General Petraeus’ Favorite Mushroom: The US Army’s Human Terrain System
Petraeus’ HTS Mushroom: Location HQ at Fort Leavenworth
According to sources, the Leadership of the HTS program at Fort Leavenworth “ consists of retired O6’s or friends of the retired O6’s. The current leadership consisting of Steve Rotkoff, Mark French , Karen Clark and Angela Edwards (the information technology manager), have had ongoing friendships in excess of a decade. Rotkoff was a cadet classmate with the previous HTS deputy program manager, Jim Greer, at West Point . Edwards’ husband, a recently retired O6, will be coming onboard the HTS program in December 2008 as a Seminar Leader. There is a great divide amongst the leadership and the military staff.”
Sources also state that the contracted leadership views the military as a necessary evil. The contractors “display a total lack of respect for even the most senior military members within the HTS program. The separation is also true with regard to operational planning. The uniformed/active duty military is seldom, if ever, included in any senior level planning within the program. However, they are expected to act, and act quickly, whenever a directive is put out.”
For example, according to sources, Rotkoff’s management style is summed up in this statement attributed to him: “if you get in my way, you’ll piss me off!”
Sources say Rotkoff has absolutely no problem dressing down colleagues in public. To date at least three uniformed/active duty military members, including a Lieutenant Colonel, have received a public tongue lashing from the civilian contractor Rotkoff.
“People that have questioned the program and pointed out problems have been returned to the USA. Some have been sitting in hotels in Kansas City for three weeks or more, waiting for meetings to be scheduled. It's as though HTS program management is saying there is nothing wrong with the program if they do not meet with them. It also keeps the numbers inflated on personnel status.”
John Stanton is a Virginia based writer specializing in national security and political matters. Reach him at cioran123@yahoo.com.
