OpenCDA

April 25, 2017

Hallelujah! And Hogwash

Filed under: Probable Cause — Bill @ 7:29 pm

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In our March 25, 2017, OpenCdA post entitled ‘Reevaluate the US Secret Service‘, we expressed our hope that the new Director would be chosen from the Department of Defense.

In its just-published online article, the New York Times announced that former Marine Corps Major General Tex Alles will be the new Director of the US Secret Service.

We don’t know General Alles, however to his appointment we say, “Hallelujah!  Kick ass and take names, General!”

Former Director Ralph Basham was quoted in the Times article as saying, ”  “You are always going to have questions about whether an outsider really understands the mission or what it’s like to stand a post at the White House at midnight.   But I am not sure that is what is really the challenge right now. I think the challenge is to win back the confidence of the American people, the White House and the Congress.”

Former Director Basham comments indicate  the problem, not the solution.  He was not alone by any means, but to Ralph’s comments, we say, “Hogwash!”

It was a Marine enlisted sentry standing a security post at Camp David who did his duty and challenged former President Carter walking on the secluded grounds at Camp David.   The key phrase there is ‘did his duty’.  He followed the orders attendant to his security post.   That was the mission.  The Marine understood it and he performed it exactly as he should have.  Rather than being offended or arrogant, the President defended the Marine’s actions to the base commander.

It’s time for an ‘outsider’, in this instance General Alles, to teach the Secret Service that its protective  ‘mission’ is to provide the President of the United States with a secure environment in which he can perform his duties, the duties we elected him to perform.  The protective  ‘mission’ of the US Secret Service is not ‘to win back the confidence of the American people, the White House and the Congress.’

From our own personal experience, we humbly reassure General Alles of something he will soon learn for himself:  The further down the Secret Service food chain you go, the further away from Headquarters Mahogany Row you get, the more clearly you will see that nearly all of the men and women working at all the jobs in the Secret Service have a clear understanding of and commitment to the mission of the Secret Service.   Please listen to them, too, General.

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