Senior Army leadership was caught off guard by Thursday’s abrupt announcement, a US official told CNN — learning of George’s forced departure along with the rest of the Defense Department, when it was announced publicly.

George found out in a phone call from Hegseth on Thursday while he was in a meeting, a second US official said. He later spoke to his staff in-person about the announcement and his staff was “very stoic” when receiving the news, the official said.

Hegseth’s move comes a day after Donald Trump’s address to the nation on the Iran war. In the speech, Trump signaled the US will intensify strikes on Iran, after earlier suggesting the US could be done with the war within two to three weeks.

  • panda_abyss@lemmy.ca
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    1 day ago

    I’m going to guess this guy said sending waves of soldiers to die in a land invasion would be a bad idea.

    I mean, just look at Russia’s losses in Ukraine. A land invasion with so little support is a bad idea.

    • LifeInMultipleChoice@lemmy.world
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      1 day ago

      I agree with the sentiment, but it isn’t close to the same. Russia mobilized 100,000 troops to gather at the Ukraine border in 2020 before Biden became president. Trump has sent an additional 2,400 troops to the Iran area after starting the war. The meat grinder effect won’t work the same. Russia loses more troops a day sometimes than the U.S. has deployed. That’s why he doesn’t care. He knows he can always compare to Russia/Ukraine and “look good” while it is unfathomably stupid for him to do so.

      • phutatorius@lemmy.zip
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        1 day ago

        The meat grinder effect won’t work the same.

        That’s because Russia has actually seized and attempts to hold Ukrainian territory. If idiot Trump’s idea is to drive the Iranians out of Kharg island and other places adjacent to the strait, it’ll escalate to the same kind of high-casualty quagmire.

        He knows he can always compare to Russia/Ukraine

        What he knows is almost certainly less than most people assume.

      • Akasazh@lemmy.world
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        1 day ago

        Also Russia did have the advantage of surprise. No such luck for the poor sods that have to defend the pedo in chiefs honor by attacking head first into a prepared defense.

        • Soup@lemmy.world
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          20 hours ago

          Well, they don’t need to. If someone says “hey, go commit a warcrime for me” it’s really your duty to say “no, fuck off.”

          • Akasazh@lemmy.world
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            17 hours ago

            That’s how it’s suposed to be. But I feel that the current admin will boot them and try to deny their pensions and benefits.

            • Soup@lemmy.world
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              13 hours ago

              Is the alternative then to bomb children?

              “Sorry kids, I was worried I’d lose my pension so you have to lose your lives” isn’t much of an excuse.