Say Goodbye to "Combat Bulldog"

[Berry]

Foglesong resigns as MSU president

Breaking News: Foglesong resigns as MSU president

By Annie Mitchell

Institutions of Higher Learning

Friday, March 7, 2008 3:16 PM CST

Jackson - The president of Mississippi State University has resigned, effective June 30.

Following a meeting with MSU President Dr. Robert H. “Doc” Foglesong and an emergency teleconference meeting of the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning, Commissioner of Higher Education Dr. Thomas C. Meredith announced his acceptance of Foglesong's resignation.

“This is a major loss for our system and for Mississippi State University,” said Meredith. “Under Dr. Foglesong's leadership, Mississippi State is currently enjoying its best year in many years, which is evidenced by its enrollment growth, its increase in research productivity, and numerous other positive changes at the institution.

“President Foglesong stated he had a number of goals for Mississippi State when he arrived, which have primarily been accomplished,” he continued. “He feels that now is an appropriate time for a transition in leadership.”

“The board is very appreciative of the many accomplishments of Dr. Foglesong and we wish him the very best,” said Board President Dr. L. Stacy Davidson.

*

IHL governs the public universities in Mississippi, including Alcorn State University; Delta State University; Jackson State University; Mississippi State University, also including the MSU Division of Agriculture, Forestry and Veterinary Medicine; Mississippi University for Women; Mississippi Valley State University; the University of Mississippi, including the University of Mississippi Medical Center; and the University of Southern Mississippi.

Foglesong refused to comment on the matter. MSU's Faculty Senate soon plans to organize a transition committee.

“We want to be ahead of this thing and not behind it,” said Mark Goodman, MSU communication professor and past president of the faculty senate.

This story contains reporting from Dispatch Starkville Bureau reporter Skip Descant.

[Toro]

I wonder if the students at MSU will be as happy to see him go as all the folks in USAFE were.

[Mambo]

I wonder what he did wrong that made him resign...

“He feels that now is an appropriate time for a transition in leadership.”

Yeah, right!

[Berry]

I wonder what he did wrong that made him resign...

Group says MSU president is suppressing pedagogy

"We've taken to thinking of him in the same sense of the general in 'Doctor Strangelove.' It's this sense where he will not admit that he's wrong about anything, and he's not willing to listen to what other people have to say about it, unless it's what he thinks."

[HerkDerka]

On Monday, the students assembled as a school and were asked to take an hour out of their studio time to pick up installations on the exterior and visible interior of the building because they were not "aesthetically pleasing." Students were particularly upset about their window boxes being removed from the windows. They said Foglesong also wants certain beams in the building to be painted brown.

According to several architecture students, Foglesong was on his morning run on Feb. 9 and he noticed the displays. They said he called provost Peter Rabideau around 6 a.m. Rabideau said Foglesong asked him to talk to dean of architecture Jim West because it was following the appropriate chain of command.

It sounds like Combat University didn't work out to well. WTFO, it sounds like absolutely nothing changed.

EABOD.

HD

[Sim]

Group says MSU president is suppressing pedagogy

Pedagogy = "to lead the child”

Maybe they are thinking of andragogy?

[Crog]

It sounds like Combat University didn't work out to well. WTFO, it sounds like absolutely nothing changed.

EABOD.

HD

I read your post and you had me cracking up with that made-up article about Doc ordering window boxes removed. I kind of expected a joke about having students ride along with the campus cops at night, or some such nonsense......then I realized it was a REAL ARTICLE!!!!

So, now everyone realizes he's crazy; always was, always will be.....

Is insanity a requirement for promotion?

[Herk Driver]

"They said Foglesong also wants certain beams in the building to be painted brown."

Sounds like he loves the "combat proud" paint scheme.

[dmeg130]

Check out the replies to the article -- student comments sound shockingly familiar!

My personal favorite is "If Doc's so hung up on things being aesthetically pleasing, why doesn't he take a bushhog to his unruly eyebrows?"

FYI - pedagogy is an academic approach where students are encouraged to be messy and make mistakes rather than follow pre-established guidelines. Sounds like ol Doc was a perfect fit.

[Crog]

OK, I'm going to cite something which will probably demonstrate my ignorance....

Foglesong to me was always that guy who came up with crazy ideas and put the word "Combat" in front of it, as if that would make it sound more important.

In reading (and enjoying) all the articles/post from MSU, I clicked on a link to his bio, and you know what? I can't find any evidence that he served one day in "Combat". In fact, his medals seem scant on "flight related" (AA 2OLC is all I could find). Now, I know that combat time was hit or miss with a lot of generals during this timeframe, but I'd say the majority had the good sense not to come up with programs like "Combat Cop Ride Along".....

Reminds me of a Deputy OG who once claimed to have "over 1,000 hours of combat time" (and by implication, we all sucked). Of course, when we found out he was assigned to as a C-47 IP to the SVN AF for a total time in country of 100 days, we assumed he flew 10.0 every day taking his students to Hanoi and back.....

[M2]

Crog

You are correct, Mr Burns had no combat time before taking over the helm at USAFE. He finally "got some" by scoring a ride on an RJ in SWA or something like that; but he had a big goose egg of combat time in the Viper...It was one of the many reasons he was considered a perfect assbag!

As for his tenure at MSU, it turned out exactly as I expected it to! I guess now he'll return to Mingo County, WV and ruin it as well...

Cheers! M2

[Guest C-21 Pilot]

https://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section...mp;archive=true

Former USAFE boss quits university post as complaints mount

By Scott Schonauer, Stars and Stripes

European edition, Thursday, March 13, 2008

KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany — Retired Air Force Gen. Robert “Doc” Foglesong quit as president of Mississippi State University this week amid gripes from students and faculty over everything from the removal of campus daffodils to his micromanaging leadership style.

Such complaints bring back memories for many airmen who served under him when he was commander of U.S. Air Forces Europe. The former four-star general served as the top officer from the command’s headquarters at Ramstein Air Base from August 2003 to December 2005.

Vincent Barnes, a former Air Force staff sergeant in the United Kingdom when Foglesong was commander, said it is hardly surprising that he did not last long as head of the university.

“A lot of what he did seemed like it wasn’t based in reality,” said Barnes, who now lives in Germany. “Me, I didn’t dislike him. He had a lot of success here. But it was his way or the highway. There was no compromise. That’s the type of guy he is.”

Foglesong, who took on the $429,000-a-year university presidency shortly after officially retiring in February 2006, resigned Friday after less than two years. In a statement, he wrote that he is leaving “with the express purpose of helping the university move forward.”

He did not give any additional details. Efforts to contact Foglesong on Tuesday were unsuccessful.

In the last few months, students and faculty members have criticized Foglesong over various issues. Faculty members openly lambasted him for his lack of attendance at their meetings, according to various media reports. He ridiculed many of his critics in a newsletter posted on Mississippi State’s Web site.

“Concerning the comments about my leadership style, most of the advice I get — including that from faculty members — is to just ignore them,” he wrote in November.

He attracted the biggest uproar over allegations that he ordered the removal of some beloved daffodils. Students started a “Save the MSU Daffodils” campaign on the Facebook social networking Web site.

Comments on the Internet this past week have offered a mixed, but sometimes scathing commentary on his brief legacy as president.

While USAFE commander, his penchant for keeping a clean and beautiful base spawned the “Combat Proud” program that involved airmen doing everything from picking up cigarette butts to planting flowers.

Tech. Sgt. Jeremy Hunt, who is stationed in Kaiserslautern, remembers Foglesong for being very structured as a leader. He said he is not surprised he didn’t last as a university leader because his skills as a military leader probably didn’t transfer very well to an academic setting.

“You can’t expect civilians to bend to a more structured, military way,” he said.

Here is a site that brought up a question:

https://www.djournal.com/pages/story.asp?ID=268386&pub=1

"But Foglesong seemed to revel in his university role as its top cheerleader - he attended football workouts and flew jets overhead at some key football games. He also played in a cover band named Bark, which often entertained at campus and community events."

What entitlements dos a retired 4-Star have in flying a military jet?

[JS]

https://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section...mp;archive=true

Former USAFE boss quits university post as complaints mount

By Scott Schonauer, Stars and Stripes

European edition, Thursday, March 13, 2008

https://www.djournal.com/pages/story.asp?ID=268386&pub=1

"But Foglesong seemed to revel in his university role as its top cheerleader - he attended football workouts and flew jets overhead at some key football games. He also played in a cover band named Bark, which often entertained at campus and community events."

What entitlements dos a retired 4-Star have in flying a military jet?

At one game I went to, he flew a propeller plane for the flyover - and he royally screwed up the timing. I can't remember the plane, but it was some old radial/piston taildragger, I think.

[M2]

Notice how the Stripes article works hard to not admit the guy was a total assbag? He was a prick at USAFE, and I am sure it all carried over to Miss State. Unfortunately, what he probably failed to realize was that there they could go tell him to 'fuck off!'

The funny thing is he did the same at USAFE...his leaving really helped the command "move forward." The only unity that occurred while he was in charge was the common hatred for the douche bag.

Still, I am surprised that the S&S even ran the article at all. If he was still at Ramstein, I am sure he'd have the editors on the carpet for even remotely criticizing him.

Can you tell my hatred towards Doc is still deeply embedded?

Cheers! M2

[Toro]

What entitlements dos a retired 4-Star have in flying a military jet?

While he was CINC USAFE, said assbag demanded that he get a front seat Strike Eagle ride. He bypassed all the rules and regulations that encompass a SOC course and ended up flying in the front seat.

Un-f***-ing believable.

[Bergman]

While he was CINC USAFE, said assbag demanded that he get a front seat Strike Eagle ride. He bypassed all the rules and regulations that encompass a SOC course and ended up flying in the front seat.

Un-f***-ing believable.

I believe it. He flew a left-seat KC-135 ride out of Turkey back in 06 which is a no-no as well.

[HuggyU2]

Are all students at MSU required to have a "Wingman" when they go off-campus??

[Guest IGB]

Combat proud, combat bulldog, combat bullshit may all be gone, but rest assured, Doc's legacy lives on:

https://www.mountainhome.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123094491

There are so many great quotes to repost, but this one was my favorite: "The general's guidance helped her develop an effective management style."

Glad to see the AF is safe with such effective leaders remaining after VSPs, RIFs, etc...

Cheers.

[Guest C-21 Pilot]

"As a leader, Lieutenant Murray teaches us to always strive for excellence and give everything we've got, no matter how hard it may seem," said Airman 1st Class Brittney Jernigan, 366th Operations Support Squadron information manager. "She is not just a great leader, but more so a great teacher."

These cats are in'....

"I would also like to visit every continent before I check out."

She should have chosen aviation....^^^BTDT