Fear of Reprisals

The Daily Press (Hampton Roads VA) ^ | April 17, 2005 | Dave Schleck

[SuziQ]

HAMPTON -- Gerry Brown says there is a chill in the air at NASA Langley Research Center.

People are afraid to talk, he says - afraid that if they express concerns about safety, they'll suffer the same fate he did.

[SuziQ]

I've known about this ever since it happened and wondered when it was going to make the news. Gerry Brown is my big brother.
When Gerry was contacted about he interview, he initially refused, and called the Public Affairs Officer at Langley, upset that his name had been made public. She said that her office hadn't done it, and that she'd also been contacted about an interview.
Gerry discovered that his former bosses had been interviewed for the article as well, but he would only agree to do it if the reporter requested it through the PAO, that she be present, and that she record the interview. The PAO agreed, and Gerry told her that he was going to be very forthright and truthful. She was stunned at some of Gerry's responses because she didn't know much of what had happened.

[SuziQ]

This article is about problems my big brother, Gerry, has been having with NASA at Langley. He told our family about this when it happened back in 2003. Thought y'all might be interested.

[Sam Cree]

Thanks, Suzi, will be reading shortly.

[SuziQ]

Missippy ping!
Gerry is a Hattiesburg native. He graduated from the AF Academy in 1969, was in the AF for 10 yrs. He flew C-130's

[WKB]

Missippy ping

[dixiechick2000]

Wow, SuziQ!
What a terrible thing to happen to your brother.
I hate when things like this happen to the good guys.
I hope things work out for him very soon.

[SuziQ]

Thanks. He's been really upset about it, but figured with the investigation, things would get worked out. Sounds like it hasn't happened quite that way. The men who acted the most egregiously may be gone, but some of the old the attitudes still seem to remain.

He's been concerned most about the pilots. He didn't like folks who didn't know anything about aircraft making decisions about their safety in the air.

[petitfour]

Best wishes to your brother, SuziQ. He sounds like a very thoughtful man who has NASA's best interests in mind. He certainly has the safety of the people who make NASA missions what they are in mind and heart. NASA needs more like him.

[Sam Cree]

Kind of a scary article...sounds like some of the management at NASA have risen to their level of incompetency. Not good to hear that our space agency can't even fly airplanes right!

Good on Gerry for doing the right thing here.

[dixiechick2000]

"He's been concerned most about the pilots. He didn't like folks who didn't know anything about aircraft making decisions about their safety in the air."


My husband was a Naval Aviator and is, currently,
a private pilot. He would appreciate your brother a
great deal.

[SuziQ]

He's some sort of liason right now between NASA and Naval Aviation Systems, so he must have some sort of hand in with the Navy flyers. It's funny cause his son is in the Army, in Afghanistan right now, flying Apache Longbows. Gerry REALLY wanted to fly helos, and there was even a joint training program going on between the AF and the Army when he graduated from the Academy, but the man in charge of the flight choices wouldn't let him go. He's flying vicariously through Alex right now, though, and is very envious of him!

[Lancey Howard]

BUMP! Thanks for posting this.

[dixiechick2000]

"It's funny cause.."


That was great to read!
I totally understood it. ;o)
I don't hear "cause" unless I'm in Missippy.

"He's flying vicariously through Alex right now, though, and is very envious of him!"


I guess it is all determined by circumstances.
When my husband went through flight school, there
were tons of guys who "washed out". It wasn't
because they were bad pilots. It was because they
had only a limited number of airplanes available.
and too many students. My husband flew jets, but
I imagine the same is true of helo pilots.

The fact that he graduated fron the AFA tells me
all I need to know about your brother.

He's a gem...

I'm off to bed...nite, now.

[2Jedismom]

Good for your brother, Suzi!

BTTT!

[mwyounce]

Best wishes to your brother from a fellow Hattiesburgian (Hattiesburgite? Hattiesburger?)

[MississippyMuddy]

Best wishes too you and your family SuziQ , your family will be in thoughts and prayers. :)



Jeff

[SuziQ]

What year did you graduate from Southern Miss? I finished in 1974. I was a 1971 graduate of S. H. Blair in H'burg.

[mwyounce]

I graduated in 2001, and am going to graduate again this summer.

[SuziQ]

Youngster! ;o)
Are you originally from H'burg? I may know your Mama and Daddy!

[mwyounce]

:-D

No, I'm originally from St. Simons Island, GA...

I came out here in 2000 to get my Masters degree.