President Obama announced today that he is nominating a woman doctor from Alabama as the next Surgeon General. Also, I just saw that two of our women Captains were selected for promotion to Rear Admiral, viz., CAPT Sandra Stosz and CAPT Cari Thomas. Congratulations to all three of these ladies! I am now wondering if it is too early to speculate about who the next Commandant will be. In light of these three selections, I would not be suprised to see either VADM Breckenridge or RADM Brice O'Hara nominated for the position. From what I can tell (and I have know Sally for many years), either of them would prove to be a fine relief for ADM Allen.

I can say with 100% certainty that it won't be me...

I used to work for RADM Mary Landry. She was a great leader, and I think if she was up to it, she could do a great job. I'm slightly biased though because she's a Red Sox fan. I'm sure whoever they select will be a great choice though.

I think I'm suppose to say, Moderator's Hat Off!

This old soldier would nominate a certain YNCM that I know. I think she is fully qualified.

There is nothing in the law that says the Commandant has to be a commissioned officer, let alone a flag officer.

I thought I would stir up a little trouble and then run back to the army side of things.

I keep hearing the murmur being around VADM Pekoske's name. It's all unofficial, but I've heard it many many times.

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Originally posted by LetsGoRedSox:
I used to work for RADM Mary Landry. She was a great leader, and I think if she was up to it, she could do a great job. I'm slightly biased though because she's a Red Sox fan. I'm sure whoever they select will be a great choice though.

Concur, she's a great person....and I don't even like American League baseball (stupid DH, it isn't even real baseball if the pitcher doesn't bat).

I have to go with NL...where managers have to think.

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There is nothing in the law that says the Commandant has to be a commissioned officer, let alone a flag officer.

I'll have to do some digging, but I believe that is not correct. I believe it does have to be from the ranks.

Edit:

Found it! 14 USC 44: "The President may appoint, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, one Commandant for a period of four years, who may be reappointed for further periods of four years, who shall act as Chief of the Coast Guard. The Commandant shall be appointed from the officers on the active duty promotion list serving above the grade of captain who have completed at least ten years of active service as a commissioned officer in the Coast Guard. The Commandant while so serving shall have the grade of admiral."

So - it must be an CG Flag Officer

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Mightyz90_93,

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Originally posted by PA_Retiree:
President Obama announced today that he is nominating a woman doctor from Alabama as the next Surgeon General. Also, I just saw that two of our women Captains were selected for promotion to Rear Admiral, viz., CAPT Sandra Stosz and CAPT Cari Thomas. Congratulations to all three of these ladies!

ADM Crea heads out soon. I would speculate gender balance in the Flag ranks was one of several elements of the decision process. Not implying anything disrespectful about these ladies whatsoever....just thinking about the dynamics. Congrats to the two Captains.

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I'll have to do some digging, but I believe that is not correct. I believe it does have to be from the ranks.

Phil, that one didn't deserve the digging.. I think we all knew (at least I did) it had to be a Flag officer appointment.

But I can appreciate the "Dads" point of view

Wray...

I was sure it had to be appointed from within the ranks, but I had a gut feeling they could go deeper than O-7.

I have to leave in a couple of minutes, but take a look at a good USCG history book and see if R. R. Waesche, Sr., was deep selected from CDR and then went on to serve longer than anyone else. Believe they could get around the requirement for captain by saying he was going to make it shortly.

There is an interesting letter in Waesche's papers where he lists every senior officer and why he should be selected instead of them. I believe he knew at the CDR level that he was going to be Commandant.

Now, ask yourself why no one has done a biography of Waesche.

..or....

He may have been the impetus for a change in the law. The web site I found that on did not list the effective date of that law.

RADM J. Scott Burhoe
Superintendent, USCGA

Ok, that presents an even bigger problem. The Coast Guard is going to have to promote her to O7, and that takes an act of congress. Then they have to get the Commandant's nomination cleared by congress and ready for POTUS for his signature. They better step on it, because she only has less than two years left.

Wray and Phil, what do you think? Will I get a nasty note from Kansas? Or will she excuse it because she knows that I'm a senile old man?

But if this one fails, I have another one nominee in the wings and that one has lots of time.

And here's an A&W for both of you.

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was sure it had to be appointed from within the ranks, but I had a gut feeling they could go deeper than O-7.

Someone with a good plan on re-inventing the wheel.

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The Coast Guard is going to have to promote her to O7, and that takes an act of congress.

Would she want that demotion in stature & notarity? I mean really - that would mean sho looses a star!

Why not Papp? According to many, he has managed to "clean house".

I might be wrong, but I thought Brice-O’Hara made flag before Breckenridge, so why now Breckenridge is a VADM and B-O is a RADM? Or at least they both made it at the same time. Anyhow, either way that being the case, B-O has no chance over Breckenridge. But again, I could be wrong.

I know Bob Papp and Dave Pekoske and admire both of them tremendously. That said, I believe the President will nominate a woman to be the next Commandant. He has already selected a number of women for Cabinet posts and his first pick for the Supreme Court is also the first Hispanic woman to be nominated for our highest court. We already have had an African American serving in the highest military post, i.e., General Colin Powell as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. It makes sense to me that President Obama would like to be the first President to nominate a woman to lead one of the five branches of the Armed Forces of the United States. With the current Secretary of Homeland Security being a woman, it seems inevitable to me that a woman will be the next Commandant.

Keko;
At Flag Grade time in means nil. VADM Breckenridge was selected to fill a VADM job as a VADM. RADM Brice-O'hara was selected to fill a job that we WANT to be a VADM, but is currently only a RADM job. This stuff happens all of the time. VADM Papp never wore a RADM Uniform. He wore a RDML Uniform one day and a VADM uniform, as Chief of Staff the next day. (He might have been a RADM for a day for some funky technicality of how they promote)

That would kill the deal. I guess it would be O9 or nothing. I have enough trouble contending with her now. I guess I will have to wait on the YN3 to step forward.

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Would she want that demotion in stature & notarity? I mean really - that would mean sho looses a star!