Pentagon to examine generals’ entourages

last updated 8 January 2015

Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, will review the numbers and kinds of support personnel who serve the military’s general officers, the Defense Department said last week. The review was ordered by Defense Secretary Leon Panetta after a series of scandals involving top generals, including retired four-star general David Petraeus, who was escorted to a party in Tampa by 28 police motorcycles. In other cases, generals reportedly indulged in lavish trips at taxpayer expense and used military aides as errand boys. Dempsey, who is also looking at ethics training for top brass, said he will determine if staffing is “consistent, sensible, and efficient.”