Nothing says that you're serious about national security than dragging your entire top defense personnel from all across the world, away from their active duties, in order to attend a pep rally so that they can hear in person the Defense Secretary read a prepared statement on readiness fitness and grooming standards.

In my 30+ years as a wage slave, I saw two short notice, mandatory, all hands, meetings.

First, in December of 99, when Office Depot informed everyone in my department that they were shutting down the department, and kicking us all on the street, in two weeks.

Second, when the owner of the company tired of hearing people around the office talking trash about his biggest customer, he called a meeting to tell the offending parties that hearing another negative comment about that customer, was grounds for immediate termination.

Unless the SecDef is so narcissistic that he wants to see 800 flag rank officers bow and scrape, in person, in his presence, my expectation is he is going to drop the hammer on them, in a big way. Something very controversial. If he had sent out an e-mail, he could not see the reactions, as they happen.

Steve