Mr. Hegseth is too admirable a man to be set up for failure. He will need all the expertise and support available to run a major government agency while Democrats do everything to see that Pete fails. TD
. . ."Hegseth, a decorated Army combat veteran and prominent conservative voice, has faced relentless media attacks in recent weeks.
"The fake news media have leveled accusations ranging from outdated and disproven sexual misconduct claims to allegations of public drunkenness and financial mismanagement during his tenure at Concerned Veterans for America (CVA).
"Critics on the right are pushing back hard against what they view as a deliberate effort to derail a nominee poised to shake up the Defense Department." . . .
Hegseth On Track? . . ."I don’t think there are four Republican senators willing to buck Trump on an important nomination. Senators like Joni Ernst have expressed caution, but I can’t see her–or any other Republicans -other than Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins –actually voting Hegseth down. So I am optimistic that he will be confirmed." . . . Thank goodness Mitt Romney is gone now. TD
. . ."I read some articles by Hegseth, had seen him interviewed on television, and went to Washington, D.C., to meet him and the team. He was humble, direct, and smart. It was clear to me that he was policy-driven and capable, though only in his mid-30s. He was familiar with my published work and that of many others involved in counterterrorism and the war against Islamic radicalism. And critically, in our earliest discussions, he made it clear that he understood that taking care of our veterans’ medical needs was paramount.
"He made healthcare the immediate focus of CVA. His vision matched the core values of the organization. While I was focusing on building out a solid ground game, Pete was challenging VA shortcomings, holding their feet to the fire on behalf of American veterans. As a concerned veteran, I was impressed.
"Pete recruited other veterans like me who had significant national security backgrounds to build out the national organization. This was the very thing required of his position. He met with policymakers and funding sources who could move our organization forward.
"We held dozens of events together over several years. We drank coffee by the gallon, but I never witnessed any performance impaired by alcohol. In fact, he handled a situation well that involved an employee who did have an alcohol-related incident. That man had a drinking problem and had made a pass at a female coordinator under his supervision. As I addressed the situation, I called Pete. After I described what happened, Pete was decisive. He asked me to place the employee in rehab, reassign him, and counsel him against ever doing that sort of thing again. We placed a letter in the employee’s personnel file and protected the female employee’s privacy and interests. This demonstrates Pete’s decisiveness, concern, and responsibility for CVA and its personnel. These decisions were made in a single day.
"Senators interested in the moral compass of CVA should consult other senior managers from the organization. I will provide any interested senator with the names and contact information of people who conducted dozens of events and worked closely with Pete Hegseth for several years.
"One policy issue addressed by Hegseth garnering much attention is his stated opposition to women in combat. Looking to the Afghan conflict ‘Operation Enduring Freedom’ as a recent example, women made up approximately 10 percent of the force on the ground. They are in theatre and add great value as pilots, medical personnel, and intelligence personnel. Their work is high quality, but using them in combat arms needs to be addressed honestly." ... Read the full article here.
Gary Berntsen is a retired CIA officer and best-selling author. He is the recipient of the CIA’s Distinguished Intelligence Medal and Intelligence Star. He is a veteran of the United States Air Force. After retirement from the CIA, he worked in Afghanistan for the Joint IED Defeat Organization (JIEDDO) in support of the 173d Airborne Brigade Combat Team in Regional Command East combating the networks that employed IEDs (roadside bombs) that caused 80 percent of U.S. combat casualties. He also worked for Concerned Veterans for America (CVA).
