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Fort McCoy garrison commander COL Sheyla Baez Ramirez was suspended today for refusing to display a photo of the Commander in Chief, President Donald J Trump, at her base. Typically, US military installations display the chain of command from the President to SECDEF on down to important commanders responsible for the base.
While COL Ramirez’ behavior is concerning, the military needs to return to more effective means of discipline by holding senior leaders responsible for what their subordinate commanders do or fail to do.
MG Joseph Ricciardi is the commanding general of the 88th Readiness Division. While he is based out of Fort Snelling, Minnesota, he is still responsible for everything that happens at all bases and units under his command.
If Fort McCoy is showing such brazen disobedience and contempt for civilian authority, then there is a high likelihood that the same is occurring elsewhere under MG Ricciardi’s command.
Furthermore, MG Ricciardi, as a 1990 West Point graduate, should understand that leaders should be held accountable. He had ample opportunity (over 90 days) to ensure all of his commands complied with the photo issue. If he does not understand and practice this fundamental of leadership, then he is unfit for command. Clearly he has not only allowed a command climate to manifest disobedience, but he has failed in his own duties to supervise and spot check subordinates. In Ranger School, the patrol leader gets held responsible and punished/fired when a member makes a major mistake. Even Disney understands this. In the 1998 animated movie Bug’s Life, the villain Hopper counsels the young ant Princess who tries to blame a lowly worker ant for a failure to provide the offering to the grasshoppers. He says, “First Rule of Leadership – Everything is Your Fault.”
The military needs to stop ‘swatting flies’ and start addressing the fundamental issue of leadership in the military – its self-serving general officer corps. As long as the generals keep getting left off the hook, these issues will continue to poison the military. The current general/flag officer cohort of approximately 600 officers has seen less than 1% of their ranks fired for failing to perform. Remember, these are the same 600 who failed to do their duty and behave honestly during Afghanistan, COVID, readiness (record obesity), logistics (rare earths and fraud waste and abuse), DEI, etc.
When a few generals of the rank of 2 star or higher get fired for shortcomings in their commands, the message will be swift and radical improvement will soon come to the military.
MAYBE FIRE BOTH!!
Yes
Fire BOTH!
well written and right on point he should be fired for either allowing it or not being aware.
but she should also be canned - there is no way she got to that level and did not understand she worked for the President and answers to him
Indeed
Yes, very well written and very much agreed with the the writer's recommendation, however I also firmly believe both the commanders in that Chain of Command (BG and COL) should be fired, forced to retire at the rank thaey last served honorably. Perhaps COL and LTC.
Yes
If I understand this correctly, the 88th Readiness Command took responsibility for Fort MCoy on 1 April 2025, hard to fire MG Ricciardi when he took command within a few days of the incident. Do you think he might have been getting this house in order. Common sense should prevail.
From MG Ricciardi's bio on US Army Reserve website: "He assumed command of the 88th Readiness Division, headquartered at Fort Snelling, Minn., and Fort McCoy, Wis. on July 20, 2024." While the garrison for Ft McCoy moved from another command to the 88th on 1 April, the preparation took place long before (see his speeches in March 2025). He also had a chance to make his command priority known since July 20, 2024 as his division has a presence at Ft McCoy.
Further, given the climate where other commanders were relieved for lack of respect for civilian command and allegations of 'sabotage' in the name of defending DEI, I would think a prudent commander would put the fear of God in his command to be apolitical. Note that it was Ricciardi who suspended the garrison commander. Article's point is it is time to hold generals responsible or change will never come to our military that hasn't won a major long war in almost 80 years. Buck stops with them.