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Military Men Impressed By Biden

The Presumptive VP's Credentials Underscore Obama's Foreign Policy Strategy

By Megan Scully / National Journal

When retired Army Maj. Gen. Paul Eaton testified before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on the treatment of detainees last July, the former chief trainer of the Iraqi security forces was particularly struck by the panel's chairman, Sen. Joseph Biden, D-Del.

The vocal critic of the Bush administration since leaving the military in 2006 said he found Biden to be personable and polite with a strong grasp of the issues.

The hearing, Eaton said, demonstrated that Biden is a "terrific master of foreign relations and foreign policy."

Democrats expect Biden to bring that vast foreign policy experience to the Democratic presidential ticket as Sen. Barack Obama's choice for vice president.

"I could not be happier about Sen. Obama's selection," said Eaton -- a former supporter of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y. -- who now advises the Obama camp on national security issues.

Eaton and other retired military officers supporting and advising Obama said the selection of Biden simply underscores the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee's long-standing commitment to a foreign relations strategy that would use military force only as a last resort.

"He picked a guy on foreign affairs who understands that military isn't the solution to everything," said retired Army Lt. Gen. Donald Kerrick.

The selection, said retired Adm. John Nathman, is an indication that Obama "wants to make sure that we do the right thing in the future about how we deal with people in the world."

Nathman, who threw his support behind Obama just months after retiring last year, added that the inclusion of Biden on the ticket is a "very strong signal to the rest of the world" that an Obama administration would place a premium on foreign policy.

Gordon Adams, a professor of foreign policy at American University, argued Obama's selection of a running mate with extensive foreign policy credentials but a lack of military experience does not necessarily reflect anything about Obama's views on the balance between military and diplomacy.

Adams, who worked at OMB during the Clinton administration, said there simply were no "serious candidates" for vice president with vast military experience.

Neither Obama nor Biden have served in the military, in contrast to Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., a Vietnam veteran and POW who is the ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Obama's crew of military advisers say the lack of military experience on the ticket is not a detriment. Obama, they argue, has several senior advisors to consult on military matters.

"I don't think you have to have that [military] background to perform well," said retired Air Force Maj. Gen. Scott Gration, one of Obama's top military advisers. "Nor do I think that having that background guarantees that you'll perform well."