Two views of SECDEF Gates

In response to this item yesterday, noting Robert Gates's mention of John Boyd as one of the "transformative figures of American air power," two reactions. The first is from a relatively recent product of the Air Force Academy (whom I don't know). The second is from a long-standing friend who is a quite experienced veteran of the defense business. First up:

"I graduated from the Air Force Academy in 2002, and while I was there Boyd was taught in our Military Strategic Studies courses as though he was the latest in a line of military theorists that stretched from Sun Tzu, Clausewitz, Jomini, Douhet, Mitchell, Liddell Hart, Boyd, and Warden.  In fact, Boyd's OODA loop was taught with such reverence that I distinctly remember making light of it with my classmates.

"I am a few years to junior for such an assignment, but were I on the the staff of Secretary Gates assisting with the preparation of speeches, I would not have batted an eye at the inclusion of Boyd among that line up, and I doubt any officers from my cohort would either.  If anything, LeMay strikes me as out of place and far more controversial in today's Air Force."

Now, from Charles A. Stevenson, a friend and former professor of mine who has written a book, SECDEF, about the "nearly impossible job" of running the Pentagon:

"I share your surprise and satisfaction over the performance of Bob Gates...  I fully expected him to follow the Laird model: wind down the war in Iraq, cut deals with the senior military on other issues, end-run the White House types on issues that mattered to him. From his long government service and membership on the Iraq Study Group, that seemed likely. His appointment by Obama suggested that the new team liked his style and welcomed the political cover he provided as a Republican.

"Now I think his closest model was the first SecDef Gates, Tom Gates, who had served several years in the Pentagon under Eisenhower before being elevated to SecDef.

"[Thomas] Gates was uniformly praised as knowing the building, getting along with everybody, and skilled at winning the 1958 reform act and then beginning to use his new powers -- which McNamara built upon.

"Of course, [Robert Gates] isn't emulating a predecessor but setting a new standard of excellence in DOD management and civilian control. The most startling aspect has been his willingness to fire people, to impose accountability. Dick Cheney did it a little, and that strengthened his control over his Pentagon. But Gates is doing it regularly, and to good effect. While he will inevitably make some missteps, as you predict, he so far seems to be keeping everybody who matters happy --the President, his NSC colleagues, congressional leaders, and the senior military.

"The apparent fact that he asked Gen. McChrystal to separate and defer troop requests from his "initial assessment" shows a bureaucratic skill few in this town have. It keeps options open for him and the President."