Any guess on timing?

JazzAggie said:

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Bierman would make a great commandant. USAF Academy has too many "woke" problems.

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Lengyel was the commandant there 2012-2014, so yeah, woke comment means nothing.

Ol Jock 99 said:

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Any guess on timing?

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April I believe

The other thread is saying it is Bierman.

https://www.ppo.marines.mil/Leaders/Biography/Article/3661664/lieutenant-general-james-w-bierman-jr/

And just saw the presser

https://president.tamu.edu/messages/ltgen-james-w-bierman-jr-named-commandant-of-corps-of-cadets.html

So do we like Bierman? I personally like that he's a VMI guy.

Is this the first 3-star commandant for us? Seems way overkill in rank?

Aggieland Proud said:

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Is this the first 3-star commandant for us? Seems way overkill in rank?

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No, Van Alstyne (2002-2010) was a 3-star.

Thanks! Still see him around but did not realize he was LTG. Good for him!

Aggieland Proud said:

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Is this the first 3-star commandant for us? Seems way overkill in rank?

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Yes, it's way overkill. 3-stars haven't been with troops in 30 years. The 3-star world is as far from the 2-star world as the O-6 world is from the E-6 world.

I can only guess that A&M keeps pursuing GO commandants to keep up with some imaginary Joneses. An O-6 would be the ideal balance between operational level leadership and proximity to troops, but if guys like Steve Ruth can't even get an interview then it's clear the decisions are not being made by people who really understand the difference between 20 year old cadets and GOs

Tango.Mike said:

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Aggieland Proud said:

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Is this the first 3-star commandant for us? Seems way overkill in rank?

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Yes, it's way overkill. 3-stars haven't been with troops in 30 years. The 3-star world is as far from the 2-star world as the O-6 world is from the E-6 world.

I can only guess that A&M keeps pursuing GO commandants to keep up with some imaginary Joneses. An O-6 would be the ideal balance between operational level leadership and proximity to troops, but if guys like Steve Ruth can't even get an interview then it's clear the decisions are not being made by people who really understand the difference between 20 year old cadets and GOs

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What makes you think he didn't get an interview? Was that posted somewhere?

I thought the 4 that visited campus were finalists. Wouldn't that mean there was a larger pool that was presumably interviewed?

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I thought the 4 that visited campus were finalists. Wouldn't that mean there was a larger pool that was presumably interviewed?

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My supposition is that there was a larger pool of applicants, and they narrowed it down to four for interviews and visits. Maybe they spoke to a few over the phone.

Personally, I'm leery of anyone who got his star or got more stars in the last 15 years, a period in which, much of the time, civilian leadership had greater priorities than recruiting and maintaining a force whose primary mission was killing people and breaking things. I'm more concerned about that than I am about where he went to school. I'm probably more confident in a USMC general than I am either of the USAF guys, and I heard through the grapevine that Baxter believed that being an O-6 in the crowd meant he didn't have much chance.

Ultimately, we have to assume that the people making the decisions are doing so in the best interests of the University, f it doesn't work out, well, Commandants are as easily dismissible as football coaches ... and a lot less expensive.

I know it's anecdotal but I've worked with a handful of VMI guys over the years and they've all been really solid dudes. I've known and crossed paths with a few of them back and forth for damn near 20 years now. The VMI thing doesn't bother me.

Comparing the difference between the 3-star world and the 2-star world to O6/E6 is pure nonsense. 3-stars are nominated and appointed to jobs. There is a difference between 3-stars and 2-stars. Sometimes that difference is nothing more than the guy doing the nomination having personal knowledge or history with someone.