AS WE KNOW WHEN General Marshall WAS THE ARMY CHIEF OF STAFF HE led this country and ITS ALLIES to victory IN WWII. LATER AS SECRETARY OF STATE, He LED a $16.2 BILLION economic recovery program, which HELPED TO REBUILD EUROPE. THE Marshall Plan ALSO GAVE RISE TO The U S Agency for International Development —USAID, AS IT IS COMMONLY KNOWN, WHICH IS WHERE I GOT MY START IN THE CIVILIAN WORK FORCE. iN NO SMALL WAY, THE OFFICE FOR FOREIGN DISASTER ASSISTANCE (OFDA) AT USAID, MAY ALSO BE CREDITED WITH HAVING AN IMPACT ON MY HOME LIFE.

MIND YOU, THIS ALL HAPPENED ABOUT 24 YEARS AGO. WHEN I RETIRED IN AUG 1983. MY WIFE, LOUISE, SUGGESTED THAT I GET A JOB WITHIN THE NEXT 30 DAYS; IF I DIDN’T, SHE WOULD. WELL, I DIDN’T AND SHE DID.
SHE STARTED TO WORK AS A STAFF NURSE AT THE HOSPICE OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA. ONE DAY WHILE SHE WAS WORKING AND I WAS
“LOOKING” FOR SOMETHING TO DO, I DECIDED TO HELP OUT IN THE HOUSE. (SOME OF YOU HAVE HEARD THIS BEFORE) I BASICALLY REORGANIZED HER KITCHEN CABINETS; YOU KNOW, LIKE MY MESS HALLS – ALL CONDIMENTS, BOXES, BOTTLES, APPROPRIATELY SIZED,
ALL LABELS FACING OUT, IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER, ETC…I WAS VERY PROUD OF MY HANDIWORK. WELL, WHEN LOUISE CAME HOME AND SAW WHAT I HAD DONE, I KNEW THEN MY DAYS BEING UNEMPLOYED WERE NUMBERED. THAT LED TO MY FIRST JOB IN THE CIVILIAN WORLD AS DIRECTOR OF THE OFDA, AT THE USAID. THAT WAS NOT-WITHSTANDING THE FACT THAT I WOULD BE UNDER DUAL COMPENSATION RESTRICTIONS, I HAD TO GET OUT OF THE HOUSE. FOR THE BENEFIT OF MY CIVILIAN FRIENDS – DUAL COMPENSATION MEANT THAT I DREW NO RETIRED PAY; A CONDITION, WHICH IN FACT, CONTINUED UNTIL I LEFT FEMA ALMOST SIX YEARS LATER. I SAY AGAIN, I HAD TO GET OUT OF THE HOUSE.

SOME 18, 19 YEARS LATER I WAS A MEMBER OF AMERICAN BATTLE MONUMENT COMMISSION AND ALSO A TRUSTEE OF THE MARSHALL FDN. ALONG WITH FELLOW COMMISSIONERS (P X KELLEY, FRED FRANKS, & JOE PERSICO, AND COO - KEN PONDS) WE CHOSE THE WORDS OF GENERAL MARSHALL TO BE INSCRIBED ON THE WWII MEMORIAL.
AS I WAS PREPARING MY REMARKS FOR THIS EVENING I WAS REMINDED OF THOSE WORDS : (I QUOTE) “WE ARE DETERMINED THAT BEFORE THE SUN SETS ON THIS TERRIBLE STRUGGLE OUR FLAG WILL BE RECOGNIZED THROUGHOUT THE WORLD AS A SYMBOL OF FREEDOM ON THE ONE HAND AND OF OVERWHELMING FORCE ON THE OTHER” (END QUOTE)

TONIGHT I AM MINDFUL THAT WHILE CURRENT WORLD EVENTS TEND TO CALL INTO QUESTION OUR REPUTATION AS A SYMBOL OF FREEDOM, THERE SHOULD BE NO QUESTION THAT WE HAVE THE WORLD’S GREATEST FIGHTING FORCE --AT THE HEART OF WHICH IS THE US ARMY –ARMY STRONG. A REALITY THAT IS RIGHTLY REFLECTED IN THIS YEAR’S CONVENTION THEME – INDEED, WE ARE –-- “AMERICA’S ARMY— THE STRENGTH OF THE NATION”.

FOR THOSE OF US WHO LOVE OUR ARMY AND OUR COUNTRY, THE fundamental CHALLENGE, AS I SEE IT, IS TO BOLSTER THE IMAGE OF BOTH… TO STRENGTHEN THAT SYMBOL OF FREEDOM AT HOME AND ABROAD , AND TO ENSURE THAT OUR ARMY REMAINS THE WORLD’S GREATEST FIGHTING FORCE, WHILE RETAINING THE COMPLETE SUPPORT OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.

SO FOR THE NEXT FEW MINUTES ALLOW ME TO SHARE JUST A FEW OF MY THOUGHTS ON HOW WE CAN MEET THIS IMPORTANT CHALLENGE.
DURING NEARLY FOUR DECADES OF MILITARY SERVICE, --IN WHICH I WAS PRIVILEGED TO LEAD SOLDIERS AT EVERY LEVEL FROM PLATOON TO CORPS, I DEVELOPED A 12-POINT PHILOSOPHY OF COMMAND AND OVER THE YEARS I’VE LEARNED TO SUBSTITUTE WORDS LIKE PHILOSOPHY OF “MANAGEMENT” WHEN I AM AROUND MY CIVILIAN FRIENDS WHO REFUSED TO BE “COMMANDED”. IT SO HAPPENED THAT IN EVERY CASE AS A CIVILIAN, I FOLLOWED SOMEONE WHO HAD BEEN FIRED. FORTUNATELY FOR ME, ONE OF THE FOLKS I FOLLOWED IN MY MILITARY CAREER WAS MY FORMER BOSS AND GOOD FRIEND, GEN BOB SHOEMAKER WHO I FOLLOWED AS COMDR OF THE 1ST CAV DIV. I USED HIS EXAMPLE AND LEADERSHIP TO FURTHER DEVELOP AND REFINE MY OWN PHILOSOPHY OF COMMAND, A PHILOSOPHY WHICH COULD EASILY BE A PARAPHRASE OF ROBERT FULGHUM’S, ALL I REALLY NEED TO KNOW I LEARNED IN KINDERGARTEN. IN TRUTH, EVERYTHING I NEEDED TO KNOW ABOUT LEADERSHIP AND SERVICE, I LEARNED IN THE ARMY. IN TIME, I ADDED TO ….AND REVISED MY PHILOSOPHY TO FIT THE SITUATION…AND AS I MADE THE TRANSITION FROM MILITARY TO CIVILIAN PUBLIC SERVICE, SURPRISINGLY FEW CHANGES WERE NECESSARY.

I PROMISED MY WIFE I WOULD NOT GO INTO DETAIL ON ALL 12 POINTS IN MY PHILOSOPHY OF COMMAND, BUT IN CASE I RUN OUT OF TIME, AND I PROBABLY WILL --LET ME AT LEAST TELL YOU WHAT THEY ARE:
-1ST…BE PROFESSIONAL, -2ND...INTEGRITY IS NON-NEGOTIABLE, 3RD...LOYALTY IS A TWO-WAY STREET, -4TH...CHAIN OF COMMAND WORKS IF YOU USE IT,-5TH...INNOVATE, SEEK A BETTER WAY, -6TH...ADMIT MISTAKES, -7TH...DISAGREEMENT IS NOT DISRESPCT, -8TH...CHALLENGE ASSERTIONS, -9TH...BE SENSITVE TO (AND INTOLERANT OF) ABUSE AND MISUSE OF OUR PEOPLE, -#10...EDUCATION, CONSERVATION, SECURITY AND SAFETY: EVERYBODY’S BUSINESS., -#11...MAINTAIN YOUR SENSE OF HUMOR, -AND FINALLY…--#12..KEEP THINGS IN PERSPECTIVE

NOW DON’T WORRY, FOR OUR PURPOSES THIS EVENING I WANT TO FOCUS ON JUST FIVE (5) OF THESE 12. OKAY, MY FIRST POINT IN THAT PHILOSPHY IS REALLY THE FOUNDATION FOR ANY ORGANIZATION–
>BE PROFESSIONAL – WHICH I DESCRIBE AS DOING ONE’S JOB TO THE BEST OF ONE’S ABILITY, ALL THE TIME. THERE ARE THREE VARIABLES IN MY EQUATION FOR BEING PROFESSIONAL --FIRST, KNOWING THE JOB; IF YOU DON’T – LEARN IT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. THE NEXT VARIABLE IS, DO WHAT ONE IS TOLD TO DO; AND LASTLY, IN THE ABSENCE OF BEING TOLD WHAT TO DO, USE THAT GOD GIVEN GRAY MATER AND EXERCISE COMMON SENSE AND INITIATIVE, BY DOING WHAT MAKES SENSE.
KNOWLEDGE…OBEDIENCE…INITIATIVE. THESE ARE THREE OF THE THINGS THAT MAKE OUR ARMY SUCCESSFUL AND I DARE SAY -- ANY PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATION. AS I WATCHED THOSE SCENES FROM THE NEW ORLEANS CONVENTION CENTER, DURING HURRICANE KATRINA, I HAD FLASH BACKS OF SCENES I HAD SEEN AS THE DIRECTOR OF A.I.D.’s OFDA, AS WE (OUR GOVERNMENT) ROUTINELY WENT TO THE ASSISTANCE OF 3RD WORLD COUNTRIES. AND I MUST TELL YOU THAT I SHUDDERED TO THINK WHAT THOSE SCENES FROM NEW ORLEANS… FLASHED AROUND THE WORLD, DID TO OUR IMAGE AS A NATION. OF COURSE, SOME OF YOU MAY BE OF THE OPINION THAT YOU DON’T CARE WHAT OTHERS THINK. BUT I DO. BY THE WAY FEMA’S ACTIONS WERE NOT THOSE OF THE FEMA I KNEW. AMONG THE MANY LESSONS LEARNED IN THE WAKE OF HURRICANE KATRINA, WE WERE REMINDED THAT WE NEED PROFESSIONALS IN CHARGE OF THESE CRITICAL ACTIVITIES.
WHEN THE MILITARY TOOK OVER KATRINA ACTIVITIES, THE SITUATION BEGAN TO BE RESPECTFUL! AND THANK GOD FOR THAT CAJUN GENERAL —RUSS HONORE, WHERE ARE YOU?! THE NATION OWES YOU AND YOUR TEAM A DEBT OF GRATITUDE FOR THE LIVES YOU SAVED, AND JUST AS IMPORTANTLY, FOR THE HOPE THAT YOU RESTORED. AGAIN, BE PROFESSIONAL AND REMEMBER, THE WORLD IS WATCHING…WATCHING HOW WE TREAT WEAKER NATIONS AND HOW WE TREAT EACH OTHER.

MY PHILOSOPHY THROUGH THE YEARS, WHEREVER I HAVE SERVED, HAS ALWAYS BEEN THAT WE MUST --- BE SENSITVE TO AND INTOLERANT OF, ABUSE AND MISUSE OF OUR PEOPLE. REMEMBER, ABUSE CAN TAKE ON MANY FORMS. WEBSTER DEFINES ABUSE AS IMPROPER USE OR TREATMENT. I HAVE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO WATCH OUR ARMY
GROW FROM AN ALL MALE, SEGREGATED ARMY TO WHAT IS CONSIDERED THE WORLD’S FINEST FORCE AND THE COUNTRY’S BEST EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER. WE CAPITALIZE ON OUR DIVERSITY BY UTILIZING THE TALENTS OF ALL RACES-- MEN AND WOMEN. YESTERDAY’S RESERVE COMPONENT AWARDS HIGHLIGHTED THAT POINT. THIS WE MUST CONTINUE. CHIEF, SIR– YOU HAVE HEARD ME SAY THIS BEFORE. I HAPPEN TO BELIEVE THAT OUR DIVERSITY IS, IN FACT, A COMBAT MULIPLIER…… NOT JUST IN THE ARMY, BUT IN ALL WALKS OF LIFE.

THIS SAME SENSITIVITY MUST GUIDE THE NATION AS WE DEAL WITH THE IMMIGRATION ISSUE, NEVER FORGETTING THAT WE ARE A NATION OF
IMMIGRANTS. THE WORLD IS WATCHING AND LISTENING, AS WE AS A NATION DEAL WITH THIS ISSUE. WE MUST REMAIN A COMPASSIONATE NATION, YET STRONG. OUR TROOPS DEMONSTRATE THIS DAILY. I AM TOUCHED (AS IS THE WORLD) BY SCENES OF OUR GUYS AND GALS, IN FULL BATTLE GEAR, FEEDING AND PLAYING WITH IRAQI CHILDREN. AND I FEEL EQUALLY PROUD WHEN I READ THE STORIES OF HOW THEY MANAGED TO GET AN IRAQI CHILD BACK HERE FOR MEDICAL CARE.

I ASSUME THAT MOST OF YOU WOULD AGREE THAT LOYALTY IS A TWO-WAY STREET. IF SO, WHAT ABOUT OUR SENSE OF LOYALTY TO OUR MEN AND WOMEN WHO ARE NO LONGER ABLE TO SERVE, WHOSE WOUNDS, NJURIES, OR ILLNESSES COULD DEMAND TREATMENT FOR THE REST OF THEIR LIVES? WHY NOT CREATE A G I BILL OF RIGHTS FOR THE FAMILY MEMBERS OF THOSE NO LONGER ABLE TO SERVE. IN THIS RESPECT, HOW ADEQUATE ARE THE RULES, REGULATIONS, AND LAWS IN DEALING WITH THE CARE GIVERS, AND I AM NOT JUST TALKING ABOUT SOLDIERS, MARINES AND OTHER SERVICE MEMBERS, BUT WEARING MY FEMA HAT, ALSO ABOUT THOSE FIRST RESPONDERS TO FIRE AND OTHER EMERGENCIES? WOULDN’T IT BE SUPER IF THE CONGRESS AND THE
ADMINISTRATION APPOINTED A CZAR FOR THE CARE AND TREATMENT OF OUR WOUNDED COMRADES, GIVING HIM OR HER THE CLOUT TO BANG HEADS, IF NECESSARY, AND BY THE WAY, PASS LAWS THAT WOULD TAKE CARE OF OUR PEOPLE FOR THE REST OF THEIR LIVES. CHIEF, YOUR APPOINTMENT OF THE VCSA IS A GREAT FIRST STEP FOR THE ARMY. LOYALTY IS A TWO WAY STREET. LOYALTY TO SUBORDINATES AND SUPERIORS EQUALLY, AND ABOVE ALL, LOYALTY TO OUR NATION, WHICH INCLUDE EVERY SERVICEMEMBER AND GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL
WHO TAKES THAT OATH OF OFFICE. BUT WHAT DOES IT MEAN? IT DOES NOT MEAN THAT ONE IS DENIED THE RIGHT TO QUESTION OR OFFER ANOTHER POINT OF VIEW; REMEMBER, DISAGREEMENT IS NOT DISRESPECT. BUT IN THE FINAL ANALYSIS, ONCE THE DECISION IS MADE, WE HAVE A CHOICE -- FOLLOW THE ORDERS OR SEEK EMPLOYMENT ELSEWHERE.

THE CURRENT DEBATE IN OUR COUNTRY ABOUT WHAT TO DO ABOUT IRAQ IS JUST AS SIGNIFICANT TO THE REST OF THE WORLD AS IT IS TO US. THE SOLUTIONS ARE NOT EASY, WHICH IS WHY WE MUST INNOVATE -- SEEK A BETTERWAY. THE MARSHALL PLAN WAS THE RESULT OF
INNOVATIVE THINKING AND BOLD ACTION. INNOVATION GOT US TO THE ARMY WE HAVE TODAY. SO LET’S PUT OUR MINDS TO WORK, IN A PROBLEM SOLVING MODE, RATHER THAN ARGUING ABOUT WHETHER
WE SHOULD BE THERE OR NOT. IN THE PROCESS, MAYBE SOMEONE WILL COME UP WITH A MARSHALL PLAN TO RESTORE STABILITY IN THE MIDDLE EAST. IN THAT REGARD, IMAGINE THE POSSIBILITIES (AS A FRIEND RECENTLY MENTIONED TO ME) OF OUR LAND GRANT AND A&M SCHOOLS, SPONSORED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, GETTING MORE ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN FOOD PRODUCTION AND AGRICULTURE IN PLACES LIKE THE HORN OF AFRICA, AFGHANISTAN AND IRAQ. RECENTLY I CHECKED WITH MY GOOD FRIEND, DR.EDDIE JOE DAVIS, THE INTERIM PRESIDENT OF TEXAS A&M, AND HE TOLD ME THAT HIS SCHOOL AND A FEW OTHERS ARE ALREADY THERE. BUT MANY OF OUR BEST MINDS ARE NOT ENGAGED IN THIS EFFORT. INDEED, ACADEMIC INSTITUTIONS PLAY AN INESCAPABLE ROLE IN TRANSFORMING SOCIETIES.

THERE’S NO QUESTION THAT FREEDOM AND DEMOCRACY THRIVE BEST IN A WELL EDUCATED SOCIETY; AND AN EDUCATED NATION IS A STRONG NATION. THAT IS WHY I FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT EDUCATION IS
EVERYBODY’S BUSINESS. WHEN I REMOVED THE UNIFORM SOME 24 YEARS AGO, BECOMING INVOLVED IN EDUCATION WAS NOT ONE OF MY GOALS, AND YET, UPON REFLECTION, THAT IS WHERE I HAVE SPENT A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF TIME. IN FEMA WE HAD OUR OWN EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM – THE NATIONAL EMERGENCY TRAINING CENTER-WITH ITS NATIONAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE AND THE NATIONAL FIRE ACADEMY, LOCATED AT EMMITTBURG, MD. OF COURSE THAT WAS FOLLOWED BY MY PRESIDENCY OF PVAMU, AND THEN BEING THE SUPERINTENDENT THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PUBLIC SCHOOLS. WHEN I LOOK AT MY 18 PLUS PRO- BONO BOARDS, ALL EXCEPT THREE – ARE FUNDAMENTALLY BASED IN EDUCATION. YOU SEE, ONE OF MY HEROES, THE LATE GEN ANDREW GOODPASTER, WHO PERSONIFIED THE TRUE SPIRIT OF GEN MARSHALL, FREQUENTLY TALKED ABOUT HIS PHILOSOPHY OF LIFE BY SAYING: 1/3 OF HIS TIME WOULD BE SPENT– EARNING A LIVING; 1/3—WITH FAMILY; 1/3 – DOING VOLUNTEER ACTIVITIES. HE WAS QUITE EFFECTIVE IN GETTING MANY OF US INVOLVED….FOR ME, IT WAS THE MARSHALL FOUNDATION, THE ATLANTIC COUNCIL, AND THE CITADEL ADVISORY COUNCIL…. OF COURSE, JACK MERRITT AND GORDON SULLIVAN GOT ME INVOLVED WITH THE AUSA. IN THIS RESPECT I WOULD ENCOURAGE EACH OF YOU TO CONSIDER SOME FORM OF EDUCATION-RELATED VOLUNTEER ACTIVITY, WHETHER YOU ARE ACTIVE DUTY OR RETIRED. OUR URBAN SCHOOL SYSTEMS ARE CRYING FOR VOLUNTEERS. THOSE OF YOU IN UNIFORM REPRESENT ONE OF THE MOST RESPECTED PROFESSIONS IN OUR COMMUNITIES. YOU CAN HELP BY SIMPLY VISITING YOUR LOCAL SCHOOLS AND TELL PEOPLE ABOUT OUR ROTC PROGRAMS; BOTH THE JROTC AND THE SENIOR PROGRAMS….. AND I CAN TELL YOU FROM PERSONAL EXPERIENCE THAT THOSE SCHOOLS WITH JROTC ROUTINELY DO BETTER THAN THOSE WITHOUT…..A TRUE SUCCESS STORY!

BEFORE I CLOSE, I WANT TO SAY JUST A WORD OR TWO ABOUT MY LAST JOB - SUPERINTENDENT OR CEO OF THE DCPS. AS THE CEO (SUPERINTENDENT) IN DCPS, I FELT AND STATED AS MUCH IN MY ABOUT-TO-BE-PUBLISHED AUTOBIOGRAPHY, THAT IT WAS MY TOUGHEST JOB EVER….AND THAT VIEW HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE KIDS, FACULTY, OR EVEN THE UNIONS. ON ANY GIVEN DAY YOU COULD (AND STILL CAN)
READ ABOUT THE STATE OF PUBLIC EDUCATION IN THE DISTRICT, BY PICKING UP ANY OF THE LOCAL NEWSPAPERS OR TURNING ON YOUR LOCAL RADIO/TV STATIONS. INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH, THE DCPS IS CURRENTLY UNDER ITS 10TH SUPERINTENDENT IN LESS THAN 20 YRS.
THINK ABOUT THAT AND THE WHY. YET, THE DISTRICT CONSISTENTLY HAS ONE PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOL THAT RANKS IN THE TOP 100 SCHOOLS IN THE COUNTRY, AND THERE ARE OTHER QUALITY PROGRAMS AS WELL.
BUT IT IS EQUALLY TRUE, THAT TOO MANY OF DC’S PUBLIC SCHOOLS ARE ON THE OTHER END OF THE SPECTRUM. CLEARLY, THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE FOR THE NATION’S CAPITOL. THERE IS A NEED FOR VOLUNTEERS WORKING AS MENTORS IN OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS…AND I AM NOT JUST TALKING ABOUT WASHINGTON, DC, BUT IN URBAN SCHOOLS, USA.
YES, THERE ARE FEW, IF ANY, MONETARY REWARDS, BUT THE JOY OF HELPING OUR YOUNGSTERS TO LEARN IS ALMOST PRICELESS. IT WAS George Marshall WHO SAID, "There is no limit to the amount of good you can do if you don't care who gets the credit." EVEN IF YOU CAN’T PROVIDE HANDS-ON HELP IN A LOCAL SCHOOL, YOU CAN STILL GET INVOLVED BY CHALLENGING THOSE FOLKS WHO ARE
PREACHING THE GARBAGE OF DOING AWAY WITH EQUAL OPPORTUNITY.
PERSONALLY, ALL I EVER ASKED FOR --- WAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO COMPETE ---NOT A HANDOUT, BUT THE CHANCE TO SHOW THAT I COULD CUT THE MUSTARD. CERTAINLY WE’VE MADE ENORMOUS GAINS IN THIS
COUNTRY AND WE ARE STILL DEALING WITH EQUAL OPPORTUNITY. THERE ARE SOME WHO ARE OPPOSED TO THE CONCEPT OF HBCU’S (HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES) WHEN IN FACT THESE SCHOOLS ARE PRODUCING A LARGE NUMBER OF OUR ACTIVE DUTY OFFICERS, AND AN EQUALLY LARGE NUMBERS OF OUR MEDICAL
PROFESSIONALS, BUSINESS MGRS, ENGINEERS AND OTHER VERY TALENTED FOLKS. I GET CONCERNED WHEN I READ HEADLINES TELLING
US ABOUT THE DECREASING NUMBER OF FOLKS OF COLOR ENROLLING AT THE SERVICE ACADEMIES AS WELL AS DECREASES IN ENLISTMENTS.
IN THIS RESPECT YESTERDAY’S BOSTON GLOBE HAD A DISTRESSING ARTICLE THAT I WOULD HOPE WE WOULD CHALLENGE SOME OF THE STATED FACTS. ONE SUCH FACT – WE ARE CURRENTLY ENLISTING AFRICAN AMERICANS AT 16% -- WHICH IS HIGHER THAN THE POPULATION OF AFRICAN AMERICANS IN OUR COUNTRY. BUT THIS NUMBER IS LOWER THAN IT USED TO BE. I WOULD ALSO HOPE THAT AN IN-DEPTH STUDY WOULD BE CONDUCTED AS TO THE REASON WHY. I SAY AGAIN – AN EDUCATED NATION IS A STRNG NATION. ANDWE CERTAINLY CAN NOT AFFORD TO RETURN TO THE ARMY I FIRST JOINED.