Latest news with #MilitaryLeadership
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Jim Miles, Frank Lutz on Army recruitment numbers
(NewsNation) — Retired Maj. Gen. Jim Miles says the increase in Army recruitment represents the strength of current Army Lutz, the American politics senior fellow at West Point, says the newest Army recruits have learned about living a life of purpose through their service. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Sun
16-05-2025
- Politics
- The Sun
Zombie ‘General Blood' to lead Russia's ground forces as Putin fires chief days after he led Victory Day parade
RUTHLESS Vladimir Putin has appointed "General Blood" as his new military chief in a chilling warning to Ukraine that the war is far from over. Andrey Mordvichev, a man often described as Russia's "most bloodthirsty general", is now set lead Putin's troops in their gruelling ground offensive. 7 7 7 The news comes as Russia sent out a "low-level" team of negotiators to Turkey for the latest round of Ukraine peace talks. The move is being viewed as a stark warning to the West that the Kremlin isn't planning on halting their frontlines assaults any time soon. The feared Russian will be replacing General Oleg Salyukov, 70, who was fired from his role of head of Russia's military land forces only days after he led the Victory Day parade through Moscow. Mordvichev is one of Putin's most notorious commanders who is known for allowing tens of thousands of his own men to be killed at war. Nicknamed "General Blood" for his ruthlessness, the colonel general led a deadly operation to capture the blitzed town of Avdiivka in Ukraine. Up to 17,000 Russian troops were killed and around 30,000 wounded from his cannon fodder advances as Ukraine recorded losses of between 5,000 and 7,000. His efforts did get Mordvichev the Hero of Russia, God Star. Another reason why the top Putin stooge is widely known across Moscow is due to him seemingly coming back to life in 2022. Russia announced his death in the very first month of the war. But he defied the obituaries and soon reemerged as one of the few generals to bring dictator Putin territorial gains on the frontline. During the war Mordvichev has led Russia's assault on Mariupol and Azovstal as well as working as commander of the Russian 8th army. The general's status as a fearless leader and his despicable disregard for death has made many fear why he has been appointed. Turkey has been trying to host peace talks for the past 48 hours between Ukraine and Russia with Putin initially tipped to be attending. But he quickly pulled out after Volodymyr Zelensky agreed to meet. Neither side has spoken as of yet with the talks constantly getting delayed. And the idea of peace has done little to slow down Vlad's fury on the battlefield. Overnight strikes saw Putin's forces hit Ukrainian capital Kyiv in a drone strike and troops in the southern Donetsk region. Some 50 shells were fired at Nikopol in Dnipropetrovsk region, damaging a kindergarten, a school, a church, two private houses and cars. 7 7 7 In response, Ukraine destroyed a major ammunition store linked to Russia's 126th Coastal Defence Brigade of its Black Sea Fleet in Perevalnoye, Crimea. With peace continuing to be hard to secure some have even speculated Vlad could manipulate a ceasefire for his own gains. Military experts have warned that Putin could launch a direct attack on Nato by 2027 if he is allowed to rebuild his army during a ceasefire. The International Institute for Strategic Studies said Putin may deploy his army onto a 'war footing' and try to test Nato by evoking Article 5. This may see the Kremlin decide to leave Ukraine alone as it continues to recover from Russia's three-and-a-half year onslaught. Instead, Putin could commit to an attack on Nato states in the Baltics. 7
Telegraph
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
As a Navy man, I welcome the first ever Marine to head the Service. But I don't envy him
So now we have a new First Sea Lord – the head of the Royal Navy, also known as the Chief of the Naval Staff. General Sir Gwyn Jenkins will be the 43rd person to assume this position since the title changed from First Naval Lord in 1904. He is also the first Royal Marine to get the job, and therefore the first one who has not commanded a warship. For those stuck in 1904 this will be a problem. Most, me included, see a highly capable officer with a breadth of combat experience that would leave most warship captains, me included, in the dust. Historically, in any case, it's only fair to let a Marine command the RN. Back in Napoleonic times the Royal Marines were broken up into small parties carried as part of a warship's crew and under the command of the ship's captain. To add insult to injury, on paper the parties were assembled into larger formations requiring colonels and generals to command them. Though these colonels and generals were not normally required to do any duty their salaries were still paid, usually as a lucrative perk given to serving naval officers on top of their regular pay. Uniform and history aside, Jenkins has got one hell of a job to do. The unfortunate departure of his predecessor will be a mere pinprick given the mountain he now has to climb. He is taking over a 30,000-person company that has been under-resourced for the last three decades and which attracts disproportionate attention when things go wrong. Threats to the UK and our interests are climbing fast; evidence that resources will increase to match this is not. This creates a political minefield that will take all his special forces training to navigate – and that's before we even get to the risk to our ships and people due to lack of funds. Given that he has been the victim of one leak campaign already, and is the subject of an ongoing investigation, he at least will not need to be reminded that he takes over during an unusually vicious period of inter-service rivalry. With the powers of the next Chief of Defence Staff set to increase under the new strategic headquarters construct, he will be keen to set about managing that relationship so he can lead the navy 'up and out'. The Royal Navy's reputation as a fighting force at sea remains good, as it should. No matter how thin it has become, it finds a way to punch above its weight. However, looking at what would happen to the Senior Service in the early days of a serious fight will worry Jenkins profoundly, especially as the Carrier Strike Group gets ever closer to the missile-haunted Red Sea. On a more positive note there are some exciting build programs in train for him to oversee, including two new classes of frigates and new nuclear submarines. Uncrewed systems are being developed at a decent rate but the system that allows smaller companies to compete here needs a complete overhaul. Without enough money, he should recognise this as a cheap(er) way to increase lethality and mass. The role of the Royal Marine Commandos will also need careful handling given the near total disappearance of the ships required to put them ashore in decent numbers. Nothing is safe from the Treasury knife these days but Jenkins will be perfectly placed to ensure this core element of Naval fighting power not just survives but continues to excel. The General may find himself alone fighting the Navy's corner in the not too distant future, as the other Service chiefs change over and dark blue uniforms disappear. It's to be hoped he's ready for that. It's a wonderful privilege to lead what was once the world's pre-eminent fighting force but the baggage that comes with the job is heavy. In General Gwyn we have a first class leader to steer our ship through this, irrespective of his uniform. He has the best job title in the world but perhaps also the hardest task. I wish him fair winds and following seas: but I fear he may not get them.
