Back in the early 90’s VP Al Gore introduced the crown jewel of his Federal service: the Reinventing Government Initiative. The concept was thought up by one of Gore’s ivory tower academic friends and was stunningly simple: get rid of 30% of the Federal Govt’s civilian workforce and the remaining 70% would became magically more efficient, by definition. And it was handed down from DC as a Peanut Butter Spread, across the board, without regard to missions and responsibilities, Congress being exempted. This was coupled with a 40% reduction in the uniformed military. I’ll let you ponder the implications of those actions on the quality of the workforce, combined with Bill Clinton’s “Hey! Where are we invading this week?” mindset.

Doug: It is true that the fire dept and the lingerie people both deal with some pretty hot stuff, but I don’t think there is much in the way of common skillsets.

A Gen Ridgeway story, one that tells what kind of man he was:

A friend of mine was part of a small Air Force contingent at an Army base in the late 50’s. One day he drives out to the base’s remote airstrip with a load of fuel, and just after he unloads the truck a USAF C-54 appears overhead. The airplane lands and out steps Gen Matthew B. Ridgeway, then Chief of Staff, US Army.

Gen Ridgeway explained that he was just passing by and thought he would stop in and visit the Army base commander, an old friend. The officer in charge of the airfield stammered out that they had no vehicles available but would order a staff car to come fetch the general. At this point my friend stepped up and said that he was heading back to the base and the general could ride with him in the fuel truck. Gen. Ridgeway smiled and said “That would be fine. I’m in a hurry.”

So they rode back to base in the fuel truck, the general not the least bit concerned over riding so far beneath his station. The fuel truck pulled up in front of Base HQ and an officer ran out yelling “Get that fuel truck out of here! We got an effing four star general coming…. Oh! Hello sir!”

My friend asked Gen Ridgeway if he wanted for him to wait to take him back to the airfield in the fuel truck. The general thanked him and said no, they would probably be able to find someone else to drive him back.

Such people are not unheard of, but are too rare in the military, and in the civilian Federal workforce…fergit it.