It saddens me to have to say this. Before worrying about any other aspect of fixing our nation — the nation I love, the nation we live in — we have to figure out what it will take to move the Army beyond the 22nd century.
Under the Secretary of Defense, not Secretary of War — that is not constitutionally approved by Congress to change the name of the Department of Defense — the U.S. Army has lost, whether by choice or not by choice, its top two ranking commissioned officers and its top three civilian officers in the Department of the Army. This problem has been going on for months, long before the war with Iran.
These positions are still open. The Army Press Secretary, the Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army, and the Vice Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army are currently empty seats. These are positions every member of West Point dreams of attaining, and we are at war.
Beyond just day-to-day activities with the military, the job of the Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army is the advancement of the technology used for combat for our brave hearts, our great men and women. Without the CSA or the VCSA in a position to take over as acting CSA, there is no means of approval for any advancements in the technologies needed for our women and men in combat to defend the Constitution and live up to their oath of protecting our beautiful Constitution from enemies domestic and foreign.
These positions will not and should not be filled by just anybody; they need the right people. The average person is unaware that the training time to be VCSA is 2.3 years. Oh wait, what? That's correct. There is a whole course that a small handful of generals get to take. I believe you have to be at least a two-star; I'm pretty sure it is strictly three-star generals only who are allowed to take this position.
Several of these two- to three-star generals will enter a CSIT course that is approximately 33 months long (Chief of Staff in Training). Completing the course does not guarantee the position, but it is required to be eligible for it. With no qualified personnel available to fill the positions of CSA and VCSA, it will be three years before we even discuss who will take these jobs.
No checks, no balances
While we have neither a CSA nor a VCSA, U.S. Army Central Command has no true checks and balances, as the only non-vacant DOD Chief of Staff position is that of the Air Force. General Kenneth S. Wilsbach is the Chief of Staff of the Air Force. As the only sitting Chief of Staff among the Army, Navy, and Marines, he effectively answers for these other departments as well — but to whom?
Our lazy and heinous administration has yet to appoint a Secretary of the Army. We also have no Secretary of the Navy or Secretary of the Air Force. Secretary of Defense Hegseth holds unchecked authority, while at the same time giving the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Chief of Staff of the Air Force free rein. There are reports that video releases of military fumbles in Iran and other areas were issued as Post-it note orders by Air Force Chief of Staff General Kenneth S. Wilsbach.
So before we talk about manufacturing jobs, before we talk about tariffs, before we talk about any of the economic promises that fill up the rallies — we need to talk about the fact that the institution sworn to defend this country has no one at the top. That is not a talking point. That is a crisis.
