New Army Career Path

"The U.S. Army, in a far-reaching shift, is reconfiguring its promotion policies to better reward U.S. troops training Iraqi and Afghan security forces, a vital mission widely seen as a career-killer within the military. ... The new rules will in essence make service on the training teams--which live and work alongside Iraqi and Afghan forces as mentors--equal for promotional purposes to time spent in traditional Army roles like commanding artillery or logisitics. 'Our ability to train and operate effectively with indigenous forces will be a key element of 21st century land power,' Army Chief of Staff George Casey wrote in an email to other officers detailing the new policies. 'We need our best involved.' ... 'This will serve to express throughout the Army community that this in an assignment that should be taken seriously and sought after,' said Army spokesman Paul Boyce. ... last fall, Defense Secretary Robert Gates described the training effort as 'arguably the most important military component ' of the overall war effort", WSJ, 19 June 2008.

Are these guys serious? Vlad the Great's generals must have laughed hysterically upon reading this. I figured it out, Casey is auditioning. Auditioning? Sure for the Major-General's song in Gilbert & Sullivan's The Pirates of Penzance, 1879. Wikipedia's description, "The song is replete with historical and cultural references, satirically demonstrating the Major-General's impressive and well-rounded education that seems to come at the complete expense of any useful military knowledge". Have a good laugh, the song is available at http://www.zeitcom.com/majgen/021msong.html.