[War] US: The Shepherd Boy, The Strategos

[pentaj2 at Scranton.edu]

"The Shepherd Boy, the Strategos"
24 January 2013
President John Williams
and other assorted people
United States
==========================
<Washington>

    It was nearing the end of a long week, and though it was only 
Thursday morning, John Williams was tired.

    Weary though he was, they'd gotten much accomplished. Christopher 
Hill, Assistant Secretary of State for Asia-Pacific affairs under Bush 
43 (making him responsible for negotiations with North Korea), and 
Deputy Secretary of State under Richardson, had accepted nomination as 
Secretary of State for at least the next 4 years. He'd managed to fill 
every cabinet post, plus the hordes of more junior appointments; the 
whirlwind pace meant the Senate was close to choking on the volume, 
but that (officially and unofficially) recieved only a grin and a 
reply to the press of "Well, I guess that means they'll have to work a 
full workweek, huh?" Party affiliations varied from Republican to 
Democrat to "Why should I care about party affiliation?" (as his 
nominee for Treasury, Rob Mendillo, had memorably put it). 
Confirmations looked almost certain, fortunately; neither party had 
the numbers to block his nominees, and they were a non-partisan group, 
anyhow. As close to technocrats, the "best and the brightest", as 
could be found. And, no small feat, ethically flawless.

   Every cabinet post was filled, that is, except one. And it was a 
big one.

   Secretary of Defense. 

   The US Armed forces had recovered, rested, and integrated their 
experiences from Iraq and Afghanistan, but there were still American 
troops in Korea, manning the DMZ alongside the military of the ROK; 
there were still American ships at sea, American troops posted to 
garrisons in Europe and Japan. And, the President was sure, still all 
sorts of situations that the next 4 years would present.

   As such, he sat at the Resolute desk in the Oval Office, looking 
through a stack of dossiers. There were 4 final candidates, plus one 
special folder.

   Alberto Morales. Republican of Texas. Utterly brilliant, but also 
entirely theoretical. He'd be fine in an assured peacetime, but the 
events of the past decade had taught one thing to American politics: 
there were very few guarantees in such matters. So Williams set that 
dossier aside, making a note that he might be useful in an 
Undersecretary posting.

   Kevin McDonnell, Democrat of Massachusetts. A former Congressman, 
Williams had grown to respect him on the Armed Services and 
Intelligence Committees; however, he could be a bit of a loose cannon. 
Not what one really wanted in the person responsible for the day-to-
day running of the United States military, particularly given 
everybody's memories of Don Rumsfeld.

   Jerry Rawlings. Alaskan, so fickle in party loyalties that his 
staff had left -that- column with an entry of "Who knows?" A moment of 
written candor from a staff that was, on paper at least, typically 
emotionless; the reality off the paper was rather different, 
fortunately. Jerry was a good guy, but an Army partisan through and 
through. Mentally, he facepalmed. How had someone who would so annoy 
the other services slipped past his last few reviews the night before?

   Scott Johnson. A Republican from California, he had nearly 30 years 
of experience in the DOD bureaucracy. Good, yes. But unfortunately, 
DOD's bureaucracy, he suspected, would be precisely the problem. And 
there were notes that his personal finances were said to be a mess.

   John sighed, then. He didn't want to, but who was there? Who was 
there that was both competent and that he could trust?

   He picked up the commercial-network phone on his desk and dialed a 
number he knew well.
---
<Rumson, NJ>

"Geia! I mean, hello--excuse me for a moment." 

There's a brief pause, where the sound of a scuffle and two boys 
shouting in another language can be heard. The speaker tells the boys 
to cut it out, first in English, then in Greek, his voice stern. There 
are a few protests, but then the sound fades away as though someone 
has turned the volume on the television down, and the speaker's voice 
can be clearly heard.

"I'm sorry about that. Hello, Mr. President, what brings you to be 
calling our humble abode?" Even though the speaker does not laugh, it 
is obvious from his tone of voice that he is quite amused.

Williams does laugh, heartily. He'd found out a week before being 
sworn in that Kay was pregnant with their first child, so his laugh is 
tinged with a bit of fear; it'll be his kid going through the terrible 
twos soon enough. "Geia, Iulius. I take it Alex and Tim haven't come 
down from the sugar rush the pastry chef helped me give them?" A 
pause, then. "That said, I know it's short notice, but I'd like you 
and Calli to come down to Camp David this weekend. May as well bring 
the boys along; I'm told the snow's great out there."

"And before you ask, no, it's not smart to say -why-. Not on an 
unsecured line," John notes.

"Fly your plane down from Middletown, if you want; we'll then have a 
chopper meet you."

"They're still eating those cookies you gave them. I had to explain to 
Alex today why cookies are not breakfast food, no matter what the 
cereal commercial says." Pause. "I suppose it won't be too much 
trouble. I'll take Alex out of preschool early, then. He'll be 
excited."

Julius is quiet for a moment, but does not hang up. Instead, he 
chuckles, then says, "Alright, I understand that much. I'll pack a 
nice suit though, just in case we go out."

In the background, John can hear "Sesame Street", and grins. "Suit 
might be helpful, yes." Pause. "For the kids, too. No need to worry 
about what time you get down to Thurmont."

That hint given, Williams continues. "And with that, I risk giving 
away too much." Pause. He could hear a female voice in Greek in the 
background, shouting that the kids had 20 minutes. "I should let you 
get back to herding puppies. Tell Calli and the kids I said hi."

"Right. Will do, John," Julius replies. "See you from the sky, 
brother."

A laugh, and then, after wishing the POTUS goodbye, Julius hangs up 
the phone.

----
<25 January, 1630 EST: Fredrick Municipal Airport, Fredrick, MD>

Julius taxis the jet into its proper spot as Calli unbuckles from the 
back and moves to shake the boys awake. They had been napping since 
the plane took off and were still asleep, somehow managing to filter 
out the sound of the landing. 

"We're here."

As the kids wake up, the radio crackles.

"N83715, Fredrick Ground. HMX One One advises crew is waiting for you 
after you postflight your aircraft."

"C'mon boys, out, let's go, let's move," Calli chants as she shuffles 
the sleepy children towards the door. Julius's reply is drowned out by 
the chants, but fortunatly the microphone does not pick up any of the 
background noise.

The postflight does not take long; Alex gleefully helps, sitting on 
Julius's shoulders as they walk about the craft. 

As the Abbot family exits the flight services building, two men in 
Marine flight uniforms can be seen, flight bags at their side.

Spotting the family, one of the two men calls out, "Mr. Abbot?"

"That would be me," Julius replies, lifting Alex from his shoulders 
and setting the boy on the ground. He looks at the Marines, a slight 
smile appearing as Tim excitedly announces that the two men are 
soldiers. 

The Marines walk over and extend their hands to the grownups. "Major 
Julio Rodriguez and Captain Luke Palmer, sir, ma'am. We'll be flying 
you out to Camp David. Do you have your baggage?"

"We do."  

Tim and Alex have their little Spider-man bags, and there are two 
rolling suitcases, which Calli and Julius grab, pulling the handles up 
so they can tug them along. 

"We'll follow you to the helo, then," Julius says, taking Alex's hand 
as Calli takes Tim's.

With the Abbots following, the Marines lead the way to a helipad 
outside. Under the floodlights can be seen a helicopter with white 
just below the rotors from above the cockpit to the tail, then olive 
green below that. In white letters, above the windows, is 
painted "United States of America". The stairs are down.

"Sirs, Ma'am. May I present to you the VH-71 Kestrel. One of the helos 
known from TV as Marine One," Major Rodriguez states. "If you would 
hand Sergeant Morales your baggage and take the helmets, we'll be on 
our way once you're buckled in," he continues, gesturing to a third 
Marine in a forest green flight uniform, helmet on his head. Four 
helmets sit on the deck of the helicopter beside him: Two sized for 
adult heads, two for smaller heads.

"Cool!" Alex jumps for the smaller helmet, immediatly plopping it on 
his head. Julius laughs and properly adjusts the helmet before putting 
on his own. Calli passes the bags along to Morales while Julius works 
on putting the other helmet on the uncooperative Tim. 

It does not take long for Julius to help Calli with her helmet, and 
then they're all in, buckled and ready to go.

Sergeant Morales sets the bags in a luggage bin, locking it, before 
checking the passengers' helmets and belts, securing his own helmet, 
and sitting in the seat nearest the cockpit, buckling in.

With a whoosh and a steady "whup whup whup whup" from the rotors, the 
helicopter stairs close, the helicopter starts up, and the rotors 
begin to turn. In moments, the helicopter is off the ground, flying 
low along the terrain to the north.

"We should take about 30 minutes to reach Camp David, with arrival 
about 1815," Major Rodriguez says over the helmet's headset radio.

"Just in time for dinner," Julius quips.

The Abbot parents begin to point things out to their children on the 
ground below. Or rather, to Alex, as Tim has buried his helmeted head 
in his mother's lap and refuses to look up for even a moment. The 
height and the sound scare him, so he is hiding.

Sergeant Morales can't help but grin at Tim's attempt to hide. Soon 
enough, he manages to get Tim's attention for a moment, and begins 
speaking softly, doing his best to calm the boy and assure him that 
it's safe. A few minutes later, Tim is pressing his face against the 
window alongside his brother, as Morales grins at the grownups. "Got 
one of my own the same age. Loud noises scare him the same way."

Julius smiles. "It takes a bit of coaxing to convince them they aren't 
really scared."

Calli smiles appreciatively at Morales, but remains quiet as she and 
Julius holds hands.

The boys, in the meantime, are watching the ground run in the opposite 
direction from them. Trees, grass, and buildings all go flying past, 
which prompts Alex to make a rather unusual comment. 

"The ground's playing tag with us!"

"Tag, tag!" Tim chimes, tapping on the window.

"Quick, Papi!" Alex cries, pointing out the window. "Turn the hello-
copter around so we can catch it!"

"You don't want to do that. If you don't put the helicopter on the 
ground in the right way, it hurts," replies Morales with a grin.

Soon enough, the helicopter is flying over what the setting sun 
reveals to be a fence, approaching a helipad.

"Alright, everybody. Please return to your seats and buckle up, as 
we're about to land," Major Rodriguez announces.

"Awww," Alex mutters. "But it... it's getting 'way."

Julius and Calli help Alex and Tim buckle back in, preparing for the 
landing. Julius murmurs softly in Greek to Tim, who's sitting next to 
him this time, as the two year old clings to his arm.

Soon enough, the helo has made a soft, gentle landing, and as it 
begins to shut down, the port door opens and the stairs lower.

About 15 feet away, just beyond the helo's downwash, are John and 
Kayleigh, dressed casually, the President in jeans and a sweatshirt. 
POTUS returns the crew chief's salute as Sgt. Morales steps off the 
aircraft, helping the Abbots off the helo and taking back the helmets.

"Uncle Ioannes!" Once they're clear of the helo, the two boys sprint 
towards the POTUS at full-speed, ready to tackle him without abandon 
(not that they have ever actually succeeded in tackling him yet). No, 
they are not biologically related, but have, for some reason, always 
called John Williams that.

Julius and Calli take a little more time, waiting for the bags before 
walking to meet the Williams. Julius leans in to hug and kiss John on 
both cheeks, in the manner of Greek custom, while Calli does so with 
Kayleigh before switching as they greet the other couple cheerfully.

John and Kayleigh return the greetings, as John chatters in 
Greek. "Geia, Iulius, Calli." Then, he kneels to hug the two 
boys. "Alex! Tim! Geia!"

"Let's get inside. Brr, it's cold out here," John notes, gesturing 
towards Aspen, the gigantic Presidential cabin, as the helicopter 
taxied off to a hangar.

Once the group is inside, Kayleigh points the kids towards a 
(relatively) small room where they can watch cartoons, as John pours 
glasses of Coke.

"Geia!" The boys chorus. Once inside, they let themselves be herded 
into the cartoon room. Calli tells them to be good, then shuts the 
door before walking over to take a seat in one of the chairs.

"So, John," Julius says as he takes one of the glasses, but does not 
sip it. He grins. "The suspense is killing me."

"Well. You've been paying attention to the news, I hope. Notice any 
cabinet appointments I haven't made yet?" Williams can't help but grin 
at Julius, then.

"I've been paying attention."

Long pause.

"I hope I'm mistaken in what I'm thinking. You want..." Julius looks 
at John, setting down his glass for a moment so that he does not end 
up dropping it. He glances at Calli, who looks surprised, and mirrors 
her expression as he waits for the POTUS to finish his sentence and 
thus, answer his question.

"Nai." Yes. John's face is grave as he replies. "I took about a 
hundred possibilities that Joe Halleck's transition team had 
identified and, after Tom Larkin died, over the last few weeks, I've 
been narrowing them down. And then I had to sit and think. By 
Wednesday night, I had narrowed them down to Al Morales, Jerry 
Rawlings, Kevin McDonnell, and Scott Johnson.

"Wednesday night, then, I had a chat with Bill Richardson. Because, 
frankly, I was lost. We went over what a SECDEF needed, what a 
President needed in the person holding the post, and he brought up 
something. 'SECDEF is the second guy in the NCA loop. Everybody winds 
up picking people they barely know all that well, and I'm not sure 
that's a good idea. More, even, than your Chief of Staff, you need to 
be able to trust your SECDEF. Because, together, both of you deal with 
crises, and it's you two, nobody else, who could potentially make 
decisions that wind up in people dying, or in nuclear weapons 
release.'"

Here, John pauses.

"I set the issue aside, slept on it Wednesday night. Went over the 
options again, even some of the guys I'd rejected previously. But I 
kept thinking of that.

"In a crisis, if, God Forbid, I have to consider ordering troops into 
combat, or if, even worse, we have to open up the Football...I'd kinda 
prefer the guy who became my brother through surviving combat with me, 
combat that officially never happened, in places we officially never 
were, the guy who knows me at -least- as well as my wife, who I've -
seen- make decisions under stress, manage projects, argue his position 
even when the deck is stacked against him. I'd kinda prefer if he were 
in the room, if his key was the second one."

"So...This is an offer. I don't want your decision right now; After 
dinner.

"But I'd like to offer you the post of Secretary of Defense," John 
finished. "If you refuse, there are others...But I'd prefer you."

"I...right..." Julius laughs nervously. "I'm speechless, and scared as 
hell, too, to be honest. But I'll have the answer promptly after 
dinner, then."

He looks at Calli again. They will discuss it somehow in the meantime, 
before Julius has to answer. There were many concerns, but they would 
prioritize and attack it head-on. With, of course, a little aid from 
the boys just so they would be a part of this big decision, too.

"Man, John, you know I'd do anything to help you. Just promise me you 
don't embark on a path of world domination?" Julius teases, but then 
he sobers up, knowing that this may not be the best time to whip out 
the humor. His tone changes, becoming serious. "As long as you believe 
I'm capable, then I'm capable."

"No, no world domination. I still have an entry-wound scar in my chest 
and a purple heart from the -last- time a President thought invading a 
country looked like a good idea," John replies with a grin. The bullet 
hadn't gone in very deeply, but he still had a scar, and he still had 
a purple heart in his box. Then, "I believe you are, but just as 
important is that you have confidence in your own abilities." Pause.

"Now. How's lasagna sound for dinner?" A grin, then. POTUS is doing 
his own cooking tonight, says the twinkle in his eye.

"Oh, I know. I will. But I'd hate to accept it if I couldn't do it, 
but was being given the position anyway." A wan smile appars on 
Julius's features. "Thank God that bullet didn't go deep. I think 
Kayleigh agrees with me on that, too."

Kayleigh smiles from her spot by the wall, near John. "I do."

"Sounds delicious," Calli changes the subject, commenting on the 
dinner plan instead. Julius nods his agreement. 

John grins then. "Okay then. I know if we asked the kids, they'd want 
ice cream instead, so I won't." With that, he wanders off to the 
kitchen. Kay discreetly exits as well, herding the kids to get ready 
for dinner, leaving the Abbots alone to talk.

Once they are all gone, Calli speaks, opting for Greek instead of 
English. "It seems as though you've already made your decision."

Julius shakes his head. "I'll do it. John knows that. I want to make 
sure you are fine with it. If you aren't, then I won't."

"In this day and age? Any government position can be a risky position 
to have. You'll be under a lot of scrutiny, too. You know that, right? 
His opponents won't much like him having selected a friend."

"Yes, I know." Pause. "I've already made my decision, though. It's up 
to you, Calli. Do you want me to do it or would you rather I not?"

Calli is quiet for a moment, thoughtful. "If you want to," she finally 
answers.

"That's decision enough. Speak up, though, if you change your mind, 
okay?" Julius gently envelopes Calli in a hug, and then the two make 
their way into kitchen.

John is in Aspen's large kitchen - usually run by it's own kitchen 
staff, like the White House, but this time empty but for the Commander-
in-Chief - busily cooking away, a one-man tornado.

Spotting the two, he grins, putting a hand to his ear and 
mouthing "Buffaloes"...

...Shortly before two tiny tornadoes come tearing in, chattering away 
in Greek, followed by Kayleigh.

"Geia, munchkins!" John greets in Greek, a smile on his face. "Alex, 
could you set the table?"

"Okay. Where plates?" Alex grabs the counter and pulls himself up 
until he's kneeling on it, then begins to open the cabinets in search 
of any plate-like object.

Julius laughs, then picks up Tim, who is tugging on his pant-leg with 
urgency. The boy buries his head sleepily in his father's shoulder. 
They had not had much of a nap today, so the younger boy is tired.

John smiles, pulling Alex off the counter and setting him on the 
floor, then handing him plates, with silverware on top. "Move 
carefully," he warns the little boy.

"Okay." 

Clunk! 

"Oops.."

"It's alright, Alexander. Say you're sorry, and I'll get you a new 
one," Julius says gently, squatting and shifting Tim's weight to his 
hip so that he can grab the loose fork. He picks it up, tosses it into 
the sink and places another, clean one on top of Alex's pile.

"Sorry, Uncle Ioannes..." Alex looks sad, but parades into the dining 
room all the same to set the table. 

John smiles. "It's okay." He then follows Alex with, on two trips, 
garlic bread and lasagna, then setting out glasses of milk for the 
boys. There's ouzo and water for the grownups, along with wine glasses.

Calli takes Tim from Julius and chatters softly to him in Greek, 
trying to wake the little boy up as she follows John into the dining 
room. Julius follows, but waits for Kayleigh to walk through the door 
before completing the line into the room.

"Let's eat!"

And so they sit down to eat, John pouring ouzo for himself, Julius, 
and Calli, and water for Kay. You're supposed to dilute the ouzo with 
water, and so each does, as much or as little as preferred.

The kids are surprisingly well-behaved tonight, without anyone saying 
a word. They seem to sense that it's special.

----

"Boys--no, Timotheos, pay attention. You can play in a moment. Papi 
got offered a very important job, a big job that has to do with the 
army and the navy and all the other branches of the military. He will 
be very busy."

"Will you get to fly hello-copters, papi?" Alex asks, looking solemnly 
at his father.

Calli smiles but shakes her head. "No, Alex, not quite." 

"Are you boys okay with papi taking this job?" Julius looks at Tim and 
Alex. He wasn't expecting them to really understand, but if they said 
no, then he would be all the more hesitant to officially agree.

"Nai!" Tim screeches, squirming out of Calli's grip. "Nainainai!" 

Julius laughs. "That's one. What do you think, Alexander?"

The older boy is quite for a moment. Then, "Will you play with me when 
you can?"

"Of course, Alex." Julius nods.

"Okay." Alex nods at his father. "Okay."

Julius picks up the boy and gives him a hug. The decision was made, 
then. "Okay."

He begins to walk into the other room, where he can hear John and 
Kayleigh talking to each other in soft voices. 

"Let's go tell Uncle Ioannes our answer."

John and Kay were mostly killing time, going over some of the things 
that had been left hanging during the recent weeks' events.

So, as the Abbots come in, John looks up. "You've had time to discuss 
it?"

"Yes," Julius answers for the clan. "So... John, meet your new 
Secretary of Defense."

John smiles, gesturing for the grownups to sit in the nearby 
chairs...And the adults to sit wherever.

"Well, hold on, now. I forgot to tell you some things." The smile on 
his face indicates it was intentional.

"One: That was a conditional job offer. Tomorrow and Sunday you meet 
with me, the Joint Chiefs, Nick Manfredi, who'll be confirmed as DNI 
before the next week is out, Chris Hill, and Dave Rogers, who's on tap 
to be our guy at the UN. Tomorrow is a nice, relaxed getting-to-know-
you thing. You, us, them, families. Enjoy Camp David, relax, get to 
know each other as people.

"Sunday: Calli, you, Kay, the kids and everybody else's families have 
the day to yourselves, mostly. Piper, after you all go to Divine 
Liturgy and we go to Mass, we'll be joined by the folks previously 
mentioned. We then go into a CPX that the Joint Staff and the Intel 
Community have been working on for the last month. All of us, no more 
of the 'President doesn't participate' BS. That will be, so to speak, 
your job interview. After that, I chat with the other players and get 
their verdict on you. I'm assuming you'll pass, in which case, when we 
finish Sunday night, I schedule a White House Press Conference Monday 
afternoon to announce your nomination. Before you guys ask, I took 
your name to the usual suspects on the Senate Armed Services 
Committee. They all said you seemed like a good choice, and if you're 
determined to have performed well during the exercise, they'll 
recommend swift hearings and an easy approval."

Then, John just smiles. "Think you can handle it, shepherd?"

"I knew there was more to it than that, but not what. Thanks for the 
update," Julius laughs again. "Yeah, I think I can handle it."

"Okay then. The rest of the night, we play."
---

At the end of the weekend, the whole of the Williams Administration 
national security team, minus Piper, was gathered around a fireplace 
in Aspen.

POTUS stuck his head in the door. "I'm told there's a verdict?"

"Yes, Mr. President. You may bring in the vic - er, prospective 
nominee now," Bob Stevens, the Vice President, replied, his expression 
carefully neutral.

"This is it," Julius whispers to Calli. She smiles and pats his elbow, 
as though to promise everything will work out fine.

Julius stands at that, taking Alex's hand. Tim clings to his mother, 
and Calli holds Julius's unoccupied hand as they make their way into 
the room, linked together.

"Mr. Abbot, Mrs. Abbot. Alexander, Timotheos," Admiral Giambastiani, 
the chairman of the Joint Chiefs, greeted.

"Mr. Abbot: Afyer ebaluating your performance at today's exercise, 
your service record, and everything else we could find about you, we 
have discussed your nomination to be Secretary of Defense," Secretary-
designate Hill began.

"On the one hand, you are someone the President claims as a brother. 
With good reason, there is aversion to friends being appointed to the 
Cabinet, particularly when they lack Washington experience.

"On the other hand, that aversion is balanced by a few factors: One: 
Independently, you have garnered an impressive record of achievements 
on your own. Two: As each of us has experienced over his service in 
Congress, President Williams trusts...only after you prove yourself. 
That you have reached such a close relationship with him speaks highly 
of you. Three: Your brotherhood was born in combat. Those of us who 
have experienced it have informed the rest of us that ties like that 
are something rare, something valuable.

"Finally, we recall Bobby Kennedy. He wasn't a half-bad Attorney 
General, and him and President Kennedy had blood ties."

Then, General Conways, the Commandant of the Marine Corps, stood.

"Mr. Abbot, it has been decided that this national security team will 
support your nomination as Secretary of Defense of the United States 
of America," he intoned. "We wish you an easy confirmation, and we 
await the experience of serving with you over the months and years to 
come."

With that, and a brief round of applause for the new SECDEF nominee, 
POTUS stepped forward.

"Good. Welcome aboard, Piper. Tomorrow afternoon, we announce your 
name to the press. Bill Frist has agreed to shepherd you through 
confirmation, aided and abetted by Harry Reid on the Democratic side. 
The sheep gave up so much. We thank them for their sacrifice."

Julius nods. He, too, had realized and noted that an appointing of a 
friend to a position might not look good in the slightest, but as 
Giambastiani had noted, there were some balancing factors. 

"Thank you, gentlemen," Julius says once everyone has finished 
speaking. He looks each of the men in the room in the eye as he 
speaks. "I am honored to be nominated for this position, and for the 
support you have given me. I promise you I will serve the country 
well, no matter the outcome."

With that, the Abbot grownups spent the night with a lawyer thr White 
House Counsel's office, filling out questionnaires and disclosure 
forms and background check authorization forms and the rest of the 
paperwork required by the nomination process.

Meanwhile, their kids were spoiled by the rest of the Administration's 
national security team, and the President tucked them into bed, 
reading them "Goodnight Moon" and the story of David and Goliath as 
their bedtime stories.
---

Yhe next day, the nation was introduced to the first immigrant 
Secretary of Defense. Confirmation hearings are scheduled for the 
first full week of February.

Initial opinion from the Senate is positive. Bloggers raise their 
eyebrows at the dark horse nomination, but by the end of the week, the 
blogosphere is enthusiastically supportive.
---
Actions:
1. Julius 'Piper' Abbot nominated as SECDEF.