Although she has been mentioned, we deserve a good look at her credentials :

https://www.defense.gov/About/...96/kathleen-h-hicks/

Although never in the military, she is obviously a brilliant academic and has served in various capacities in the DoD in her career. Despite
Military experience lacking, I think she will do well in the role, having the benefit of the Joint Chiefs Flag and General Officers as her counsel.

I was concerned about her lack of direct military experience, however, having researched her education and history, my doubts are assuaged!

Comments most welcome…

Hey, we have an old man with memory problem as leader of the free world. So, why does it matter which peon runs which department?

For the historically inclined, Macnamara and his whiz kids were brilliant academics and business leaders. Among other brilliant innovations was an M-16 that didn't work, that was issued without cleaning gear in a rifle that fouled quickly and badly, that was then fed ammo bought on the cheap because the manufacturer's recommendation was too expensive. This is the same rocket surgeon that installed operation 100,000 where cat 5 mental group individuals could enlist and were drafted.
Brilliant I tell ya. If you can run a doughnut shop successfully you can certainly run a war, it just ain't that different.

I believe in my heart that when you have worked on a two way rifle range, served on a sub getting pinged by Russians, flown a peacekeeping mission in a foreign land and had migs show up to say howdy, your perspective is changed from the moment before. This comment is not to disparage anyone's loyalty, intelligence, courage or anything else, simply perspective.

I suspect but don't know that cops, fire fighters, rescue workers might have the same attitude about chairborne rangers sending them 'in' when they have no idea about that of which they speak.

Academic credentials are one thing, but actual decisions she's made in relevant earlier situations would be more helpful.

I guess we don't get to see that until she's made a few under pressure. Let's hope things are calm the rest of the year so we don't find out.

“In October 2020, she also served on the CSIS-LSHTM High-Level Panel on Vaccine Confidence and Misinformation amid the COVID-19 pandemic”

She’s just another DC bureaucrat.

quote:

Originally posted by wishfull thinker:
...
I believe in my heart that when you have worked on a two way rifle range, served on a sub getting pinged by Russians, flown a peacekeeping mission in a foreign land and had migs show up to say howdy, your perspective is changed from the moment before. This comment is not to disparage anyone's loyalty, intelligence, courage or anything else, simply perspective.

...

Two words for the bold part: Jimmy Carter

But I digress and understand your analogy.

Well, she has to be better than the empty seat Austin left last time he was hospitalized. At least, naming someone as acting is a step forward in normalcy.

Lloyd Austin SHOULD have been promptly fired back in early January after that disappearing act stunt he pulled and it would have occurred in a normal, non-clown-show administration.

I think he's going to end up being forced out now and will be replaced.

Question...is Hicks a DEI hire??

quote:

Originally posted by erj_pilot:
Question...is Hicks a DEI hire??

I doubt that a married white woman with three kids counts toward the DEI score these days.

quote:

Originally posted by PASig:
Lloyd Austin SHOULD have been promptly fired back in early January after that disappearing act stunt he pulled and it would have occurred in a normal, non-clown-show administration.

I think he's going to end up being forced out now and will be replaced.

True, but a bigger question is why didn't anyone else notice for a week or so and why was that the press, not the management team he reports to. That's the more concerning part.

Hicks is a DC bureaucrat who shouldn’t be trusted. Why on earth would you think otherwise simply because she’s assembled the academic prerequisites appropriate to her station? And having the benefit of the corrupt joint chiefs you think will improve her performance when Austin croaks?

For those who haven’t spent time in the government let me fill you in on a widely understood phenomenon: those in charge select the person then send them to finishing schools who dutifully issue their degree. Academic accomplishments of those in power are meaningless. I say this as someone who was sent to get 3 masters degrees.

My litmus test for judging the worthiness of any government official moving forward for the rest of my life is COVID. Were they one of the lemmings or did they stand up against the obvious? If they were a lemming initially, that’s ok, but did they recognize and correct themselves when reality became clear? Have they even now admitted the error of their ways or do they simply ignore it or justify their overreach because it was a “crisis?” Or finally, did they see what was happening but fear for their own career and so stay silent? I’m fine with those people as well, not everyone is called to be the outspoken hero, but they better have resisted at whatever level they could and certainly by now they should go fully public by condemning the zealots.

Hicks fails all 4 of those questions and you’d be unwise to see her as other than a standard issue swamp creature.

Zero confidence in Hicks. Or Austin. Remember him reviewing the troops while wearing a face mask and shield? While outdoors? Idiots.

quote:

Originally posted by arabiancowboy:
Hicks is a DC bureaucrat who shouldn’t be trusted.

This.

Right out of college, became a DC bureaucrat, and then entered the big time with an appointment by Obama. All of her adult life was spent in government.

I'm not surprised nor, was I expecting someone with any kind of standout credentials. The vast majority of these seat holders have a wall of degrees, a CV full of positions at various think-tanks and some may have military experience...usually 20+ years ago. Hicks is just there to keep the seat warm, maintain the status quo and be available when Jake Sullivan calls.

From the immortal movie, "The Dirty Dozen"

General to inspect Col. Breed's platoon:
"Very pretty, very pretty Col, but can they fight?"

quote:

Macnamara and his whiz kids were brilliant academics and business leaders.

^^Aye, yup^^
History repeats.

quote:

Originally posted by MNSIG:

quote:

Originally posted by erj_pilot:
Question...is Hicks a DEI hire??

I doubt that a married white woman with three kids counts toward the DEI score these days.

What if she's a trans woman, they can have babies too ! What's wrong with you ?

“Hard times create strong men. Strong men create good times. Good times create weak men. And, weak men create hard times.”
― G. Michael Hopf, Those Who Remain

quote:

Originally posted by arabiancowboy:


For those who haven’t spent time in the government let me fill you in on a widely understood phenomenon: those in charge select the person then send them to finishing schools who dutifully issue their degree. Academic accomplishments of those in power are meaningless. I say this as someone who was sent to get 3 masters degrees.

Cannot be emphasized enough. I wish her well and proof is in actions, not resumes...but absolutely her "bona fides" were the product of her selection and not the other way around.