Gen. Hodges vs. Gen. Barno: Is the Army losing too many talented officers?

What General Hodges lacks in facts in his
column he makes up in indignation. Dare General David Barno worry that the Army is
losing talented Army officers? "What an insult to the thousands who are in fact
staying," Hodges fumes.

Is the Army
"somehow non-adaptive, too inflexible and unimaginative"? Well, I would say too
many Army generals are. But, without
any facts to back up his case, and conveniently ignoring years of
inadaptiveness in Iraq (2003-06), General Hodges assures us that, "This is
nonsense and I reject it." He offers no facts, but hey, we have to take it on
faith, he seems to say -- after all, how could a system that produces me be faulty? It reminds me of the old
Ring Lardner line: "‘Shut up,' he explained."

But you all
know what Tom thinks -- I wrote a whole book on the subject. I
would like to know what you all think, especially junior officers, both those
leaving and those staying in. Let's ask those involved. Who is right: Hodges or
Barno?

Necessary
disclosure: Barno is a colleague of mine at CNAS.