Ousted General To Teach At Yale

General Stanley McChrystal will soon make the move from the military to academia. Yale University announced Monday that the recently ousted Afghan commander will begin teaching a graduate level seminar on international relations at the Ivy League school.

“I am extremely excited to be teaching at Yale,” McChrystal said in a statement released by the University. “I look forward to sharing my experiences and insights as a career military officer.”

The four-star General will join the faculty as a Senior Fellow in the school’s Jackson Institute for Global Affairs. His seminar will focus on  the effect globalization has taken on modern leadership.

McChrystal was recently replaced as Afghan Commander by General David Petraeus after disparaging remarks aimed at administration officials from both McChrystal and his staff were included in the June issue of Rolling Stone magazine.  McChrystal was relieved of duty amid the ensuing controversy and retired from the Army soon after. 

Mattis Tapped As CENTCOM Head

Defense Secretary Robert Gates announced Thursday that he has selected General James Mattis to replace General David Petraeus as the head of U.S. Central Command, and characterized Mattis as one of the military’s most independent and iconoclastic leaders.

However, these attributes have gotten Mattis in trouble in the past. In 2005, Mattis remarked on-camera that it was “fun to shoot some people” in Afghanistan.

“You got guys who slap women around for five years because they didn’t wear a veil. You know, guys like that ain’t got no manhood left anyway,” Mattis said during a panel discussion in California. “It’s a hell of a lot of fun to shoot them. Actually, it’s a lot of fun to fight. You know, it’s a hell of a hoot. It’s fun to shoot some people. I’ll be right upfront with you, I like brawling.”

When reminded of Mattis’s remarks by a reporter, Gates responded that that the General was properly disciplined at the time and has corrected his behavior since the incident.

“That was five years ago,” said Gates. “I think the subsequent five years have demonstrated that the lesson was learned.”

Mattis, a Marine, is the current head of U.S. Joint Forces Command. He was initially intending to retire this year.

General Petraeus was unanimously confirmed by the Senate to command U.S. forces in Afghanistan last Wednesday. He replaced now-retired General Stanley McChrystal, who was relieved of his command after disparaging comments from he and his staff made it into an issue of Rolling Stone magazine.

Senate Armed Services Chairman Carl Levin’s (D-Mich.) office told Talk Radio News that the dates for Mattis’s confirmation hearings will not be announced until at least next week.

Senate Confirms Petraeus

General David Petraeus was unanimously confirmed by the Senate Wednesday as the new U.S. Commander in Afghanistan.

Although the July 2011 date to begin withdrawing troops from Afghanistan has become a dividing issue between Democrats and Republicans, there was little doubt that the former head of Central Command would face a smooth confirmation process.

Petraeus will replace Gen. Stanley McChrystal, who was relieved of his position after criticism levied from him and his staff against various members of the Obama administration made it into a recent issue of Rolling Stone Magazine. McChrystal announced his retirement Monday.

The White House has not yet announced who will step-in for Petraues at Central Command, but it is widely assumed that it will be either Lt. General John Allen, the current Deputy Commander at CENTCOM, or General James Mattis, the head of U.S. Joint Forces Command. Both Generals were also considered as possible replacements for McChrystal.

Petraeus assumes command as U.S. forces prepare for a critical offensive in Kandahar province this summer.

McChrystal Apologizes For Controversial Remarks, Cites Poor Judgment

General Stanley McChrystal, the commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan, apologized Tuesday following reports that the four-star general mocked members of the Obama administration’s security team during an interview with Rolling Stone magazine.

"I extend my sincerest apology for this profile. It was a mistake reflecting poor judgment and should never have happened,” McChrystal said in a written statement. “I have enormous respect and admiration for President Obama and his national security team, and for the civilian leaders and troops fighting this war and I remain committed to ensuring its successful outcome."

The Rolling Stone profile, which will be released later this week, reportedly features the commander describing White House officials as “wimps” and stating that he felt betrayed after Afghan Ambassador Karl Eikenberry cast doubts on the Karzai government in a leaked memo. Aides for McChrystal were also included in the article describing National Security Adviser James L. Jones as a “clown” and joining McChrystal in mocking Vice President Joe Biden.

White House officials told the Associated Press that administration has asked McChrystal to attend Wednesday’s security meeting on Afghanistan and Pakistan in person to explain his comments. McChrystal usually joins in via satellite-video.

McChrystal assumed the role of Afghan commander last summer. He was a key architect of the decision to send an additional 30,000 troops to Afghanistan.

Petraeus Touts Integrated Civil-Military Effort In Kandahar

By Miles Wolf Tamboli-Talk Radio News

General David Petraeus, the U.S. CentCom Commander, told the Senate Armed Services Committee Wednesday that as the military's focus shifts from efforts in the Central Helmand River Valley, where forces have overtaken Taliban sanctuaries in Marjah and Nad-i-Ali to overtaking strongholds in Kandahar Province, strategies are becoming more comprehensive.

"The effort [in Kandahar] features an integrated civil-military approach to security, governance, and development," said Petraeus. The objective of this method is to provide a rising tide of security that will expand incrementally over time and establish the foundation of improved security on which local Afghan governance can be built."

Added the General, "We and our [international] partners have worked hard to get the 'inputs' right in Afghanistan: to build organizations, command and control structures, and relationships needed to carry out a comprehensive civil-military campaign."

Patraeus emphasized the strategy employed by General Stanley McChrystal, Commander of U.S. Forces Afghanistan. According to Petraeus, "Central to achieving progress in Afghanistan ... is increasing the size and capability of [the Afghan Army]. General Stan McChrystal has placed a premium on comprehensive partnering with [Afghan forces]."

Wednesday's hearing followed General Petraeus' collapse the day prior. Petraeus quickly recovered Tuesday and made assurances that he was simply dehydrated.