"In the summer of 2010, Stanley McChrystal, U.S. Army general and Afghan war commander, reportedly trashed the U.S. civilian military leadership, in effect forcing President Barack Obama to ask him to resign. The display of disrespect was striking, but more telling were the details about McChrystal's handling of smaller matters. According to one story, McChrystal was once apprised by his chief of staff that he was obliged to attend a dinner in Paris with NATO allies- if not to shore up flagging support for the war, then simply because, as the chief of staff put it, "the dinner comes with the position, sir." McChrystal held up his middle finger, retorting, "Does this come with the position?" For brazen disregard, McChrystal pales in comparison to another general, Douglas MacArthur. During the Korean War, MacArthur was a law unto himself, in matters both big and small."
Quote Details
Added by wikiquote-import-bot
Unverified quote
0 likes
Military leaders from the United StatesMemoirists from the United StatesUnited States Military Academy alumniPeople from Kansas
Original Language: English
Available Languages (1)
Sources
Aaron James, in his book Assholes: A Theory (2012), p. 1
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Stanley_A._McChrystal
Revision History
No revisions have been submitted for this quote.
Categories
Stanley A. McChrystal
Stanley Allen McChrystal (born August 14, 1954) is a retired United States Army general best known for his command of Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) in the mid-2000s. His last assignment was as Commander, International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and Commander, United States Forces – Afghanistan (USFOR-A). He previously served as Director, Joint Staff from August 2008 to June 2009 and as Commander of JSOC from 2003 to 2008, where he was credited with the death of Abu Musab al-Zarqa
35 quotes on TrueQuotesView all quotes by Stanley A. McChrystal →
Related Quotes
"It became clear to me and to many others that to defeat a networked enemy we had to become a network ourselves."
"I spent a career carrying typically either an M16 or an M4 Carbine. An M4 Carbine fires a .223 caliber round which is…"
"Never shall I fail my comrades... I will shoulder more than my share of the task, whatever it may be, one hundred per…"
"As visible symbols, soldiers often receive praise or condemnation, and both reactions feel curiously undeserved."
"Punishment of cadets had been artfully crafted. In the early nineteenth century, West Point officials deemed manual l…"
"When I entered West Point, some Americans still believed the Vietnam War might end honorably. By the time I graduated…"
"On Wednesday, June 2, 1976, I graduated and my father commissioned me as a second lieutenant. Our graduation ceremony…"
"Better pay, better recruiting, and a difficult economy all helped improve the quality of the force. While I'd struggl…"
"While I had enjoyed other jobs, I loved command. I had been in a command position for ten of the previous twenty-six …"
"Service in this business is tough and often dangerous. It extracts a price for participants, and that price can be hi…"