Defense's Senior Mentor Slush Fund

Folks on the Hill evidently read USA Today, which reported last month that the Defense Department's senior mentor program amounted to a slush fund for retired generals and admirals, who just happen to work for contractors.

The paper reported that 158 retired generals and admirals identified as having worked for the military as senior mentors, 80 percent had financial ties to defense contractors, including 29 who were full-time executives of defense companies

These retired stars, who the last time I checked collected a good federal pension of more than $100,000 a year, raked in big mentoring bucks, according to USA Today. Retired Marine Lt. Gen. Gary McKissock has collected $1.2 million, for I'm sure his sage advice to the Marine Corps since 2005.

Congress, in the fiscal 2010 Defense appropriations bill passed by the Senate on Dec. 19, seems less than pleased with this whole mess. "There is a deep concern over the Department of Defense's senior mentors program," the bill said.

It added that Defense "spends millions of dollars each year to place retired general officers on contract to act as advisors and mentors. It is of concern that the department uses large defense industry firms as the prime contractor to serve as third party go betweens.''

Congress wants the Defense inspector general to investigate this tawdry scheme and deliver a report by the end of March 2010. I can hardly wait to read it.

Meanwhile, I wonder how much I could make as a junior mentor, based on my experience as an enlisted Marine Corps radio operator.