DEI and Merit

[OKTexas]

You are white. Your posts prove it. And whites on the right do the most stewing on race. Every one of the hosts you tak about dwell on race. You seem to think that unless the term black is mentioned that they are not talking about race. Their oppositon to Obama was about race. The entire summer of 2020 they were race baiting.The opposition to the NFL layers protesting, CRT, BLM, DEI, the 1619 Project were all about race. Funny how no one white gets called ow IQ. All of MAGA is about race. If not, trump would never have made Harris race an issue. You guys use dogwhistles, every discussion of immigration was about race.

The author of the 1619 Project admitted it was fiction, why are you still bringing it up?

.

 

[OKTexas]

Peter looks qualified to me.

Yep, he's never been part of the DOD political machine.

.

 

[IM2]

The author of the 1619 Project admitted it was fiction, why are you still bringing it up?

.

She didn't say it was fiction.

What she said was:

1619 Project Author Nikole Hannah-Jones Now Says She Never Implied That Year Was America's True Founding​

1619 Project Author Nikole Hannah-Jones Now Says She Never Implied That Year Was America's True Founding

The 1619 Project is The New York Times' Pulitzer-winning effort to put racism and slavery at the center of the conversation about American history. The

reason.com

The facts show that slave ships did land here in 1619, and everything written about is documented fact. So this shit from whites like you gets old. The things shown in the articles happened.

The 1619 Project (Published 2019)

American slavery began 400 years ago this month. This is referred to as the country’s original sin, but it is more than that: It is the country’s true origin.

www.nytimes.com

 

[OKTexas]

She didn't say it was fiction.

What she said was:

1619 Project Author Nikole Hannah-Jones Now Says She Never Implied That Year Was America's True Founding​

1619 Project Author Nikole Hannah-Jones Now Says She Never Implied That Year Was America's True Founding

The 1619 Project is The New York Times' Pulitzer-winning effort to put racism and slavery at the center of the conversation about American history. The

reason.com

The facts show that slave ships did land here in 1619, and everything written about is documented fact. So this shit from whites like you gets old. The things shown in the articles happened.

The 1619 Project (Published 2019)

American slavery began 400 years ago this month. This is referred to as the country’s original sin, but it is more than that: It is the country’s true origin.

www.nytimes.com

ROFLMFAO, your first link proves she's a liar. The US was founded 157 years after 1619, and was firmly under British control until we declared independence.

.

 

[IM2]

ROFLMFAO, your first link proves she's a liar. The US was founded 157 years after 1619, and was firmly under British control until we declared independence.

.

Nothing proves I'm a liar. Slave ships did come here in 1619. Now if you want to argue about founding, then that's on you. Now since the subject is DEI and how whites have benefitted the most why do you run from this truth?

 

[OKTexas]

Nothing proves I'm a liar. Slave ships did come here in 1619. Now if you want to argue about founding, then that's on you. Now since the subject is DEI and how whites have benefitted the most why do you run from this truth?

She's the one that claimed 1619 was the original founding of the US. And yeah, it proves you're a liar for pushing debunked BS. You're the one running from the truth, I'm not the reason for your misery, you have to look in the mirror to see who is. You want some truth, here ya go.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/correcting-1619s-falsehoods-about-the-american-founding-11621981288

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[IM2]

She's the one that claimed 1619 was the original founding of the US. And yeah, it proves you're a liar for pushing debunked BS. You're the one running from the truth, I'm not the reason for your misery, you have to look in the mirror to see who is. You want some truth, here ya go.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/correcting-1619s-falsehoods-about-the-american-founding-11621981288

.

Nothing was debunked. Now try defending the cabiniet trump has selected.

DEI and Merit

Let's look at one of Trumps cabinet picks. Peter Hegseth. What experience does he have that makes him qualified to run our entire Defense Deprtment besides the fact that he's a white male? Following graduation from Princeton in 2003, Hegseth joined Bear Stearns as an equity capital markets...

www.usmessageboard.com

You scabs talk about DEI, so defend the unqualified whites Trump has selected to run the countries executive agencies.

 

[OKTexas]

Nothing was debunked. Now try defending the cabiniet trump has selected.

DEI and Merit

Let's look at one of Trumps cabinet picks. Peter Hegseth. What experience does he have that makes him qualified to run our entire Defense Deprtment besides the fact that he's a white male? Following graduation from Princeton in 2003, Hegseth joined Bear Stearns as an equity capital markets...

www.usmessageboard.com

You scabs talk about DEI, so defend the unqualified whites Trump has selected to run the countries executive agencies.

Exactly what makes them unqualified, your opinion, honestly, that really doesn't count for much. It could be argued there are people more qualified and many less qualified, but ultimately it's Trump's call on who he wants. So you can shed your little tears, and it won't make a bit of difference.

.

 

[ThisIsMe]

You are white. Your posts prove it. And whites on the right do the most stewing on race. Every one of the hosts you tak about dwell on race. You seem to think that unless the term black is mentioned that they are not talking about race. Their oppositon to Obama was about race. The entire summer of 2020 they were race baiting.The opposition to the NFL layers protesting, CRT, BLM, DEI, the 1619 Project were all about race. Funny how no one white gets called ow IQ. All of MAGA is about race. If not, trump would never have made Harris race an issue. You guys use dogwhistles, every discussion of immigration was about race.

You are white. Your posts prove it.

I'm listening...please tell me that you are basing my skin color off of the fact that I disagree with you. Please show us your bigoted side.

Their oppositon to Obama was about race. The entire summer of 2020 they were race baiting.The opposition to the NFL layers protesting, CRT, BLM, DEI, the 1619 Project were all about race. Funny how no one white gets called ow IQ. All of MAGA is about race. If not, trump would never have made Harris race an issue. You guys use dogwhistles, every discussion of immigration was about race.

Do you even listen to right wing talk radio? All that is only about race because you need to think that it is, to justify the hate. In your world, all white actions are race based actions. All based.on this notion that people are racist and don't know, and you seem to be in this unique position to have this "racism radar", and you can assign racism to people who are apparently unaware, even if they are talking and thinking about a person's actions or political positions, it's all really about race.

The ironic part is, you want white people to fix their racism, but apparently they are unable to see it, only you are. Tell me, if they are unconsciously racist, then how do they fix something they don't know about?

 

[IM2]

RFK Jr an environmental lawyer is the head of HHS, but DOCTOR Ben Carson is not.

DEI.

Black MAGAS get nothing but t-shirts.

 

[NewsVine_Mariyam]

Let's look at one of Trumps cabinet picks.

Peter Hegseth. What experience does he have that makes him qualified to run our entire Defense Deprtment besides the fact that he's a white male?

Following graduation from Princeton in 2003, Hegseth joined Bear Stearns as an equity capital markets analyst and was also commissioned as an infantry officer in the Minnesota National Guard. In 2004 his unit was called to Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, where he served as an infantry platoon leader with the Minnesota Army National Guard. His unit was under the operational control of the 3rd Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment 101st Airborne Division. He was awarded the Army Commendation Medal. Shortly after returning from Cuba, Hegseth volunteered to serve in Baghdad and Samarra, where he held the position of infantry platoon leader and, later in Samarra, as Civil–Military Operations Officer. During his time in Iraq, he was awarded the Bronze Star Medal, Combat Infantryman Badge, and a second Army Commendation Medal.

He returned to active duty in 2012 as a captain. He deployed to Afghanistan with the Minnesota Army National Guard and acted as a senior counterinsurgency instructor at the Counterinsurgency Training Center in Kabul.

By 2015 or 2016, Hegseth had been promoted to the rank of major, and was assigned to the Army Individual Ready Reserve.

In 2020, Hegseth volunteered as one of the up-to-25,000 National Guard troops authorized by the Pentagon to be put on active duty to protect the inauguration of Joe Biden on January 20, 2021, but was one of 12 soldiers removed from that mission. Hegseth attributed his removal from the assignment to a "Jerusalem Cross tattoo, which is just a Christian symbol." Hegseth said his National Guard superiors determined his tattoos were connected to extremism. Hegseth had also been reported by a fellow national guardsman in his unit as a potential "insider threat" for a second tattoo, reading "Deus Vult," which has been used by white supremacists.

In January 2024 he officially separated from the Minnesota Army National Guard's Individual Ready Reserve.

Pete Hegseth - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

So lets compare him to Lloyd AustIn who some here have called a DEI Hire.

In June 1975, Austin graduated from West Point and was commissioned in the Infantry as a second lieutenant. He completed Airborne and Ranger schools prior to receiving his initial assignment in Germany with the 3rd Infantry Division (Mechanized) as a rifle platoon leader and later as a scout platoon leader and company executive officer in 1st Battalion, 7th Infantry.

Following this assignment and attendance at the Infantry Officer Advanced Course, he was assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, where he commanded the Combat Support Company, 2nd Battalion (Airborne), 508th Infantry and served as the Assistant S-3 (Operations) for 1st Brigade. In 1981, Austin was assigned to Indianapolis, Indiana, where he was the operations officer for the Army Indianapolis District Recruiting Command, and where he later commanded a company in the Army Recruiting Battalion. Upon conclusion of this assignment, he attended Auburn University, where he completed studies for a Master's in education. He then returned to West Point as a company tactical officer.

After completion of the Army Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, he was assigned to the 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), Fort Drum, New York, where he served as the S-3 (Operations) and later executive officer for the 2nd Battalion, 22nd Infantry. He subsequently served as Executive Officer for 1st Brigade, 10th Mountain, and later Director of Plans, Training, Mobilization, and Security for Fort Drum.

In 1993, Austin returned to the 82nd Airborne Division where he commanded the 2nd Battalion (Airborne), 505th Infantry. He later served as G-3 for the 82nd.

Following graduation from Army War College, Carlisle, Pennsylvania, he returned to the 82nd Airborne Division for a third tour of duty there to command 3rd Brigade.

Shortly after brigade command, he served as Chief, Joint Operations Division, J-3, on the Joint Staff at The Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia. His next assignment, in 2001, was as Assistant Division Commander for Maneuver (ADC-M), 3rd Infantry Division (Mechanized), Fort Stewart, Georgia. As the ADC-M, he helped lead the division's invasion of Iraq in March 2003. Leading the fight from the front, Austin traveled the 500 miles from Kuwait to Baghdad in his command and control vehicle. The division reached Baghdad and secured the city. Austin was awarded a Silver Star, the nation's third highest award for valor, for his actions as commander during the invasion.

Commanding General of 10th Mtn Division (Light) and CJTF-180 – Afghanistan

Austin served from September 2003 until August 2005 as Commanding General of 10th Mountain Division, with duty as Commander, Combined Joint Task Force 180, during the War in Afghanistan. He was the first African American to serve as a U.S. Army division commander in combat. He subsequently served as Chief of Staff of US Central Command at MacDill AFB in Tampa, Florida, from September 2005 until October 2006.

Commanding General of Multi-National Corps – Iraq

On December 8, 2006, Austin was promoted to lieutenant general and assumed command of XVIII Airborne Corps, Fort Bragg, North Carolina. In February 2008, Austin became the second highest ranking commander in Iraq, taking command of the Multi-National Corps – Iraq (MNC-I). As commander of MNC-I, he directed the operations of approximately 152,000 joint and coalition forces across all sectors of Iraq.[18] He was the first African American general officer to lead a corps-sized element in combat. Austin assumed the mission during the period when the Surge forces were drawing down. He expertly oversaw the responsible transition of forces out of the country while ensuring that progress continued on the ground.

Austin handed over command of XVIII Corps to become Director of the Joint Staff in August 2009. This promotion came at the direction of Admiral Michael Mullen, then Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Austin credited the appointment as having jumpstarted his later career, saying: "People who might not have known Lloyd Austin began to know him."

Commanding General of US Forces – Iraq​

On September 1, 2010, at a ceremony at Al-Faw Palace in Baghdad, Austin was promoted to the rank of General, becoming the Army's 200th four-star general officer and the sixth African American in the U.S. Army to achieve the top rank. He subsequently assumed the role of Commanding General (CG) of United States Forces – Iraq (USF-I), becoming the first African American in history to command an entire theater of war. He was preceded in the role by General Ray Odierno. As CG, USF-I, Austin was the senior military commander in charge of all US and remaining coalition forces in Iraq. Their mission was to advise, train, assist, and equip the Iraqi Armed Forces and the security agencies part of the Ministry of the Interior. As commander, Austin requested an additional troop presence in Iraq from 14,000 to 18,000.

Austin oversaw the transition from Operation Iraqi Freedom and combat operations to Operation New Dawn and stability operations focused on advising, assisting, and training the ISF. He was extensively involved in the internal U.S. discussions and then negotiations with the Iraqi Government leading up to the signing of the Strategic Partnership Agreement. Opposing total U.S. withdrawal, Austin preferred that the U.S. maintain about 10,000 troops in Iraq after 2011 and he approved staff planning for up to 20,000 remaining troops.

In the absence of a new Status of Forces Agreement, President Barack Obama made the decision to retrograde all U.S. forces out of Iraq by the end of 2011. Austin oversaw the entire operation, concurrently planning and executing the orderly drawdown and redeployment of approximately 50,000 service members. The U.S. command in Iraq formally cased its colors on December 15, 2011, at a reduced-sized BIAP complex, and Austin's speech there cited his division's seizure of the airport over eight years beforehand. Austin, along with other members of the USF-I staff, departed Iraq on December 18, 2011.

Army Vice Chief of Staff​

In December 2011, Austin was nominated to become Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Army (VCSA). He took office on January 31, 2012. As VCSA, he managed the day-to-day administration of the Army's budget and headquarters staff. Under his direction, the Army took steps to reduce the incidence of suicide in the ranks. He also spearheaded the Army's efforts to increase awareness and improve treatment options for the "invisible wounds" of war, namely traumatic brain injuries and post-traumatic stress.

United States Central Command​

Austin became the commander of CENTCOM on March 22, 2013, after being nominated by President Obama in late 2012. Austin was preceded as CENTCOM Commander by General James Mattis, whom Austin would later succeed as secretary of defense. In his capacity as CENTCOM Commander, General Austin oversaw all U.S. troops deployed and major United States Military operations around the area of Middle-East and Central and South Asia. The area consisted of 20 countries including Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Afghanistan, Egypt and Lebanon.

Austin directed the activities of four service component commands, one subordinate unified command (U.S. Forces-Afghanistan/Resolute Support Mission), two major subordinate multi-service commands, and several temporary task forces actively engaged in military operations. Austin oversaw more than 150,000 American and Coalition forces involved in operations throughout the region.

During his tenure, Austin routinely advised the president, the secretary of defense, and other national-level leadership on challenges afflicting the CENTCOM region, and directed U.S. and allied military response to multiple crises and operations. These included the explosive crisis and transition of power in Egypt (2013–14); the resurgence of Al Qaeda's affiliate in the Arabian Peninsula; the Huthi-led insurgency against the Hadi government and the civil war in Yemen; continued support for the operations in Afghanistan against Al Qaeda and other extremist groups; malign activity by Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Forces; and the rise of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in Iraq and Syria (also known as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS)).

As commander, after ISIL seized control of Mosul in June 2014, Austin oversaw the development and execution of the coalition military campaign plan to counter ISIL in Iraq and Syria, named Combined Joint Task Force - Operation Inherent Resolve (CJTF-OIR). At its peak, ISIL (also referred to as Daesh) controlled nearly 110,000 square kilometers of territory, including major cities in both Iraq and Syria, and attracted more than 40,000 foreign terrorist fighters. As of October 2014, Austin argued that the U.S. military's primary focus in operations against ISIL should be Iraq, as opposed to Syria. The military campaign to counter ISIL consisted of multiple elements occurring simultaneously or near-simultaneously, including: 1) employing a coalition effort in Iraq to halt the advance of ISIL and to enable the Iraqis to regain their territory and reestablish control over their borders; 2) containing ISIL, in part by ensuring coalition partners have the capacity to secure their sovereign borders; 3) enabling the moderate Syrian opposition forces through a coalition-led train and equip program; and 4) eliminating ungoverned spaces out of which ISIL and other terrorist groups were able to operate. In 2015, Austin conceded in a Senate Committee on Armed Services hearing that a CENTCOM-developed U.S. program intended to train Syrians to combat ISIL had resulted in only a handful of fighters. At the hearing, he faced particularly pointed questioning from Senator John McCain over the direction of military engagement in Syria.

In its first year, CJTF-OIR conducted over 8,000 airstrikes against ISIL targets in Iraq and Syria. Between 2014 and 2017, ISIL lost 95 percent of the territory they once controlled. By July 2017, Mosul was once again under the control of the Iraqi government, and by December 2017, ISIL had lost all control of territory in Iraq.

On April 15, 2024, Secretary Austin marked 10 years of the global coalition to defeat ISIL, while welcoming Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani to the Pentagon. "In 2019, thanks to the courage and sacrifices of the Iraqi security forces and our partners in Operation Inherent Resolve, together, we achieved the territorial defeat of Daesh [another name for ISIL]. But Daesh remains a threat to your citizens and to ours," Austin said.

Austin's retirement ceremony took place at Joint Base Myer–Henderson Hall on April 5, 2016. During his departure and retirement ceremony, General Austin said that he was extremely proud of the achievements of the troops under his command. He said "I'm very proud to have had the opportunity to lead troops in combat, I have seen our young leaders do amazing things in really tough and dangerous situations."

Lloyd Austin - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

So here we see a microcosm of America. The unqualified white gets a postion but his race is never thought of as a consideration. The well qualified black persons ability gets questioned as if he/she is there only because of the color of their skin. Was Hegseth picked based on merit? No. Was Austin? Based on his record, yes.

When looked at side-by-side you're right, there is absolutely no comparison. And then there is this:

Police report details sexual assault allegations against Trump nominee Pete Hegseth​

...A source inside Trump's transition team told Vanity Fair last week that the president-elect’s staff was unaware of the allegations before picking Hegseth, leading to a feeling that they’d been caught off guard. Hegseth’s attorney admitted last weekend that the ex-Fox News host paid the accuser off in 2020, fearing his gig at the network was on the line if she came forward.​

​

The full report’s release may complicate Hegseth’s Senate confirmation process next year, one of at least four cabinet appointees who were involved in past or ongoing sexual misconduct investigations...​

 

[BackAgain]

Let's look at one of Trumps cabinet picks.

Peter Hegseth. What experience does he have that makes him qualified to run our entire Defense Deprtment besides the fact that he's a white male?

Following graduation from Princeton in 2003, Hegseth joined Bear Stearns as an equity capital markets analyst and was also commissioned as an infantry officer in the Minnesota National Guard. In 2004 his unit was called to Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, where he served as an infantry platoon leader with the Minnesota Army National Guard. His unit was under the operational control of the 3rd Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment 101st Airborne Division. He was awarded the Army Commendation Medal. Shortly after returning from Cuba, Hegseth volunteered to serve in Baghdad and Samarra, where he held the position of infantry platoon leader and, later in Samarra, as Civil–Military Operations Officer. During his time in Iraq, he was awarded the Bronze Star Medal, Combat Infantryman Badge, and a second Army Commendation Medal.

He returned to active duty in 2012 as a captain. He deployed to Afghanistan with the Minnesota Army National Guard and acted as a senior counterinsurgency instructor at the Counterinsurgency Training Center in Kabul.

By 2015 or 2016, Hegseth had been promoted to the rank of major, and was assigned to the Army Individual Ready Reserve.

In 2020, Hegseth volunteered as one of the up-to-25,000 National Guard troops authorized by the Pentagon to be put on active duty to protect the inauguration of Joe Biden on January 20, 2021, but was one of 12 soldiers removed from that mission. Hegseth attributed his removal from the assignment to a "Jerusalem Cross tattoo, which is just a Christian symbol." Hegseth said his National Guard superiors determined his tattoos were connected to extremism. Hegseth had also been reported by a fellow national guardsman in his unit as a potential "insider threat" for a second tattoo, reading "Deus Vult," which has been used by white supremacists.

In January 2024 he officially separated from the Minnesota Army National Guard's Individual Ready Reserve.

Pete Hegseth - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

So lets compare him to Lloyd AustIn who some here have called a DEI Hire.

In June 1975, Austin graduated from West Point and was commissioned in the Infantry as a second lieutenant. He completed Airborne and Ranger schools prior to receiving his initial assignment in Germany with the 3rd Infantry Division (Mechanized) as a rifle platoon leader and later as a scout platoon leader and company executive officer in 1st Battalion, 7th Infantry.

Following this assignment and attendance at the Infantry Officer Advanced Course, he was assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, where he commanded the Combat Support Company, 2nd Battalion (Airborne), 508th Infantry and served as the Assistant S-3 (Operations) for 1st Brigade. In 1981, Austin was assigned to Indianapolis, Indiana, where he was the operations officer for the Army Indianapolis District Recruiting Command, and where he later commanded a company in the Army Recruiting Battalion. Upon conclusion of this assignment, he attended Auburn University, where he completed studies for a Master's in education. He then returned to West Point as a company tactical officer.

After completion of the Army Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, he was assigned to the 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), Fort Drum, New York, where he served as the S-3 (Operations) and later executive officer for the 2nd Battalion, 22nd Infantry. He subsequently served as Executive Officer for 1st Brigade, 10th Mountain, and later Director of Plans, Training, Mobilization, and Security for Fort Drum.

In 1993, Austin returned to the 82nd Airborne Division where he commanded the 2nd Battalion (Airborne), 505th Infantry. He later served as G-3 for the 82nd.

Following graduation from Army War College, Carlisle, Pennsylvania, he returned to the 82nd Airborne Division for a third tour of duty there to command 3rd Brigade.

Shortly after brigade command, he served as Chief, Joint Operations Division, J-3, on the Joint Staff at The Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia. His next assignment, in 2001, was as Assistant Division Commander for Maneuver (ADC-M), 3rd Infantry Division (Mechanized), Fort Stewart, Georgia. As the ADC-M, he helped lead the division's invasion of Iraq in March 2003. Leading the fight from the front, Austin traveled the 500 miles from Kuwait to Baghdad in his command and control vehicle. The division reached Baghdad and secured the city. Austin was awarded a Silver Star, the nation's third highest award for valor, for his actions as commander during the invasion.

Commanding General of 10th Mtn Division (Light) and CJTF-180 – Afghanistan

Austin served from September 2003 until August 2005 as Commanding General of 10th Mountain Division, with duty as Commander, Combined Joint Task Force 180, during the War in Afghanistan. He was the first African American to serve as a U.S. Army division commander in combat. He subsequently served as Chief of Staff of US Central Command at MacDill AFB in Tampa, Florida, from September 2005 until October 2006.

Commanding General of Multi-National Corps – Iraq

On December 8, 2006, Austin was promoted to lieutenant general and assumed command of XVIII Airborne Corps, Fort Bragg, North Carolina. In February 2008, Austin became the second highest ranking commander in Iraq, taking command of the Multi-National Corps – Iraq (MNC-I). As commander of MNC-I, he directed the operations of approximately 152,000 joint and coalition forces across all sectors of Iraq.[18] He was the first African American general officer to lead a corps-sized element in combat. Austin assumed the mission during the period when the Surge forces were drawing down. He expertly oversaw the responsible transition of forces out of the country while ensuring that progress continued on the ground.

Austin handed over command of XVIII Corps to become Director of the Joint Staff in August 2009. This promotion came at the direction of Admiral Michael Mullen, then Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Austin credited the appointment as having jumpstarted his later career, saying: "People who might not have known Lloyd Austin began to know him."

Commanding General of US Forces – Iraq​

On September 1, 2010, at a ceremony at Al-Faw Palace in Baghdad, Austin was promoted to the rank of General, becoming the Army's 200th four-star general officer and the sixth African American in the U.S. Army to achieve the top rank. He subsequently assumed the role of Commanding General (CG) of United States Forces – Iraq (USF-I), becoming the first African American in history to command an entire theater of war. He was preceded in the role by General Ray Odierno. As CG, USF-I, Austin was the senior military commander in charge of all US and remaining coalition forces in Iraq. Their mission was to advise, train, assist, and equip the Iraqi Armed Forces and the security agencies part of the Ministry of the Interior. As commander, Austin requested an additional troop presence in Iraq from 14,000 to 18,000.

Austin oversaw the transition from Operation Iraqi Freedom and combat operations to Operation New Dawn and stability operations focused on advising, assisting, and training the ISF. He was extensively involved in the internal U.S. discussions and then negotiations with the Iraqi Government leading up to the signing of the Strategic Partnership Agreement. Opposing total U.S. withdrawal, Austin preferred that the U.S. maintain about 10,000 troops in Iraq after 2011 and he approved staff planning for up to 20,000 remaining troops.

In the absence of a new Status of Forces Agreement, President Barack Obama made the decision to retrograde all U.S. forces out of Iraq by the end of 2011. Austin oversaw the entire operation, concurrently planning and executing the orderly drawdown and redeployment of approximately 50,000 service members. The U.S. command in Iraq formally cased its colors on December 15, 2011, at a reduced-sized BIAP complex, and Austin's speech there cited his division's seizure of the airport over eight years beforehand. Austin, along with other members of the USF-I staff, departed Iraq on December 18, 2011.

Army Vice Chief of Staff​

In December 2011, Austin was nominated to become Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Army (VCSA). He took office on January 31, 2012. As VCSA, he managed the day-to-day administration of the Army's budget and headquarters staff. Under his direction, the Army took steps to reduce the incidence of suicide in the ranks. He also spearheaded the Army's efforts to increase awareness and improve treatment options for the "invisible wounds" of war, namely traumatic brain injuries and post-traumatic stress.

United States Central Command​

Austin became the commander of CENTCOM on March 22, 2013, after being nominated by President Obama in late 2012. Austin was preceded as CENTCOM Commander by General James Mattis, whom Austin would later succeed as secretary of defense. In his capacity as CENTCOM Commander, General Austin oversaw all U.S. troops deployed and major United States Military operations around the area of Middle-East and Central and South Asia. The area consisted of 20 countries including Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Afghanistan, Egypt and Lebanon.

Austin directed the activities of four service component commands, one subordinate unified command (U.S. Forces-Afghanistan/Resolute Support Mission), two major subordinate multi-service commands, and several temporary task forces actively engaged in military operations. Austin oversaw more than 150,000 American and Coalition forces involved in operations throughout the region.

During his tenure, Austin routinely advised the president, the secretary of defense, and other national-level leadership on challenges afflicting the CENTCOM region, and directed U.S. and allied military response to multiple crises and operations. These included the explosive crisis and transition of power in Egypt (2013–14); the resurgence of Al Qaeda's affiliate in the Arabian Peninsula; the Huthi-led insurgency against the Hadi government and the civil war in Yemen; continued support for the operations in Afghanistan against Al Qaeda and other extremist groups; malign activity by Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Forces; and the rise of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in Iraq and Syria (also known as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS)).

As commander, after ISIL seized control of Mosul in June 2014, Austin oversaw the development and execution of the coalition military campaign plan to counter ISIL in Iraq and Syria, named Combined Joint Task Force - Operation Inherent Resolve (CJTF-OIR). At its peak, ISIL (also referred to as Daesh) controlled nearly 110,000 square kilometers of territory, including major cities in both Iraq and Syria, and attracted more than 40,000 foreign terrorist fighters. As of October 2014, Austin argued that the U.S. military's primary focus in operations against ISIL should be Iraq, as opposed to Syria. The military campaign to counter ISIL consisted of multiple elements occurring simultaneously or near-simultaneously, including: 1) employing a coalition effort in Iraq to halt the advance of ISIL and to enable the Iraqis to regain their territory and reestablish control over their borders; 2) containing ISIL, in part by ensuring coalition partners have the capacity to secure their sovereign borders; 3) enabling the moderate Syrian opposition forces through a coalition-led train and equip program; and 4) eliminating ungoverned spaces out of which ISIL and other terrorist groups were able to operate. In 2015, Austin conceded in a Senate Committee on Armed Services hearing that a CENTCOM-developed U.S. program intended to train Syrians to combat ISIL had resulted in only a handful of fighters. At the hearing, he faced particularly pointed questioning from Senator John McCain over the direction of military engagement in Syria.

In its first year, CJTF-OIR conducted over 8,000 airstrikes against ISIL targets in Iraq and Syria. Between 2014 and 2017, ISIL lost 95 percent of the territory they once controlled. By July 2017, Mosul was once again under the control of the Iraqi government, and by December 2017, ISIL had lost all control of territory in Iraq.

On April 15, 2024, Secretary Austin marked 10 years of the global coalition to defeat ISIL, while welcoming Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani to the Pentagon. "In 2019, thanks to the courage and sacrifices of the Iraqi security forces and our partners in Operation Inherent Resolve, together, we achieved the territorial defeat of Daesh [another name for ISIL]. But Daesh remains a threat to your citizens and to ours," Austin said.

Austin's retirement ceremony took place at Joint Base Myer–Henderson Hall on April 5, 2016. During his departure and retirement ceremony, General Austin said that he was extremely proud of the achievements of the troops under his command. He said "I'm very proud to have had the opportunity to lead troops in combat, I have seen our young leaders do amazing things in really tough and dangerous situations."

Lloyd Austin - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

So here we see a microcosm of America. The unqualified white gets a postion but his race is never thought of as a consideration. The well qualified black persons ability gets questioned as if he/she is there only because of the color of their skin. Was Hegseth picked based on merit? No. Was Austin? Based on his record, yes.

Tl; wouldn’t read it anyway.

 

[BackAgain]

DEI and Merit​

Cool. A thread about opposites.

Let me try one.

IQ2 post and intelligence.