Chief of Staff of The United States Army
On August 17, 1953, Ridgway replaced General Collins as the Chief of Staff of the United States Army. After Eisenhower was elected President, he asked Ridgway for his assessment of US military involvement in Vietnam in conjunction with the French. Ridgway prepared a comprehensive outline of the massive commitment that would be necessary for success, which dissuaded the President from intervening. A source of tension was Ridgway's belief that air power and nuclear bombs did not reduce the need for powerful, mobile ground forces to seize land and control populations. Ridgway was concerned that Eisenhower's proposal to significantly reduce the size of the Army would leave it unable to counter the growing Soviet military threat, as noted by the 1954 Alfhem affair in Guatemala. These concerns would lead to recurring disagreements during his term as Chief of Staff.
President Eisenhower approved a waiver to the military’s policy of mandatory retirement at age 60 so Ridgway could complete his two-year term as Chief of Staff. However, disagreements with the administration mainly regarding the administration's downgrading of the army in favor of the navy, prevented him from being appointed to a second term. Ridgway retired from the US Army on June 30, 1955 and was succeeded by his one-time 82nd Airborne Division Chief of Staff, Maxwell D. Taylor. Even after he retired, Ridgway was a constant critic of President Eisenhower.
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