to weaken the 2nd Amendment and roll back the inroads made over the past ninety years.  No wavering when it comes to defending the freedoms protected by our Constitution.     

*The other qualities Marshall wanted were: good common sense; have studied your profession; cheerful and optimistic; extreme loyalty; determined.