General Stanley McChrystal Formally Retires: 'I Need To Celebrate'
WASHINGTON Gen. Stanley McChrystal ended his 34-year career as an Army officer Friday in an emotional retirement ceremony at his military headquarters here, marking the last chapter of his swift and stunning fall from grace.
Before a crowd of a few hundred friends, family and colleagues on the Fort McNair parade grounds under an oppressively hot July sun, McChrystal said his service didn't end as he hoped. But he regretted few decisions he had made on the battlefield, cherished his life as a soldier and was optimistic about his future, he said.
"I trusted and I still trust," McChrystal said. "I cared and I still care. I wouldn't have it any other way."
The former commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan was fired last month after Rolling Stone magazine published an article titled "The Runaway General" that quoted scathing remarks he and his aides made about their civilian bosses.
McChrystal complained President Barack Obama had handed him "an unsellable position" on the war. The general's closest advisers mocked other government officials, including Vice President Joseph Biden, as fools who were ignorant of the complexities of war.
"Biden? Did you say, 'Bite me?'" one aide is quoted saying.
Shortly after the article was published, McChrystal was sent packing.
In his 18-minute farewell tribute before the VIP-studded crowd, McChrystal made light of the episode. He warned his comrades in arms: "I have stories on all of you, photos of many, and I know a Rolling Stone reporter."
But McChrystal also sounded a more serious note, when he talked about the pain of leaving behind unfulfilled commitments in Afghanistan and watching colleagues ensnared in the scandal.
General Stanley McChrystal Formally Retires: 'I Need To Celebrate'
By: XIAN Attractions Of The Aeolian Islands For The Ordinary Budget Conscious Tourist Chengdu Travel Guide Unusual Places To Visit In London: An Interesting Guide Elvira Adult Halloween Costumes - Want To Be the Mistress of the Dark? The City of Lights -Paris Travel Checking Out The Colleges Of Pittsburgh In The Summertime Dunhuang Travel Guide Tips for travel to Austria Charm Bracelets and Christmas Gift Giving Fuzhou Travel Guide Know How to Choose the Right Franchise Consultant Some Pointers On Getting The Best Deal On Tourist Apartments In San Vito Lo Capo Dream Caribbean Wedding Destination