Quietly, PACOM builds a mil-mil bridge

Great story reposted on Real Clear Politics on how Pacific Command is quietly beginning an officer exchange program with the Chinese. This is Fox Fallon's personal decision to exploit his time as head of PACOM to leave the U.S.-Chinese mil-mil relationship stronger than he found it.

Good stuff, done with some risk for Fallon, since it puts him at odds with Rumsfeld and the Pentagon. Word is, he's been called on the carpet, so to speak, for this sort of stuff. But the good thing about ending your career at PACOM is that you really are king-for-many-days. Most guys look at it like that, which is why it's a serious job for those who know how to use it.

Thanks to Bill Millan for alerting me on this story.

Comments

[J.Ragland]

As an enlisted man, I've met several Senators, a fistful of three-stars of various services, but only one Admiral. The gravity in the room increased noticeably as that man, only about 5'6" tall, walked into it. He was then CINCUSNAVEUR, probably the smallest in terms of manpower of all the CINC slots. The responsibility that weighs upon PACOM is to look out for 52.3% of the world's surface, unimaginably greater than any other four-star command outside of the E-ring.

I will say that I am an unabashed fan of how ADM Fallon runs his (my) bailiwick. He is an internationalist and a visionary, and I think we can all hope that his bold, and rather risky and unpopular, policies will wind us up in a better position to guide and relate to the rest of the world, and especially the Pac Rim, for the next decade or better.

[RADM Andy Singer, US Navy]

This is not in the least bit accurate in tone or assumption.