Word: gateses
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There have been so many heads lopped off at the Pentagon since Gates took over in 2006 it's almost as if he has launched a second French Revolution. First to go in early 2007 were a handful of senior Army brass following the revelations of poor conditions for wounded...
But Gates really demonstrated his seriousness earlier this month when he cashiered a Marine two-star general who had been running the Pentagon's F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program, the most expensive weapons system in history, for failing to meet cost and performance goals. Senior officers fumble multibillion programs...
Gates' emphasis on accountability seems to be seeping throughout the U.S. military. While hard numbers are difficult to come by, there's a growing sense - and mounting anecdotal evidence - that missteps once overlooked are now grounds for disciplinary action.
This cultural shift is even occurring where it has recently been used most sparingly: on the battlefield. That started last year, when Gates removed Army General Dave McKiernan from command of U.S. forces in Afghanistan, ending his career. Since then, several lower-ranking Army officers have received letters of reprimand...
That's the envelope-expansion effect, where - following the trail cleared by Gates - subordinates know they too can be resolute. "These kinds of things do have a cumulative effect," says Eugene Fidell, president of the National Institute of Military Justice. "You get the sense that Secretary Gates has his hand...