Talk:Frederick F. Woerner, Jr.

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Anybody know why he was relieved of command? I have heard it was because he wasn't a supporter of invading Panama, but I can't find anything but conspiracy theory web sites to support this.--Nobunaga24 07:14, 31 July 2007 (UTC)

Basically, the administration thought he was a wimp who had gone native because his plan for evicting Noriega was incremental rather than overwhelming force. Also, as a new SECDEF, Cheney felt that canning a four-star was a good way to establish his reputation within the Pentagon. (And it did: Crowe decided to retire rather than stay on as CJCS in part because he was appalled at how casually the administration was willing to discard a four-star career.) The best account is Bob Woodward's The Commanders (perspectives from Cheney, Crowe, and Thurman), and also David Harris' Shooting the Moon: The True Story of a Manhunt Unlike Any Other, Ever (perspective from Woerner). The Harris book is available on limited preview through Google Books; do a search within the book on the word "woerner" and you'll pull up most of his side of the story, including how he got the job in the first place (p.96: SACEUR had a gaffe, CINCSO became SACEUR, they needed a new CINCSO, Woerner had just finished a four-year tour in Panama).--Morinao 18:13, 31 July 2007 (UTC)