[Adam White]

Originally posted by The Reaper
Adam:

Does this clip from his bio look like a guy out of touch with the conventional (Heavy) Army?

TR

Early in his career, General Schoomaker was a Reconnaissance Platoon Leader and Rifle Company Commander with 2nd Battalion, 4th Infantry, and a Cavalry Troop Commander with 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment in Germany. He then served in Korea as the S-3 Operations Officer of 1st Battalion, 73rd Armor, 2nd Infantry Division. From 1978 to 1981, he commanded a Squadron in the 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment - D. Following Army Command and General Staff College, General Schoomaker served as the Squadron Executive Officer, 2nd Squadron, 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment in Germany. In August 1983, he returned to Fort Bragg, North Carolina, to serve as Special Operations Officer, J-3, Joint Special Operations Command. From August 1985 to August 1988, General Schoomaker commanded another Squadron in the 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment - D. Following the National War College, he returned as the Commander, 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment - D from June 1989 to July 1992. Subsequently, General Schoomaker served as the Assistant Division Commander of the 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas, followed by a tour in the Headquarters, Department of the Army staff as the Deputy Director for Operations, Readiness and Mobilization.

General Schoomaker served as the Commanding General of the Joint Special Operations Command from July 1994 to August 1996, followed by command of the United States Army Special Operations Command at Fort Bragg, North Carolina through October 1997. His most recent assignment prior to assuming duties as the Army Chief of Staff was as Commander in Chief, United States Special Operations Command at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida, from November 1997 to November 2000.

Believe me sir; having had the privilege of hearing the man speak last year, I believe he has a keen understanding of much if the Army as a whole - and our problems. "Out of touch" is truly not a word I would use. Still, his last real troop time with conventional formations was as an ADC for 1st Cav - a one star billet. His only commands on the conventional side were at the company level (I'm gathering this purely from what you posted, as I did not know prior to this - so I may have missed something above) - . Relative to Generals who have commanded brigades, Divisions, Armies, and Corps, that is a lack of breadth.

Again, I stress RELATIVE to the other generals.

I don't doubt he is the right man for the job, it is just hard for me to not imagine there are intricacies and subtleties in the Pentagon maze that he would have trouble with. On the plus side, he definitely has the respect - and therefore the ear - of the Secretary of Defense. That alone is likely worth its weight in gold for the Army.