The accomplishments of Donald Rumsfeld.

DOD honors Donald Rumsfeld with full military honors in farewell.

You know I have often not been a fan of the outgoing Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. Many of times I have felt that his Iraq policy is simply wrong. Now don’t misunderstand, I completely agree with and share the same ideals for a free and democratic Iraq. I just don’t agree on how to get there.

Of course, if you are a frequent reader of My Two Cents Worth you already new that.

Let me also say that I think a lot of the criticizm given to Rumsfeld came unfairly.

Donald Rumsfeld took over a military that had not had any significant upgrades since Reagan was President.

He took on the job of reorganizing and rebuilding the military structure while trying to fight a war that we were clearly unprepared for. A job that I am glad I didn't have too do, but Rumsfeld took the challenge and did the job well in the over all scheme of things.

However you feel about Rumsfeld you can’t take away the fact that in his two terms as Secretary Of Defense he accomplished a lot more than most ever have or ever will. Rumsfeld leaves our military in a lot better shape than what it was when he found it and for that he should be rewarded.

Here is a list of Rumsfeld’s accomplishment's over the last 6 Years:

I. WAR ON TERROR

• Overall: A multinational coalition has liberated 50 million people in Afghanistan and Iraq, with formation of representative governments and security forces.
• -Liberated 31 million Afghans from Taliban control and destroyed Al-Qaeda sanctuary – conquering elements that successfully fought off the Soviet Union for over nine years – and stood up a Loya Jurga governing council eight months after operations began.
• -Liberated 26.7 million Iraqis from a brutal dictatorship and turned over sovereignty of the country to an Iraqi government in 16 months.
• -Conducted hundreds of intelligence and tactical operations—many with partner nations—throughout the world against terrorist organizations directly or loosely affiliated with Al-Qaeda.

-NATO has expanded its reach in Afghanistan—the first time the Alliance has acted outside of its traditional boundaries.

• -Suspected terrorists held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, have revealed information that has helped thwart attacks against our troops, the American people and our allies.

Recruited, Organized, Trained, and Equipped Iraqi and Afghan Security Forces:

• 129,000 for Iraqi Ministry of Defense
• 165,100 for Iraqi Ministry of Interior
• 33,000 for Afghan National Army
• 37,000 for Afghan National Police

Conducted safe and secure elections in Afghanistan and Iraq:

Elections in Iraq January 30, 2005 election

• 55 percent turnout October 15, 2005 constitutional ratification
• 63 percent turnout December 15, 2005 election
• 78 percent turnout March 16, 2006—permanent Iraqi Government seated

Elections in Afghanistan

• October 9, 2005 election—roughly 80 percent of voters turnout
• December 7, 2005—Afghan President inaugurated

Senior leadership members of America’s enemies that have been captured, killed, or made to run:

• Khalid Sheik Mohammad, Al-Qaeda’s Director of Operations—captured March 1, 2003
• Saddam Hussein’s sons—killed July 22, 2003
• Saddam Hussein—captured December 13, 2003
• Ali Hassan Mahmud al-Tikriti, AKA Chemical Ali—captured August 21, 2003
• Al Zarqawi, leader of Al Qaeda in Iraq—killed June 7, 2006
• Forty-five of fifty-five of Saddam’s top regime—the deck of cards—have been killed or captured.

II. SHAPING THE JOINT FORCE FOR ASYMETRIC WARFARE

Army

-Most significant reorganization in a generation, from a division-based structure to 70 modular brigade combat teams.

• -$21 billion invested in the National Guard for equipment and modernization so that, for the first time, the Guard will be fully manned, equipped, and funded.
• -Shift of thousands of troops from Institutional Army “tail” to Operational Army “tooth.”
• Development of Future Combat System.
• Ended Cold War legacy programs, such as the Crusader artillery and Comanche helicopter programs.

Navy

• New Fleet Response Plan doubles the number of Carrier Strike Groups that can be deployed at short notice.
• “Sea swaps” of crews allow longer deployment of ships.
• Started the development of the new Littoral Combat Ship designed to satisfy the urgent requirement for shallow draft vessels to operate in coastal waters.
• Conversion of Trident ballistic missile submarines to vessels that can carry Special Forces and launch UAVs.

Marines

• Created expeditionary strike groups with U.S. Marine Corps with many capabilities optimized for GWOT operations.
• Created Marine Corps Special Operations Command.

Air Force

• Created Air Expeditionary Groups for better efficiency and flexibility.
• Increased Unmanned Aerial Vehicles from 130 to over 3,000.
• More than 100 satellites and nearly 100 aircraft are controlled and flown daily by 26,000 Airmen to provide valuable intelligence, warning, and precision navigation to forces around the globe.
• Provide the joint / coalition force with global networking and space-based communications, navigation, weather, and surveillance information.

Irregular Warfare

• 107 percent budget increase in Special Forces.
• New technologies and tactics to counter IED threat.
• Foreign-language skills and area expertise increased throughout the force.
• Increased focus on stability operations.
• New counterinsurgency manual and doctrine issued.

Missile Defense

• Limited operating capability implemented: Emplaced 11 ground-based interceptors in Alaska and 2 in California to address long-range threats (ICBMs with range of approximately 10,000 miles).
• The first operational patrol of Aegis BMD long-range surveillance and tracking equipped destroyers was in the Sea of Japan in September 2004; today, 10 Aegis BMD Destroyers are Long-Range Surveillance and Track capable; one Aegis BMD Destroyer is Engagement capable and two Aegis BMD Cruisers are Engagement capable.
• Since 2001, 22 hit-to-kill intercept tests have destroyed their targets.
• On September 1, 2006, the last test of the ground-based interceptors exceeded its objectives by destroying a mock ballistic missile in space.
• The BMDS transitioned from developmental to operational status.
• Nuclear Triad: New structure of offensive weapons, defensive weapons bound together by an enhanced command and control, and intelligence systems.

Humanitarian Operations & Disaster Relief

Hurricane Katrina/Rita

• More than 2 million pounds of food, 34,000 MREs, and almost 180,000 bottles of water were distributed.
• Military forces peaked at nearly 72,000--50,000 National Guardsmen and 22,000 active-duty personnel—a total deployment for Katrina more than twice the size of the military response to Hurricane Andrew.
• DoD military personnel evacuated more than 80,000 Gulf Coast residents and rescued another 15,000.
• Military forces provided significant medical assistance, including 10,000 medical evacuations by ground and air and the delivery of medical treatment to more than 5,000 sick and injured people.

Asian Tsunami

• More than 24 million pounds of supplies delivered since the disaster.
• USNS Mercy cared for more than 60,000 patients and performed more than 1,000 surgeries.

Pakistan Earthquake

• 4,300 people needing medical attention. Delivered more than 7,000 tons of medical supplies, food, shelter material, blankets, and rescue equipment.
• Delivered more than 4.5 million kilograms of relief supplies to the disaster area and transported more than 15,000 people, including over 4,300 people needing medical attention.

III. MANAGEMENT & ORGANIZATION

• Transformed Unified Command Plan
• Northern Command for homeland defense and domestic emergencies.
• Joint Forces Command to focus on Transformation.
• Strategic Command replaces Space Command—missions include ballistic missile defense and WMD.
• Finalizing plan for new combatant command for Africa.
• Developing mechanisms for Combatant Commanders to have dual-responsibilities in key countries, e.g. Mexico.
• Reorganized Department Leadership
• Created an Undersecretary for Intelligence.
• Created an Assistant Secretary for Homeland Defense.
• Created an Assistant Secretary for Network Information Integration/Chief Information Officer.
• Budget:Consolidated the program/budget process into a 2-year cycle.
• National Security Personnel System (NSPS): About 10,000 civilian employees incorporated into a system that allows for greater flexibility in hiring, promotion, and assignment.
• Military to Civilian Conversion: About 20,000 positions previously held by uniformed military personnel are now performed by civilians, freeing up troops for military tasks and assignments.
• Business Processes:Created the Business Transformation Agency to improve DoD’s business processes, systems, and investment governance Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC): Implemented largest BRAC round in history, saving taxpayers $5.5 million per year.
• Transportation: Established TRANSCOM as owner of the distribution process from factory to foxhole, as opposed to from port to port.
• Defense Logistics Agency: Established as sole entity for supply chain.
• Senior Level Review Group: Established to improve civilian-military interaction.
• Headquarters Staff: Decreased by 10 percent to reduce unnecessary overhead and duplication

IV. ALLIANCES AND PARTNERSHIPS

• Global Posture Cold War arrangements overseas being updated to reflect new threats and circumstances.
• Thousands of troops and families being moved from Germany, Japan, and South Korea.
• NATO Stood up new NATO Response Force.
• Created Allied Transformation Command.
• Deployment of ISAF to Afghanistan and training mission to Iraq.
• Headquarters and overhead reduced.
• Proliferation Security Initiative: Implemented a 60-nation partnership to interdict dangerous weapons and materials.
• New Security Partnerships: Developed in the Pacific, Central and South Asia, Eastern Europe and the Balkans, and South America.
• Georgian Train and Equip Program.
• Restructure Defense Attaché program to align with new Security Cooperation Guidance.
• Global Peacekeeping Operations Initiative

V. PEOPLE

• Medical Military Amputee Training Center.
• State-of-the-art medical care for combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.
• Smallpox Vaccination Program.
• Quality of Life: Longer tours at home bases to provide less disruption to family life.
• Housing: Privatized several housing programs and built thousands of military housing units.
• Active Component / Reserve Component: “Rebalanced” thousands of personnel spaces both within and between the components to reduce stress on the forces.
• Targeted Pay Raises: Aimed to attract most talented skilled people in high demand.