Recalling globally deployed senior officers to serve as the backdrop for a speech creates avoidable operational costs. Those officers are stationed forward to coordinate forces in their theaters, so travel takes them away from their command posts before the event even begins. Gathering many leaders in one location also concentrates personalities and decision-makers while creating a security risk. Political symbolism should be weighed against readiness and the reason those commanders were deployed in the first place.
Notable Point · 1:14:15-1:16:06
The cost of recalling forward commanders for a speech
Concentrating senior commanders for a political event removes them from forward command posts and creates avoidable command, security, and continuity risks.