The Logistician Inspires...Fear

Below is an anonymous quote that explains what a logistician does, who fears him and what happens when the logistician makes flag officer. A certain Navy Captain from the left coast, and also a Rebel (capital R), copied me on an email he sent to two very distinguished admirals. Worth reading front and center below:

The Logistician

Logisticians are a sad and embittered race of men who are very much in demand in war, and who sink resentfully into obscurity in peace. They deal only in facts, but must work for men who merchant in theories. They emerge during war because war is very much a fact. They disappear in peace because peace is mostly theory. The people who merchant in theories, and who employ logisticians in war and ignore them in peace, are called Admirals.

Admirals are a happy blessed race who radiate confidence and power. They feed only on ambrosia and drink only nectar. In peace, they stride confidently and can invade a world simply by sweeping their hands grandly over a map, point their fingers decisively up train corridors, and blocking defiles and obstacles with the sides of their hands. In war, they must stride more slowly because each Admiral has a logistician riding on his back and he knows that, at any moment, the logistician may lean forward and whisper: "No, you can't do that." Admirals fear logisticians in war and, in peace, Admirals try to forget logisticians. Romping along beside Admirals are strategists and tacticians. Logisticians despise strategists and tacticians. Strategists and tacticians do not know about logisticians until they grow up to be Admirals--which they, tragically often do.

Sometimes a logistician becomes a Admiral. If he does, he must associate with Admirals whom he hates; he has a retinue of strategists and tacticians whom he despises; and, on his back, is a logistician whom he fears. This is why logisticians who become Admirals always have ulcers and cannot eat their ambrosia. - Unknown Author