It’d be you who’d defend such a despicable comment by a total loser like BP. You’re an embarrassment to the human race. BP is a well known total scumbag here. I guess we now have two. Douchebag.
-- Modified on 2/9/2020 4:39:10 PM-- Modified on 2/9/2020 8:21:26 PM
Trump is firing Vinman and Sondland so far in what is expected to be a huge purge of swamp dwellers. However, there are no reports of any executions yet. More to come.
Sondland might be fired, but Vindman is just reassigned -- not quite the firing squad.
he was actually assigned to the Joint Staff and detailed to the White House. He will still serve out the remainder of his tour on the Joint Staff and his reporting chain is insulated enough from Trump that he WILL be promoted to Colonel. He would never have been selected to serve at his current level without having a stellar performance record.
As vindictive as Trump is, he may try to affect Vindman's promotion status, but with a pattern of performance like his, Vindman would win easily in court and not only get any back pay/warranted promotion, but all his legal fees, as well.
Upper tiers of military are all political. With lots of competitive candidates trying to move up. It doesn't take much of a mistake to find yourself on the retirement track in the military.
Joint Staff? Trust me, you can take my post to the bank. Vindman may choose to retire, but he would have a very strong legal case, for definitely one more promotion if he wanted. Competitive does not even remotely describe the pattern of superior performance (top 1%) Vindman had to have in order, to be selected to serve in his current position.
Not all who are in Vindman's rating chain approve of Trump. You can be sure of that. And there is a system in place to deal with whatever Trump would attempt to dole out. As far as Trump's political appointees go, they are SOL.
If he reached the maximum "time-in-grade" point and has not been promoted. The time-in-grade factor in military promotions insures lifers SLOWLY move up regardless of whether they deserve it on their merits or not. It similar to union membership in civilian life.
In order to have competed for his current position, Vindman must have one, maybe even two "below-the-zone" (BTZ) promotions. Know what that is?
When facing his BTZ board for Colonel no matter how competitive he may have been securing Major and LTC promotions his track record alone does not guarantee him a BTZ chance at Colonel. But the pattern of his performance, that garnered him BOTH early promotions and his Joint Staff assignment (NSC position in the WH) are more than enough to secure a primary board promotion to Colonel. He is competing (the totality of his performance profile is competing) in a system and against the track record/performances of other LTCs. His circumstances played out on national TV and he has all the evidence he needs to counter any promotion board from NOT promoting him or any attempt to adversely affect his NSC tour, ending eval.
Prior to testifying before the House, Vindman's track record just may have made him competitive for BG. We will never know as that information is not available to us. Now this IS one way his career will DEFINITELY be affected by standing up and telling the truth against political blow back. ALL general officer promotions DEFINITELY ARE more than highly political (even BG) and depending upon when he would meet a BG board (do not know his TIG or TIS), probably in 6 years or so he may get lucky and enough of those politicians who could stand in his way may be gone. But I truly doubt it.
Vindman may not want to go through all this BS and could easily decide to retire when he has 3 years in grade. But should he decide to fight it out, he DEFINITELY would live through one more promotion.
of what I said. There is also a MINIMUM time in grade, which CAN BE WAIVED. I was promoted twice with a time-in-grade waiver. I was talking about mandatory TIG promotions when approaching the Max time in grade. This is the reason many offiers retire if they have not been promoted to the next grade by a certain time. You are right about what you're saying, but you are talking about something other than what I was saying. I knew a guy that had 35 years of service and was only a Lt. Col. He spend almost the maximum time allowed at each grade on the way up. He was waiting for the next promotion so he could retire at the full Col. rate.
all the facts. When an officer gets "passed over" as the result of a "primary zone" promotion board, he/she is classified for any subsequent promotion board as "above-the-zone," (ATZ). Getting passed over twice is virtually the end of an officer's career and barring extenuating circumstances, he/she is forced to retire within 12 months. At least, that is the way it is TODAY.
While it is not impossible for an ATZ officer to get promoted, doing so would require a correction to that officers personnel record as may be necessitated if an appeal is filed because, due to no fault of his/hers, that officer's personnel record did not contain all the relevant information to allow him/her to fairly compete with that officer's peers, and solely on the basis of his/her merit.
Mean no disrespect, promise. But if you knew someone who had 35 years of service and was only an O-5, and truly had a snowball's chance in hell at getting promoted to O-6, either that person had significant enlisted time prior to being commissioned, or an act of congress/presidential waiver made them that one exception in a million. Either that or, that person was not accurately representing the facts to you.
Beyond the rank of Captain, nobody gets promoted, simply by sitting around, and waiting until they have the "Max time in grade." They must compete with their peers for a limited number of promotions. That number of available promotions is based on the needs of each service, that officer's MOS/AFSC and diminishes significantly, with each advancing rank, field grade (Major on up) and beyond.
Regardless, this has nothing to do with my OP. Was very narrowly outlining how Vindman would definitely be eligible for one more promotion, should he choose to stick around for it. AND that is only due to his merit, and the way officer promotions are mandated by law, full stop.
...like all the swamp creatures Trump put into the swamp?
http://nymag.com/intelligencer/2019/03/350-lobbyists-swimming-in-trumps-swamp.html
This wasn't a purge of swamp dwellers, it was revenge and retribution for two witnesses who told the truth at the impeachment investigation. Or as Stephanie Grisham called it - "payback."
Do you even know who Gordon Sondland is? WTF are you doing on this board?! Sondland was dwelling in the swamp at the behest of Trump who rewarded Swampy Sondland for donating $1 million to Trump's campaign. You're praising Trump for purging the swamp dwellers when it was Trump who put them into the swamp in the first place. Look at my thumb...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAEHQ4As0xw
-- Modified on 2/8/2020 2:29:41 AM
"payback" in my headline. Geez, you're the same as Laffy. Not a good way to herald your return to TER. The swamp purge is COMING . . . . probably AFTER Trump's re-election.
hasty to call out poor judgement. We still do not know if they suffer from dementia, an inability to process the facts when those facts run counter to their own wishes, or they are as corrupt as Trump.
Remember what your mom used to say; "birds of a feather, flock together?"
To go after his political enemies. The McCabe case was dropped by the DOJ. So yes, we are now a Banana Republic...So much for your "Deep State" conspiracy
any of these Trump zealots will admit the truth? They have not done so, to this point. This is absolutely deplorable. Any idea what our allies and the rest of the world are thinking?
Our country used to be respected and known for always taking the high road. It will take a long time before we regain our place of leadership in the world. By creating a vacuum like this, Trump is opening the door for China. They are already expanding their influence in the Pacific, but you won't hear much about that here.
Am not going to accuse the "crew" and other Trump followers of being unpatriotic. Just think they lack the intellect and objectivity to see what is happening around them.