800 lbs Gorilla

Many of the same people are here at this conference that I first met back in Qatar last March. In the middle of that conference, news first broke that then CENTCOM commander, Admiral William Fallon, resigned. Speculation was rife as to who would be nominated as the next CENTCOM commander. A leading contender, at least around our water cooler, was Multi-National Force Iraq commanding general, General David Petraeus, technically, my boss' boss' boss' boss. This of course, eventually came to pass; General Petraeus since has been nominated and confirmed as the next CENTCOM commander. He likely will take command sometime in the fall.

Because of this, everyone from CENTCOM at this conference treats me with kid gloves as I now indirectly represent their future boss. Several times during the conference they've referred to the 800 pound gorrilla in the room -- by extension, me. "What do you think he'll think of this?" I get asked. I tell them. When ever his name is mentioned, people in the room (unconsciously?) glance at me.

I've had the honor of briefing him once already, in a surprisingly intimate setting across a coffee table in his office, and he's just as intense and personable as he appears on television. He has an immensely difficult job and I am in awe of how much detail the man can keep track of day in and day out. I have no doubt he'll make a fine CENTCOM commander.

But it won't change the fact that I'll get to snicker a lot at this conference.