Retired senior officers cashing in

[Brett327]

Brett, I don't dispute that flags have managed organizations. However, they are not businessmen. There are many individuals with more relevant experience who could consult or work for these firms. In many cases these flag officers are there to lend their names, connections, and reputations, to things that may or may not deserve it.

I don't dispute that, but it's not the only reason they're valued by industry, and I don't choose to ascribe widespread nefarious intent, as you have done. I'm sure it would be possible for people to engage in unethical or illegal behaviors in just about any endeavor if they really wanted to. I tend to give someone who has dedicated their entire adult life to serving their country the benefit of the doubt. I'm all about having a system of regulatory checks and balances to keep people honest, but I think you're making mountains out of mole hills.

Happy Xmas.

 

[scoolbubba]

Where has this new Brett come from? I find myself agreeing with him way too often.

 

[KBayDog]

Where has this new Brett come from? I find myself agreeing with him way too often.

Believe it or not, this is the old Brett. Unfortunately, the New Old Brett still wears oak leaves.

"He the Devil, you understand? Never take your eye off the Man."

Fight the power, little G.

 

[Brett327]

Where has this new Brett come from? I find myself agreeing with him way too often.

This is the freedom I enjoy in having cast off my partisan chains years ago. Nothing keeps people off balance like being confronted by an atheist, pro gun, anti-entitlement, law and order, social libertarian monster such as myself. I've been consistently unpredictable.

 

[scoolbubba]

I'm your run of the mill agnostic, pro gun, fiscal conservative. Stay out of people's bedrooms and keep their tax dollars in their pockets!

My name also happens to be Brett. Fucking creepy.

 

[The Chief]

Tell me what you really think. Please. .....

Fair enough. thanks. I think we do not need rules that might apply to some future problems. As an E9, armed with an MS in Electronic Engineering and 18 years of direct operational experience, I retired and cross decked to a GS-14 slot in the same command. Far more experience and education than anyone else in the branch. To some I was known as a "sand crab" or alternatively "double dipper". Moving on to a Civil agency, I managed a $2.4 billion/year budget. The offers of bribes was tremendous. My answer was always the same: "If you persist, we will both go to the IG to discuss it". I took not even a cup of coffee. I was frankly notorious for my stance on the issue. It served me well, most of the time.

Moving on to another agency as a SES; involved, primarily with policy, but needing a solid "opertional" background that few possessed. Castigated for receiving full military retirement as well a full SES pay (unlike Commissioned Officers who were dinged for having both). Retired from the SES position, receiving Social Security, Military Retirment and Civil Service retirement, albeit my Social Security is dinged because of multiple retirment checks. I then started a small company, clients included of necessity, agencies that I had worked for. We sold that company but remain active, pro bono, because of the lack available expertise in the field.

Question is: Where along my time like would you intervene and prevent me from: A) Serving or B) making a decent living?

Note: I am old enough to remember when the airlines were raiding military aviation. From out of the woodwork came the folks, e.g, Flight Safety Academy of Vero Beach FL, complaining that the military pilots should not be able to take airline jobs for a least 5 years as it was unfair for graduates of these "flight schools" to complete time and experince wise with taxpayer funded training and experience. Is there a difference?

 

[Renegade One]

Where has this new Brett come from? I find myself agreeing with him way too often.

I know...right?!?

 

[Renegade One]

...but to play devil's advocate, the leadership skillset required to succeed as a senior military officer is significantly different than the skillset required to succeed as an upper-level business executive.

I don't think it's as significantly different as you think. It's just that the fiscal rewards of long military service are far, far less.

If an executive at Apple decided to prohibit his employees from drinking after 2200 and halt all productivity for 2-3 days to give power points on why drinking and driving is bad to curtail turnover costs from DUIs, he wouldn't have a job much longer.

Unless, of course, said "executive at Apple" 's folks were routinely raping, pillaging and plundering host nationals at overseas business locations.

...DoD contracted companies hire flag officers partially in order to create a sales bridge using the flag's experience and credibility, which allows the company to push new products onto Uncle Sam without the scrutiny an O-4 or O-5 would get pushing the same product.

Yes...to the first part. Part of what Industry values, obviously, is the retired GO/FO's "Rolodex" of contacts and easy access to same. Current (I think) 1-year "cooling off period" allows for a reasonable period of time for the active side to be no-longer "beholden" to the "slimy contractor" now coming to make a call.

I'm less sure about the second part. As I've tried to articulate before, when a retired GO/FO makes an industry pitch, I think "the customer" is a bit more comfortable that it passed at least his/her sanity check and might be worth listening to in greater detail. Rightly or wrongly, the "pitch" just gets a bit more serious consideration than one from a typical BD-type.

Just my experience(s)...YMMV.

 

[KBayDog]

Unless, of course, said "executive at Apple" 's folks were routinely raping, pillaging and plundering host nationals at overseas business locations.

Routinely?

 

[Renegade One]

Routinely?

You get the idea.

What adverb suits you? "Only occasionally"? Fine. Let's go with that.

 

[KBayDog]

You get the idea.

What adverb suits you? "Only occasionally"? Fine. Let's go with that.

I'd prefer "extremely rarely," but that's okay.

BTW, since we're in one of the only professions whose members are routinely referred to in the media by their job (i.e., "A local Sailor..." "A retired Marine..."), who is to say that employees of [insert evil corporationy corporation here] aren't engaging in the very same rape, pillage, and plunder you describe? Could it be due to a difference in reporting of such incidents?

Is it not out of the realm of possibility that an employee of, say, Apple could get drunk and rape a local? The difference is that you'd never hear about it because if said employee's situation is reported, it's "An American man raped a Japanese girl"...vice "A U.S. Marine raped a Japanese girl." One gets published above the fold; the other is a footnote.

 

[Alpha_Echo_606]

I'd prefer "extremely rarely," but that's okay.

BTW, since we're in one of the only professions whose members are routinely referred to in the media by their job (i.e., "A local Sailor..." "A retired Marine..."), who is to say that employees of [insert evil corporationy corporation here] aren't engaging in the very same rape, pillage, and plunder you describe? Could it be due to a difference in reporting of such incidents?

Is it not out of the realm of possibility that an employee of, say, Apple could get drunk and rape a local? The difference is that you'd never hear about it because if said employee's situation is reported, it's "An American man raped a Japanese girl"...vice "A U.S. Marine raped a Japanese girl." One gets published above the fold; the other is a footnote.

I'd almost bet they are, I know the ethics of a lot of the people I work with is questionable at best. (And that's not the former military folks either.)

 

[Renegade One]

I'd prefer "extremely rarely," but that's okay.

BTW, since we're in one of the only professions whose members are routinely referred to in the media by their job (i.e., "A local Sailor..." "A retired Marine..."), who is to say that employees of [insert evil corporationy corporation here] aren't engaging in the very same rape, pillage, and plunder you describe? Could it be due to a difference in reporting of such incidents?

Is it not out of the realm of possibility that an employee of, say, Apple could get drunk and rape a local? The difference is that you'd never hear about it because if said employee's situation is reported, it's "An American man raped a Japanese girl"...vice "A U.S. Marine raped a Japanese girl." One gets published above the fold; the other is a footnote.

I expect there's much truth to that. Explains a lot in terms of leadership reactions.

 

[Spekkio]

Unless, of course, said "executive at Apple" 's folks were routinely raping, pillaging and plundering host nationals at overseas business locations.

Then the HR guys would all get canned for hiring a bunch of dirtbags, and the company would revamp its screening process. But it would not attempt to restrict its employees who otherwise follow the law because they know it would lead to a lot of people quitting, a lot of lost productivity, and a lot of lost profit.

 

[HAL Pilot]

It must be Christmas, I'm agreeing with Brett about flag officers.....