Why do we have so many Generals?

[hootinholler]

From WaPo:

Asked about the retired generals calling for him to lose his job, Rumsfeld said there were between 3,000 and 6,000 generals on duty and retired.

"If out of thousands and thousands of admirals and generals, if every time two or three people disagreed, we changed the secretary of defense of the United States, it would be like a merry-go-round," he said.

Seems a tad high, anyone know what the breakdown ret./active is?

-Hoot

[kentuck]

1. It's called the Military Industrial Complex...

That Eisenhower warned us about...

[PublicWrath]

3. A sane repub friend of mine said exactly the same thing during his

most recent bush-cussing extravaganza. It's so damn gratifying to know that some of 'em hate bush.

[PublicWrath]

2. The on-duty generals can't say much publicly, yet. The retired generals

were not all direct witnesses to what went on behind the scenes before and during the war. Probably still got retired generals left from Korea. When narrowed down to those who are both retired and therefore who can talk to the press AND were witnesses to what transpired behind the scenes on Iraq issues, it looks like most of 'em want his head.

But it does sound like we've got a lot of generals, I agree.

[LA lady]

4. Here's all I could find

Not all of the Armed Services keep easily accessible records of their retired officers. The Marine Corps has online biographies for 400 retired generals (of all ranks). According to the Department of Defense, the Marine Corps has 82 generals on active duty. The Air Force keeps a partial list of online biographies, which includes 86 retired generals. There are 13 active-duty generals in the Air Force.

The Explainer used the ratios above to estimate the number of retired generals in the other military branches. The Army—which currently has 312 generals—should have between 1,100 and 2,200 retired generals. According to the Army's press office, the number is about 1,700

By the same logic, there are probably between 750 and 1,500 retired admirals in the Navy and between 1,000 and 2,000 retired generals (of all ranks) in the Air Force. In total, then, you might expect somewhere between 3,100 and 6,300 retired generals and admirals.

[Selatius]

5. The US military is huge, the largest entity of its kind in the world

It stands to reason that trillions of dollars spent building nukes and war machines and having million men armies would generate more than a few career officers and generals.

[Neil Lisst]

6. every year some retire, some take their place

Many times, a full bird colonel might get made a one star or Brig general shortly before he retires, which helps his retirement.

I don't have the numbers, but it's a pyramid, with 4 stars fewest, 3 next fewest, two next fewest, and one star generals the more numerous.

The critics of Rummy are RECENT retires who worked for him, so in Iraq, and they're 2-3 star generals.

[democracyindanger]

7. Rumsfeld has problems with numbers.

What was it he said about Gen. Shinseki's troop estimate?...

[HawkerHurricane]

8. More flag officers now than during WW2...

Grade inflation.
They've got Generals doing the jobs of WW2 Majors.