________________________________________________________________________Richard S. Kem
that the process wasn't being managed as well as it should be, or could be. It may not have
been a question of individuals in charge of that as much as how big the process is. I don't
know.
A:
Yes. Might be.
Q:
I know there was some reference made to the time in the few years before you came in, in the
mid-80s, when we had, like, four Chiefs of Staff in two years.
A:
Yes.
Q:
That was a problem. There was a sense from the staff that we needed some continuity. Of
course, with Colonel Genetti we've had, certainly, a greater measure of continuity--
A:
Sure.
Q:
--because it's been almost two years; next month it will be two years. Compared to what
we'd had, you know, we've had three in that same period before.
A:
Well, that's a very key job, and the person has to be the right kind of person. He also needs a
kind of anticipation and know-how to play and win in the Washington area for that position.
Al Genetti had that because he'd been with the State and Regional Defense Airlift and been
in and around a bunch of different places.
Q:
He'd been in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works.
A:
Yes. So, he had a feeling for how people can get down on you when they don't understand,
and how you may not even know that you're in trouble because the dialogue is going on, and
you figured everything is wonderful, and over there, they're ready to carve you up because
there's misinformation. How you have to stay tuned and be in constant contact and then
mount a counteroffensive and do your homework and go do these things.
He also had a sense of organization. An organization's got to run. I've really been impressed
with the way he's done things this year because I've seen how he gets the staff together. And,
having gone through that transition thing, where I wasn't going to get involved in his
business, he has done absolutely what I thought he would do. That is, he has run the staff.
In our USACE organization we have such powerhouse directors in our big, functional
stovepipes, and they are the Directors of Civil Works, Military Programs, Real Estate,
Research and Development. That's how they operate, as program directors. They run their
programs.
You find at the AMCs, the Forces Commands and the USAREURs, the Chief of Staff is a
two star, and he's maybe the senior guy. Then the directors of the staffs may not really be
program directors and not as powerful. Staff activities are two and one stars, or SESs.
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