________________________________________________________________________Richard S. Kem
Q:
Does that have any effect, maybe more from a personal point of view, then to later come in
as deputy or not? Well, actually, you said you wanted the position.
A:
No, I don't think so because, you know, when people grow up as peers, go through the ranks,
you participate together, you contribute together, you serve together, and you also compete as
the pyramid narrows to the top. So, we've always--we also went to Leavenworth together--
we've always had a good professional relationship.
I always had thought that it would probably be between Hank Hatch and me, and he was the
one guy that I would understand that, if he got it, the Army made a good choice. So, it wasn't
difficult at all to come back and ask him to be his deputy. I think we've had a great year
working together because we've brought our particular fortes to the table, and we've been
able to operate with fairly good strength in the headquarters.
Q:
I had a question to ask you about your past relationship with General Hatch. You were a year
ahead of him in class at West Point, so that your careers fairly well paralleled in terms of--
A:
Yes. We never were assigned closely together, but he was one of those folks I knew was out
there, and around, and coming up, and getting assignments. We were doing different things
about the same time, commanded battalions in Vietnam about the same time. We didn't run
across each other over there but, I mean, when you're of the same peer group you're going
through the various gates and organizations at about the same organizational level, so you
know who they are and what they're doing.
Q:
So, in talking to you, then, it seems--it's a lot different to want to be Deputy Chief of
Engineers than the jokes that people make about being Vice President of the United States? I
mean, it sounds like you felt that that was a genuine place where you could make a
contribution at this point in your career?
A:
Sure. I thought it was a very good, substantive job, and certainly not a figurehead. Now, one
of my predecessors, Norm Delbridge, keeps wondering why I'm so busy--as if he wasn't. I
keep asking him, "My goodness, Norm"--I mean, I leave the office at 6:00 every night and
stay fully occupied every day chasing issues and working problems and things like that.
So, I don't know what was driving his thoughts, but to me, it's a very substantive, needed
position that gets very involved when you have an organization as big as USACE--40,000
people worldwide, 13 divisions, 39 districts, the labs, and all of those kinds of things.
There's plenty out there to keep a whole bunch of people occupied if we're going to really
move ahead, move forward.
Q:
Now, did you come into the position with any particular things, goals of your own that you
wanted to see happen, implemented, at the beginning?
A:
No, I had no particular agenda. As I mentioned, I had just left being Chief of Staff of
USAREUR, a big headquarters doing all kinds of things, and I figured I'd be joining the
USACE headquarters doing all kinds of things, albeit different.
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