Gen. Craig R. McKinley (Photo from U.S. Air Force)From Nukes And Spooks:
The Pentagon these days is on a four-star bonanza. Last week, the Army named its first female four-star Army general, Ann Dunwoody, in an emotional ceremony that sparked hopes across the ranks that the military was finally turning another historic corner. Today, the military appointed its first four-star chief of the National Guard bureau in a long, long time, Gen. Craig R. McKinley. He replaces Lt. Gen. H. Steven Blum.
So why is this a big deal? That the chief is now a four star is a bold statement about the growing role of the National Guard. In a way, the job of the National Guard is far more complicated than the other forces. After all, they are no longer tasked only with dealing with domestic emergencies and preparing for the off-chance they are called overseas. These days, they traverse both worlds. They have literally deployed to Iraq one month and returned to the United States the next to handle a natural disaster, most notably Hurricane Katrina.
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