# Major General Fired **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 1, 2007, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-general-fired/394241 "2007-03-01T23:57:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![rbroome](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/838e76/32.png) [@rbroome](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rbroome)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2007, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-general-fired/394241/1 "2007-03-01T23:57:37Z")
The Pentagon announced today that the Major General in charge of Walter Reed has been removed from command due to conditions at the hospital. From the news reports, it is a well-deserved decision. But the wording surprised me. According to the report the general was removed because the senior leadership had “lost trust and confidence in the commander’s leadership abilities”. I don’t ever remember hearing that before. In other cases that make the news, usually the captain of a ship that suffers a preventable accident, the captain is relieved and the wording is approximately" “lost confidence in the commander’s leadership abilities”. Is that additional loss of trust as big a deal as it seems to me? Loss of confidence I can understand but losing trust in a flag officer seems like a very unusual thing to me. Anyone in military (or retired would probably be better) care to comment? ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2007, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-general-fired/394241/2 "2007-03-02T00:09:34Z")
I just heard he wasn’t the perfect model of a modern Major General. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2007, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-general-fired/394241/3 "2007-03-02T04:50:14Z")
Just the standard verbage. It is easier to say that than to air dirty laundry and make accusations you have to prove. ---
**Author:** ![rbroome](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/838e76/32.png) [@rbroome](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rbroome)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2007, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-general-fired/394241/4 "2007-03-02T12:54:26Z")
[QUOTE=Paul in Saudi] Just the standard verbage. It is easier to say that than to air dirty laundry and make accusations you have to prove. [/QUOTE] OK Thanks There is no reason to say too much. ---
**Author:** ![Billdo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/billdo/32/315_2.png) [@Billdo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Billdo)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2007, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-general-fired/394241/5 "2007-03-02T13:10:51Z")
It’s the other side of resigning “to spend more time with my family.” ---
**Author:** ![A.R.Cane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ee7513/32.png) [@A.R.Cane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A.R.Cane)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2007, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-general-fired/394241/6 "2007-03-02T13:50:17Z")
Something’s not right here. Weightman has only been in command for six months. These problems obviously go back much further. Now Lt. Gen. Kiley has been appointed to replace Weightman, yet Kiley is Weightman’s predecessor in the job. Plus Kiley was the one trying to play down the circumstances just a few days ago. He was on the news saying that this wasn’t a major problem. I ran across this blog, which begins w/ a condemnation of Weightman, but immediately takes a 180. [http://www.intoxination.net/node/5510](http://www.intoxination.net/node/5510) ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2007, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-general-fired/394241/7 "2007-03-02T14:23:53Z")
[QUOTE=A.R. Cane] Now Lt. Gen. Kiley has been appointed to replace Weightman, yet Kiley is Weightman’s predecessor in the job. [/QUOTE] Yup something is not right here. The move seems designed to foster thoughts of a coverup. ---
**Author:** ![David\_Simmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9de053/32.png) [@David\_Simmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_Simmons)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2007, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-general-fired/394241/8 "2007-03-02T14:52:17Z")
There is a lot of dissatisfaction in Congress over the appointement of Gen. Kiley and he might not last long either. ---
**Author:** ![chowder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/977dab/32.png) [@chowder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chowder)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2007, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-general-fired/394241/9 "2007-03-02T15:04:41Z")
I read this as Major General Fred. I’ll get my coat ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2007, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-general-fired/394241/10 "2007-03-02T22:35:07Z")
[QUOTE=David Simmons] There is a lot of dissatisfaction in Congress over the appointement of Gen. Kiley and he might not last long either. [/QUOTE] The guy who appointed Kiley has just been fired, and Gates will name a permanent replacement for Weightman later today: [Army secretary resigns in scandal’s wake](http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070302/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/walter_reed;_ylt=Am8HLrC7ypYnGqgbnHChtFGyFz4D). AP’s calling this the scandal’s ‘wake’ indicates extreme optimism on the part of the press as to how quickly this’ll all get sorted out. ---
**Author:** ![A.R.Cane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ee7513/32.png) [@A.R.Cane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A.R.Cane)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2007, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-general-fired/394241/11 "2007-03-02T22:53:09Z")
I heard Gates commenting earlier. He was describing what he wouldn’t tolerate and it sounded like he was describing Kiley to a T. Kiley came across as an arrogant SOB on TV a few days ago, trying to blame the Wa. Post for sensationalizing the bldg. 18 story and saying it wasn’t as big a problem as people thought. I think Weightman was scapegoated and Kiley is the major culprit here. I hope they sort this out, but I know the military and when there’s congressional heat it often makes things worse. Everybody is out to cover their own asses and the real problem get lost in the shuffle. ---
**Author:** ![David\_Simmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9de053/32.png) [@David\_Simmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_Simmons)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2007, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-general-fired/394241/12 "2007-03-02T23:17:33Z")
[QUOTE=Squink] The guy who appointed Kiley has just been fired, and Gates will name a permanent replacement for Weightman later today: [Army secretary resigns in scandal’s wake](http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070302/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/walter_reed;_ylt=Am8HLrC7ypYnGqgbnHChtFGyFz4D). AP’s calling this the scandal’s ‘wake’ indicates extreme optimism on the part of the press as to how quickly this’ll all get sorted out. [/QUOTE] the army, navy, marines, air force, DoD, the VA, congress, the executive, the public and the whole damed crew have always pretty much forgotten about service members once the shooting stops. "It’s Tommy This and Tommy That and throw him out the brute, But it’s Thank You Mr. Atkins when the guns begin to shoot. _Tommy_ Rudyard Kipling" After the first Gulf war my prediction was that when appropriations for the VA came up, members of congress and the public’s attitude would be: “Jesus Christ, they were only there for a month. Are we expected to take care of them for the rest of their lives.” And, when this current flap is over and some improvement is made, 10 years down the road that will be the attitude again. ---
**Author:** ![Scruloose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e68b1a/32.png) [@Scruloose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scruloose)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2007, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-general-fired/394241/13 "2007-03-02T23:27:10Z")
From **Squink** ’s link: > [@](#): > > Hours earlier, President Bush ordered a comprehensive review of conditions at the nation’s network of military and veteran hospitals in the wake of the Walter Reed disclosures. The condition of the hospital at Great Lakes Naval Training Center never fails to amaze me. At first glance, the hospital just appears neglected. I first noted it about ten years ago. Now that I’ve returned to the area, it seems the hospital hasn’t changed a bit. The same goes for the dental clinic. Those building just seem _run down_. Holes in the walls, graffiti in the heads, etc. Hopefully this incident will square away all the medical facilities out there that have not received the level of attention and care that they deserve. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2007, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-general-fired/394241/14 "2007-03-03T03:32:36Z")
[QUOTE=A.R. Cane] I heard Gates commenting earlier. He was describing what he wouldn’t tolerate and it sounded like he was describing Kiley to a T. Kiley came across as an arrogant SOB on TV a few days ago, trying to blame the Wa. Post for sensationalizing the bldg. 18 story and saying it wasn’t as big a problem as people thought. I think Weightman was scapegoated and Kiley is the major culprit here. I hope they sort this out, but I know the military and when there’s congressional heat it often makes things worse. Everybody is out to cover their own asses and the real problem get lost in the shuffle. [/QUOTE] Kiley has now been [officially fired](http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/03/washington/03veterans.html?hp) after serving one day at his new post. This is getting juicier and juicier. 🙂 > [@The New York Times](#): > > A senior Pentagon official said Mr. Gates had demanded Mr. Harvey’s resignation because he was displeased that Mr. Harvey on Thursday, in dismissing the commander of Walter Reed, had temporarily named Lt. Gen. Kevin Kiley to take command. General Kiley, the Army’s top medical officer, had earlier appeared to play down the problems at Walter Reed, where he was in command until 2004. > > Mr. Gates’s aggressiveness in addressing the problem has surprised many officials in the Pentagon who are still getting used to his style two months into his service. > > Ordered by Mr. Gates to get an acceptable new commander in place by the end of the day, the Army announced late Friday that Maj. Gen. Eric B. Schoomaker, a veteran Army doctor and the brother of the current Army chief of staff, would take over command for Walter Reed.