“Appointing a director from the outside adds a necessary new perspective and fresh approach to their zero-fail mission.”
On Tuesday, President Trump named a retired Marine major general as the new director of the Secret Service. Randolph (Tex) Alles will oversee the agency that for years has seen a series of high-profile embarrassments, mistakes, and failures.
The Secret Service has been plagued with personnel issues, breaches in conduct, and most lately continued failures in securing the White House. In the last month, three White House breaches have occurred.
Under the Obama administration, the Secret Service received a black eye when it became public that agents were involved in a prostitution scandal during a South American summit during the Obama administration. After that scandal came to light, Obama appointed a new director—Julia Pierson—from within the agency.
Subsequently, Julia Pierson was forced to resign as director after multiple presidential security breaches were made public. Obama opted to bring back retired director Joseph Clancy to head the agency. After Clancy had taken over the Secret Service, the issues not only continued but became worse.
President Trump has taken a bold step and appointed a retired two star Marine general to take over the Secret Service. This is the correct move, as the agency needs a director from the outside who is not mired in the mentality of an insider.
Alles’ appointment continues President Donald Trump’s reliance on retired generals for top government posts. President Trump sees the enormous asset military commanders have to offer in experience and their attitude of getting things done. Alles will report to Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly, also a retired Marine general.
Appointing a general will force the Secret Service to operate like the quasi-military unit they are. The job of protecting the president and other dignitaries is a major task. Having a director who has not only been in charge of thousands of personnel in very stressful situations but also understands the gravity of the mission is a welcome change.
At the time of his appointment, Alles was serving as an assistant commissioner for US Customs and Border Protection, Office of Air and Marine (OAM). OAM is the world’s largest aviation and maritime law enforcement organization, with 1,200 federal agents operating from 84 air and marine locations utilizing 268 aircraft and 289 maritime vessels.
General Alles began his career in the Marine Corps after graduating from Texas A&M University in 1976. He was a pilot and flew more than 5,000 hours in various fighter aircraft, including the F-4, F-5, F-16, F/A-18, and A-4. Alles flew over 300 hours in combat operations and later became an instructor at the US Navy Fighter Weapons School, also known as “Top Gun.”
Alles is a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom, where he commanded Marine Aircraft Group 11 and the Third Marine Aircraft Wing. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal and the Legion of Merit with Combat V. He also received the Gold Star and the Defense Superior Service Medal with Oak Leaf cluster. Alles retired from military service in 2011, joining the Customs and Border Patrol in 2012.
Jason Chaffetz, the Republican chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, welcomed the decision to appoint Alles and said, “Appointing a director from the outside adds a necessary new perspective and fresh approach to their zero-fail mission.”
Just last month, OpsLens produced a video outlining the problems with the Secret Service and suggested a possible shift in mission responsibilities. The appointment of General Alles goes in the direction of those suggestions.
