Air Force General Merrill A. McPeak retired in 1994 after serving as Air Force Chief of Staff. He had entered the Air Force in 1957 through the San Diego State ROTC program and came up through the Air Force’s “fighter Mafia†including two years with the Air Force Thunderbirds aerobatic team. He flew 269 combat missions over Vietnam.
As Air Force Chief, he reduced, at the Clinton Administration’s direction the Air Force from 200 to 90 Air Wings, redesigned the Air Force Service Uniform to a more “Airline Pilot style†(which was quickly undone by the next Chief), introduced Total Quality Management to the Air Force from the private sector (mission statements for everyone!) tried to shed the Air Force’s Close Air Support Mission and stake out Space as the Air Force’s sole territory.
Since leaving the Air Force, he ahs served as a consultant and business executive for TWA, ECC International, and Tektronix. In 1996, he served as Oregon state chairman for Bob Dole’s campaign and endorsed George W. Bush in 2000, but split with the President over Iraq. Subsequently he campaigned for Howard Dean in 2004 and became an advisor to John Kerry when the Dean campaign came to an end. (In other words, he was for President Bush BEFORE he was for Howard Dean BEFORE he was for John Kerry.) He is presently co-chair of Barack Obama’s campaign. If Hillary were doing better, you’ve got to wonder if he wouldn’t be jumping ship again and gives every impression of seeking a position, perhaps Secretary of Defense.
In a 2003 Oregonian interview, despite hard words for President Bush and having been AFCS during Desert Storm and later Iraq no-fly zone operations, he wrongly characterized Iraq (169,000 Sq mi) as being about the size of Nebraska (77,000 Sq mi). And no one should be under illusions as to his ability to prognosticate. From the same interview: “What I would expect is as soon as we can gracefully do it, hand off Iraq to some sort of military-slash-civilian administration…. I’ll tell you one thing we should not hope for (is) a democratic Iraq. When I hear the president talking about democracy, the last thing we should want is an election in Iraq. We’re not very popular. So I don’t think we’ll see any open elections in Iraq for a long time.â€ÂÂÂ
And he had this to say that may sound familiar: “We’ll be there a century, hopefully. If it works right.â€Â Little doubt neither he nor Senator Obama will be running that back up the flagpole anytime soon.
What’s unfortunate, is that I can’t say, based on the military advisors Senator Obama has, is that he might be telling the left what it wants to hear. Looks like he’s firmly in the surrender camp. At least they’ll have some natty corporate looking uniforms.
Comment by happyfeet on 3/1 @ 10:57 am #
He wants a job is all I can figure. I looked around, and you’re right, he’s big on hitching his wagon, but his pattern also kind of suggests his role with the campaign could be as an envoy for some other group or individual that can’t comfortably be seen as being that close. In his career, he was never really much the big picture guy it seems. It seems odd how he’s come to fancy himself that so late in life.
Let’s note here that Obama’s #1 military guy is the same age as McCain.
Comment by RTO Trainer on 3/1 @ 4:47 pm #
I hadn’t considered that he might be a proxy. You have any thoughts on a proxy for whom? Some of his business interests maybe?
Comment by happyfeet on 3/1 @ 6:54 pm #
No idea, and I’m for real not big into the paranoia thing, just that he is a CFR guy and is involved in whatever it is their West Coast franchise is all about. Who knows, but it opens up just lots of possibilities it seems to me when you start looking at those kinds of associations.
Comment by RTO Trainer on 3/1 @ 7:33 pm #
Well, okay, but everyone except Ron Paul is a CFR guy. Heck, I am too.
Comment by happyfeet on 3/1 @ 7:58 pm #
I’m not. Mostly cause I hate that smarmy Fareed Zakaria dude. But you can’t play like they’re exempt from the inexorable cooptation by the left all institutions are. They’re really just another Columbia University with better suits I think at the end of the day.
Comment by narciso on 3/3 @ 4:25 am #
He retired pretty quickly in Bill Clinton’s term. One notices, AF (CoS)don’t last very long. General Dugan, McPeak’s predecessor was dismissed over inpolitic comments about the
nature of the upcoming air campaign
on Saddam. He then went on toendorse Clinton as I recall. Despite having cut the AF in half, and institute TQM??? Gen. Fogleman, retired not long after Khobar Towers attack. Unlike General Hoar who blinked when the first attacks were occurring in his bailiwick at CENTCOM; or his successor Gen. Zinni, who did next to nothing, about Bin Laden, between 1998-01. Oh he did schedule a war game, which suggested, Iraq might be a problem, Question, did he think a Uday or Qusay regime would be more effective in Iraq. Maybe Mr. Auchi, Mssr. Dunham Baathist fixer and partner with Rezko can chip in.
Comment by Pave Low John on 3/3 @ 3:08 pm #
Just a little FYI from a long-time USAF pilot, General Merrill ‘Skeletor’ McPeak is probably the most-hated general officer in Air Force history. Seriously, ask any Air Force people who were around in the early to mid 90s and they will give you an earful about this guy. My old Huey squadron used to fly him between Langley Air Force Base and the Pentagon and he was a total dick, completely pissed off that he, a fighter god, had to ride in the back of a smelly helicopter. Plus, he insisted on wearing a helmet hooked up to the comm system so he could hear if anyone on board was talking about him behind his back (thats where the Skeletor name came from, seeing his pinched, skull-like face framed by a big-ass helicopter helmet). Highlights of the McPeak years:
- Personally pushed new, redesigned, extra-shitty flightsuits, with zippers on the side, frickin’ epaulets on the shoulders and pleats. Nicknamed ‘The Fag Bag’, worst uniform ever, quickly canceled by the next Chief of Staff.
- Crammed the T-3 ‘Firefly’ down the Air Force Academy’s throat to do pilot screening training with (instead of the reliable and time-tested Cessna 172). After two instructors and two cadets died in back-to-back crashes, McPeak’s retort: “We’re not training dentists to fly their families to Acapulco here”. What an asshole.
- Finally, McPeak is the one who mentored a certain Lt Colonel named Darleen Druyun through her entire career, finally resulting in an Air Force scandal that is still being felt today (Wikipedia her name and prepare to be disgusted).
So, yeah, if Obama wants to use Skeletor for an advisor, go ahead. The USAF sure as hell doesn’t want him back.
Pave Low John
USAF Special Ops Chopper guy since 1995…
Comment by DRDBA on 3/24 @ 5:23 pm #
I have to second Pave Low John’s comments on USAF General “Tony” McPeak. He was the most despised general officer in the Air Force that I have ever heard of. I have been working with the US Air Force community for nearly 30 years, including having first-hand experience with McPeak. A real nut job.
Comment by Terminal Clap on 4/3 @ 9:15 pm #
McPeak was a total moron. His uniforms were a disgrace, and the present AFCoS, Gen Teed Michael Moseley, is trying to “make his mark” by re-designing uniforms… again!!! The new ABU is crap, and the way the AF is run, is like a hosed up business.
The AF needs real leaders not real losers like McPeak, Moseley and Dr. “Bullfrog” Roche.
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