Tom Flocco: National Military Command Center operations director asked newly-qualified substitute to stand his watch at 8:30 am on Sept. 11

"According to the personal written statement of Navy Captain Charles J. Leidig, Jr., entered into the record during today’s hearings before the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, Leidig revealed that on September 10 he was asked by Brigadier General Montague Winfield to stand a portion of his duty as Deputy Director for Operations for the National Military Command Center (NMCC), which would require supervision and operation of all necessary communications as watch commander.
Leidig said "On 10 September 2001, Brigadier General Winfield, U.S. Army, asked that I stand a portion of his duty as Deputy Director for Operations, NMCC, on the following day. [September 11]  I agreed and relieved Brigadier General Winfield at 0830 on 11 September 2001."
Winfield had requested Leidig to assume his watch at what turned out to be the very outset of the September 11 attacks--but even after American Flight 11 had already been determined to be hijacked just minutes before Winfield handed over his watch to Leidig.
Captain Leidig’s Commission statement was 1.25 typewritten pages, large font, and double-spaced--the shortest written statement provided by any 9-11 Commission deponent as observed by this writer since the commencement of the probe.
News reports today and into the evening commented upon the abysmal handling of communications, confusion and chaos during the attacks, which calls into question why Winfield handed over control of communications and supervision of the NMCC to Leidig during the attacks when he knew the Captain had just met the supervision qualifications to stand watch some 30 days earlier:
"Approximately two months prior to 11 September 2001, I assumed duties as the Deputy for Command Center Operations in the J3 Directorate of the Joint Staff. In this role, I was responsible for the maintenance, operation, and training of watch teams for the NMCC."
"Further, I qualified in August 2001 to stand watch as the Deputy Director for Operations in the NMCC....Shortly after assuming duty, I received the first report of a plane’s striking the World Trade Center....In response to these events, I convened a Significant Event Conference, which was subsequently upgraded to an Air Threat Conference." [This statement may indicate that Leidig was assuming the critical NMCC military communications watch position for the very first time--a fact completely lost upon the Commission, as they never thought to broach the subject for verification.]
The National Transportation and Safety Board auditorium had been quiet until an individual stood up and repeatedly questioned why the Commission was not addressing the issue of 9-11 war games--specifically Operation Vigilant Guardian--wherein fighters were already in the air during the attacks, some just minutes away from New York City. The legitimate questions were ignored and the petitioner was removed by secret service and FBI agents."