Slumberjack...I like BGen Thompson the most of the previous commanders. I think he is true concerned about his soldiers compared to other generals. He just has a different manner of showing his emotions.
While it's true that different individuals have varying delivery styles in front of a microphone, it's also true that in the carefully crafted messages to the public, some thought goes into how the message is presented. Public Affairs are not that far removed from the delivery style. My sense is that the image of heartbroken commanders delivering the bad news has been played out enough in recent years, and that maybe a fresh approach would impart a more determined front in the face of adversity, and especially so when the audience is comprised of an increasingly skeptical public at home. To use a crude analogy, it's sort of like spraying a little frebreeze on a turd, and hoping no one will notice it in the middle of the floor.