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Editorial: Change starts at the top

Defense Secretary Robert Gates recently echoed the mantra of his predecessor, Donald Rumsfeld, by saying the military is not moving fast enough to address wartime needs.

For example, he said, “It’s been like pulling teeth” to get more intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance systems to the war zones “because people were stuck in old ways.”

A specific ISR concern cited by Gates is unmanned aerial vehicles. While there has been a quantum leap in UAV numbers and capabilities, demand still outstrips supply, in part for cultural reasons.

The Army could deploy more Shadow UAVs if it didn’t keep some at home for training. The Air Force could field more armed Predators, critics say, if it didn’t insist that only rated pilots fly them.

Gates’ weariness at the pace of change amid asymmetric threats from creative enemies stems from having to constantly fight resistance to change within his own organization, sources said.

“An unconventional era of warfare requires unconventional thinkers,” Gates said — and lucky for him, such thinkers exist and are being promoted.

Gates tapped Iraq war chief Gen. David Petraeus to take over U.S. Central Command and Lt. Gen. Ray Odierno to take over in Iraq.

Equally important, he named Lt. Gen. Pete Chiarelli — one of the Army’s most innovative leaders — to become the service’s vice chief. Chiarelli wrote most of Gates’ address last year on the need to invest in “soft power” and beef up the State Department.

These are good moves. And with only a few months left in office, the only way Gates can ensure change outlives his tenure is by picking such strong, reform-minded leaders for the top spots.