Gen. John Allen: A Marine of distinction
By Alan Duke, CNN
A story told about Marine Gen. John Allen while commanding troops in Iraq describes his ability to inspire the loyalty.
A mortar shell landed near a mess hall where Allen was eating, sending a young soldier under the table for cover. Allen, who remained upright during the attack, bent over and said to him, "Son, you're not going to win the war from down there."
Allen may be tempted to find cover under a mess hall table this week as he has been entangled in the sex scandal that ended the career of Gen. David Petraeus, who he followed as commander of international troops in Afghanistan.
An investigation into "flirtatious" e-mail exchanges between Allen and Jill Kelley, the woman whose complaint about anonymous, harassing e-mails uncovered Patraeus' affair with Paula Broadwell, has put Allen's promotion as NATO commander on hold.
FULL STORY
@natlsecuritycnn on Twitter
Dear George Patton: Have you ever preformed any service this country in any way? If this country's special interest groups are the reason we are in Afghanistan then not only Bush lied but Obama has for the last 4 years and continues to do so. Tell me it's not so G.P.
I see this as more than just transgressions of a few men (& women). This situation is the product of a social culture at the military's highest levels, one where high level military personnel are afforded large paychecks and "country club" perks that could make a modest corporate executive blush. Why should Americans care what lifestyle our General Commanders lead? Listen a little closer the next time you hear the latest update on Jill Kelley's involvement. She's been coined a "Tampa Socialite" which is a far cry different than a "Long Island Lolita" of a bygone era news story. A socialite, as she's been called, is someone living the high life among other high society elites. Is this where we want our active military spending their time and energy when their troops are in the fight? I could go on and on about how wrong it is for these guys to get ultra special treatment while the troop and their families are suffering a world away from the General's Party Pad.
Actually GJ, we have no right to be in Afghanistan as our troops fight and die for this country's special interest groups otherwise collectively known as the M.I.C. In the second place, the right-wing news media always lavishes praise on our generals and huge corporations but never mentions the obscene butchery caused by our ungodly drones in places like Afghnistan, Pakistan and Yemen!!!