Military Review English Edition July-August 2014 | Page 73

You Are Fired
Maj. Gen. Michael W. Symanski, U.S. Army Reserve, Retired
Maj. Gen. Michael W. Symanski served the Army from 1970 through 2007. He commanded the 89th Regional Support Command and served as the Army Assistant G-3/5/7
for Mobilization and Reserve Affairs. He was the senior advisor for logistics, strategy, and
policy to the Afghan Ministry of Defense 2009-2010. He holds a B.A. in history and
political science, and an M.A. in history from the University of Illinois.

Y

ou may not see it coming, but
usually few are surprised when
a senior leader does his duty by
relieving a subordinate leader who committed unacceptable personal behavior
or who publicly failed in leadership and
MILITARY REVIEW  July-August 2014

management. The firing probably is done
for the good of the service or to ensure
mission accomplishment, and the guilty
party and the public expect it. Granted,
toxic leaders rarely are aware of their
own poison and believe they are good

Brig. Gen. Courtney Whitney,
Gen. Douglas MacArthur, and
Maj. Gen. Edward M. Almond
observe the shelling of Inchon
from the USS Mt. McKinley,
15 September 1950. Gen.
Douglas MacArthur was fired
by President Harry S. Truman
because of MacArthur’s open
and public opposition to U.S.
policy during the Korean War.
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