Mr. President, I rise today to express my support for the confirmation of General George Casey to become the next Chief of Staff of the United States Army.

Let us be clear.  Our soldiers are fighting a grueling and dangerous war.   They need to know that their leaders will have no higher priority than their safety and wellbeing.  I believe that General Casey will do just that.

He has been on the frontlines of the War in Iraq.  As Commander of U.S. forces there, he has overseen operations on the ground; he understands our soldiers’ basic needs, and will take action to keep them fighting safely and effectively.

I believe that in this new position, like General Peter Schoomaker before him, he will work hard to ensure that our soldiers have the equipment and support they need to get the job done.

Regrettably, I am concerned that some in this Administration and in this Congress have decided to blame General Casey for the worsening situation on the ground.  To them I would say that it is simply wrong, and frankly un-American to hold one soldier responsible for the Administration’s policy failures in Iraq.   

Mr. President, in his book, Dereliction of Duty, H.R. McMasters put the blame for Vietnam on our military leaders.  To McMasters, it was our generals who were at fault for not speaking out when they disagreed with the civilians at the Pentagon and White House. 

As a result of their silence, America became further entrenched in Vietnam.  Nine years ago, then-Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Hugh Shelton took this message to heart; requiring all seventeen four-star General Commanders to read Major McMasters’ book.  The book had an impact.  As the situation in Iraq has deteriorated, we have seen our generals stand up to civilian leaders— putting their country before their careers – and courageously advocating for alternative, more sensible policies.

Unfortunately, the same arrogance and incompetence that has blinded U.S. foreign policy for the past six years has also allowed the dire warnings from these generals to fall on deaf ears.  The candor from the likes of Generals Shinseki and Riggs, and now Abizaid, Casey, and Schoomaker – has been rewarded with dismissal, transfer, or demotion.

In my private meeting with General Casey in Iraq two months ago, he explained his concern over proposals to “surge” additional troops into Iraq if Iraqis are unable to meet their own responsibilities to unite politically and contribute more meaningfully to their own security.

He echoed these objections along with then-Central Command’s top general, General John Abizaid in a Washington Post report on December 21, 2006.

Obviously, General Casey is uniquely qualified to make these statements.  He has been thoroughly immersed in our Iraq operations.  And it is for this reason that he is uniquely prepared to assume the Army Chief of Staff post.

But there is another quality of his that I believe will also serve our nation and our Army well during his tenure as Chief of Staff.  It his is loyalty to our soldiers—  from the newly enlisted private to the career officer.

Mr. President, I observed this quality first hand three years ago on a visit to Walter Reed Medical Center.  I met with soldiers recuperating from injuries they had suffered in Iraq and Afghanistan, and expressed my gratitude for their brave service.

General Casey happened to be at Walter Reid that day as well.  I knew he was there for the same reason I was:  to thank these soldiers for their service and to assure them that their sacrifices will never be forgotten.

The Chief of Staff must constantly exhibit such loyalty to his troops.  He must be their strongest advocate and continue to address their needs, even when doing so is in direct conflict with the orders being handed down from civilian leadership.  General Schoomaker, the outgoing Chief of Staff, has been faced with this situation time and again as the Administration proposed inadequate budgets to carry out their deeply flawed Iraq strategy.  And he has performed superbly.

As Chief of Staff for the last few years, General Schoomaker, has long voiced concern that the Administration failed to budget for the replacement and repair of thousands of war-battered trucks, aircraft, and vehicles.  In fact, it was General Schoomaker’s testimony last year that compelled me to offer an amendment to fund these priorities and help begin restoring Army readiness.  I regret that the White House decided to reward General Schoomaker’s candor by replacing him at the Pentagon.

At his recent confirmation hearing the other day, I was pleased to hear that General Casey will resume General Schoomaker’s mission to ensure that our forces are outfitted with the equipment they need to get the job done.

Mr. President, there are no easy answers in the Iraq.  But, when it comes to discerning tactics on the ground, our civilian leaders must defer to our generals.  In this case, it is my sincere hope that the President takes heed of the advice of his newly installed Army Chief of Staff, to make the safety and wellbeing of our soldiers a top priority and not an afterthought.  I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this nominee for confirmation.