From a good friend and classmate...
Most
of you know that our son works in a leadership position within US
Special Operations, specializing in counter-terrorism, at the Pentagon. I
spoke with him last night to get his view of how the first week of the
Trump administration was perceived there. It was a short conversation
but very informative.
He
said the difference is nothing short of amazing. It is almost as though
you can feel it in the air, in the pace of people strides, in the
expressions on their faces. But beyond that, the change in process has
been immediate. Within 48 hours
several action orders that had been languishing for up to six months
between State, NSC, and the White House, were approved and executed.
Over the last 8 years ( our son has been there for about 15 years) and
particularly, the last 3 to 4, the atmosphere has been stifling. Every
little thing had to be vetted by dozens of 30-year old State Department
lawyers (with no military experience) before it even got up the chain,
effectively neutering the senior officers and reducing effectiveness to
near zero.
This
past week, he took something to General Dunford, our Chairman of the
Joint Chiefs of Staff, and within minutes it was approved by the SecDef,
General Mattis (both Marines, by the way) and green lighted.
There
is new energy flowing through the whole building. There is a new sense
of purpose, a new resolve that is palpable. A cloud has been lifted.
Say
what you will about our new president, and there certainly is a lot
(pro and con) that could be and is being said, the folks at the pentagon
are walking with a new skip in their step.
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