Found this article in Military.com
"Chiefs Demoted in Pentagon Succession Line"
"Associated Press | December 29, 2005WASHINGTON - Heading a military service isn't quite the position of power it used to be. In a Bush administration revision of plans for Pentagon succession in a doomsday scenario, three of Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld's most loyal advisers moved ahead of the secretaries of the Army, Navy and Air Force.
A little-noticed holiday week executive order from President Bush moved the Pentagon's intelligence chief to the No. 3 spot in the succession hierarchy behind Rumsfeld. The second spot would be the deputy secretary of defense, but that position currently is vacant. The Army secretary, which long held the No. 3 spot, was dropped to sixth.
The changes, announced last week, are the second in six months and reflect the administration's new emphasis on intelligence gathering versus combat in 21st century war fighting."
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"Under the new plan, Rumsfeld ally Stephen Cambone, the undersecretary for intelligence, moved up to the third spot. Former Ambassador Eric Edelman, the policy undersecretary, and Kenneth Krieg, the undersecretary for acquisition, technology and logistics, hold the fourth and fifth positions."
http://www.military.com/NewsContent/0,13319,84030,00.htmlThis was posted this a.m. on Yahoo. This whole article is very interesting. It appears the Pentagon is becoming the new Intelligence agency. The heads of the military are losing their position in the chain of command.
These (holiday) recess Executive Orders are getting bolder and bolder.