Air Force Academy heads roll

Las Vegas Review Journal ^ | 3-26-03 | Review Journal Staff

[BooBoo1000]

Air Force Academy to Replace Leadership

By ROBERT GEHRKE Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The top two leaders at the Air Force Academy are not responsible for the sexual assault scandal at the school, but they should be held accountable for the culture that allowed the problem to continue, Air Force Secretary James Roche said Wednesday.

"Still, change must occur, and a new leadership team to implement these changes is in the best interest of the academy and the Air Force," Roche said in a statement.

The top two academy officers - Lt. Gen. John D. Dallager and Brig. Gen. S. Taco Gilbert III - are among five officers involved in the shake up. Dallager is expected to remain as superintendent and the top official at the 4,100-cadet institution until his scheduled retirement in June.

The Air Force announced Wednesday that it will replace the other four, at least two of them by women, and it will implement a series of directives aimed at making the school safer for cadets.

Air Force officials declined additional comment until a news conference scheduled later Wednesday.

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Roche said he and Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John Jumper would monitor the academy closely.

"You can't just fire a couple of generals and think the problem is solved because you've missed the point," Roche said. "The culture at the academy absolutely must change. We're going right at the culture, but you don't change the culture with one memorandum."

The Air Force is investigating allegations that female cadets were ostracized or reprimanded for reporting rapes and sexual assaults.

Fifty-six cases of rape or sexual assault have been reported at the academy since 1993. Sen. Wayne Allard, R-Colo., says 50 cases have been reported to his office, many by women upset with the way the academy handled their complaints and a significant portion occurring within the last two years.

"The evidence indicates now that we need to have some changes in leadership at the top," Allard said. "I think they're moving in the right direction."

The Air Force said the four officers who will be replaced are Gilbert, the commandant of cadets and second in charge at the academy; Col. Steve Eddy, vice superintendent; Col. Bob Eskridge, vice commander; and Col. Laurie Sue Slavec, training group commander and the academy's highest-ranking woman.

Gilbert, who declined to comment, is scheduled to leave the academy this summer after completing a standard two-year tour.

Maj. Gen. John W. Rosa Jr., deputy director of current operations for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, will replace Dallager and Brig. Gen. Johnny Weida, a 1978 academy graduate, will replace Gilbert, the Air Force said.

Col. Debra D. Gray will become vice commandant of cadets, and Col. Clada Monteith, will replace Slavec, the Air Force said.

Jessica Brakey, a 23-year-old former cadet who says she was raped at the academy, said simply reassigning the officers is inadequate punishment.

"They've proven they're ineffective leaders, and a little slap on the wrist isn't enough," she said. "As far as I know they were covering up crimes. Isn't that a crime?"

Rep. Joel Hefley, R-Colo., said command changes alone are not sufficient, but he is confident that other changes at the academy will help fix the problems.

"My fear was at the outset that they would find somebody to be the scapegoat and then say everything is fine and everything is not fine. There's a cultural problem there that needs to be changed," Hefley said.

The other changes, he said, include clustering female cadets' dormitory rooms and providing round-the-clock security; training medical personnel to respond to sexual assault cases; offering amnesty to cadets raising sexual assault allegations; and expelling cadets for underage drinking or providing alcohol to an underage cadet.

The academy also will remove a prominent sign that says "Bring Me Men..." from its spot near the campus courtyard and parade area.

Hefley said he can't promise parents that their daughters would be safe if they attend the academy, but he hopes the changes under consideration will solve the problems.

Also Tuesday, Rep. Grace Napolitano, D-Calif., Rep. Diana DeGette, D-Colo., and 18 other female House members asked to meet with Roche and urged the Air Force to provide more support for sexual assault victims and harsher sentences for the perpetrators.

Two investigations of the academy's handling of rape claims are underway and a third is due to start by the end of the week.

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[EternalHope]

Speaking as a USAFA grad: About time!

[Experiment 6-2-6]

The academy also will remove a prominent sign that says "Bring Me Men..." from its spot near the campus courtyard and parade area.

HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA..

Nothing personal, but somehow I thinks the lunacy of this problem is NOT the fact that the sign was there.

Sooner, or later, a military must remain a military, and not high school gym class. Not sure if putting boys and girls in their prime in the same dorm is such a good idea. Way too many problems come from this combination. (See increase of pregnancies among female sailors aboard Aircraft Carriers on deployment)

But hey, "prevention" laws work for the anti-gun and MADD crowd, (you take away the gun or the beer, no more accidents). For some reason, this suddenly is not so good a law for the daughters that will (eventually) be in harm's way. Now, the USAFA is placing females in a separate facility, though the problems associated with close proximity remain and the predictable consequences are punished as they happen. Sometimes. Well, most of the time.

Perhaps if they take down the sign, instead of moving it. Yeah, that will make the situation better! (/sarcasm)

Sounds like a Pago Pago Ping to me..

[Stone Mountain]

Hefley said he can't promise parents that their daughters would be safe if they attend the academy...

How pathetic is that?

[OldCorps]

Speaking as a grad from a much older school, I'd reword the headline:

USAF caves to pressure from Senators who know nothing about military operations.

[joesnuffy]

Perhaps one of the entry requirments besides good grades in academics
might be of high moral character..
Rather than typical or average moral character

[meenie]

It is pathetic. However, it isn't as pathetic as the daughters being there in the first place. Whatever gives the politicians the idea that women belong in the combat arms of the military services? Women have done heroic and extremely important work in clerical and nursing areas. These are not specialities in our military academies. The wimps in our Congress need to re-examine the chivalry and intelligence of asking women to perform duties and physical demands that men have done for centuries.

The Romans did not ask the Romettes to go out and meet the enemy on the field of battle. Crazy Horse didn't send the squaws out to battle the First Cavalry. Why do the idiots in Congress think these traditions should be broken? I suggest they saddle up with a full field pack and hit the infantry trail to Baghdad and then come back and make a decision on whether women or politicians should influence the combat arms.

[El Gato]

Why not arm the cadets, male and female? That would discourage the rapists more than any game of musical chairs with the officers in charge. Rapists, like all bullies, are basically cowards, and the notion of getting the offending parts blown off will usually more than discourage them.

[El Gato]

The Romans did not ask the Romettes to go out and meet the enemy on the field of battle. Crazy Horse didn't send the squaws out to battle the First Cavalry.

Yeh, but neither operated F-16s, which women can fly just as well as men. Same for most everything the AF flies. The world has changed because of technology. Get used to it. I'm more concerned with women in maintence jobs that they don't have the strength or in some cases height, to do properly. Not that that applies to all women, nor doesn't apply to some men. There is a retired female MSgt here at work that worked on jet engines her whole career, and I'm sure she did just fine, not being the small and delicate type.

[Gunrunner2]

>>Yeh, but neither operated F-16s, which women can fly just as well as men. Same for most everything the AF flies.>>

Based upon personal experience as a former T-37 FAIP, F-15E and A-10 fighter pilot, the best female pilot I ever saw was "good." Not excellent, but good.

Jennie Flynn, the "first" female fighter pilot in the F-15E cried during flight de-briefings. Warrior? No way. If a man cried because of harsh post-flight reviews then the man would have been laughed out of the fighter world, after he was ejected for being mentally unsound and unable to handle the stress. But not Flynn, she is a woman after all, and we have to make exceptions.

No more cussing in the squadron, as this might offend, but we must be able to send these easily offended women fighter pilots (oxymoron) into combat where the most awful events take place, like being killed or captured. Imagine being a fighter pilot, told you must watch your language in the squadron so you don't offend the female pilot, but then you go to war and you are both captured and now you are to turn off instantly your sensitivity when she is beaten and raped? Sheesh.

Women act the part of warrior, they are not being warriors. Makes quite the difference. Not all men are warriors, but women certainly are not---no matter how much some may rant and rave and insist they are. They are not. They may be mean, they may be vindictive, but they are not a natural warrior, they are not testosterone-driven aggressive. Big difference.

Women on the flight line cause problems. Many years ago they dropped the requirement for a Crew Chief to lift 70lbs over their head, just so women could get in the field. Now we have women on the flight line that can't carry their toolbox.

If you believe in evolution then you must believe men and women evolved over millions of years to perform very specific roles and function. And if you believe in creationism then you must believe that men and women were formed to perform very different functions. These functions are obvious, from men being protectors and warriors, and women being nurturers.

Women are not warriors and will never be.

When debating this subject with Harry Summers a few years back he stated, "The train has left the station on this subject."

My response, "Perhaps, but it is on the wrong track."

Now before some get their skirt in a twist, not being a warrior does not mean you are any less patriotic or dedicated.

[decimon]

There have been three S. Taco Gilberts?

[pepsionice]

Being retired from the air force....I had to pleasure once of working for a major who once beat the bejesus out of a 1LT because the guy wouldn't halt his sexual harrassment of a airman. After a simple chat, and obvious that the 1LT wasn't going to stop...my boss who was a gold bar at the time...dragged the 1LT into the broom closet and literally beat him as hard as he could. That guy never harassed anyone again. I have a very firm belief that 99 percent of all military individuals can carry out a professional relationship. Its the one-percent we are talking of here. And the rules simply won't work....doesn't matter if they are officers or enlisted...the rules don't work. These people need to be brought into a room with a guy who has boxing gloves on...and simply put to the task. We can ask you to do the right thing....or we can beat it into you. One way or another....you will cooperate.

[Gritty]

Based also on my rather lengthy practical experience, much the same as yours, I will have to say, "Amen" to all of your points!

[Sparta]

Women should only be nurses,doctors, and clerks in the military. And station them at least 2,000 miles away from the front lines.

[Gunrunner2]

Many thanks.

[OldCorps]

"My impression while I was there was that leadership took these things very seriously - sexual harrasment training, greater inclusion of female AOCs, support groups, etc., etc."

What you have just described is the emasculation of the American military. I don't hold this against you, you've never known anything different. If you are still in uniform, it is best you understand reality: The feminists are a power to be reckoned with; they have great political clout within the Pentagon and they are driven by a pursuit for power.

Look at gunrunner2's post. He has the patience to explain some of the reasons why feminization of the military is dangereous. I don't have the patience; I've just seen it up front and personal. And it is disgraceful, dishonors warriors, which in turn encourages those who would otherwise serve not to, because they can't stomach the hypocrisy and bs. Feminization sets up our society for military failure.

Unfortunately we are so far along on this track that I think it is too late to fix.

Good luck in your career.

[Experiment 6-2-6]

Women should only be nurses,doctors, and clerks in the military

Personally, that's a bit harsh, as I know a Helen Frish who was a Marine Option. She was a Senior when I was a freshmen, and she beat out some of the guys on the obstacle and stamina course. However, she, unfortunately, was not the norm. And that should be the case for anyone who wants to play with the boys..

In the Naval Aviation community, there was a Helicopter Pilot by the name of Karen Thornton. UPON INFORMATION AND BELIEF, I am told when she was flying around the ocean, she not once, but TWICE waved off the purple grape dudes, who would have filled her tanks without any difficulty.

Needless to say, on her LAST approach on a flight deck, guess who ran out of gas two hundred yards short and ended up in the deep blue wet thing?

My understanding is that no on died from the incident. However, any male pilot would have lost their wings for such negligence. Guess who got to keep flying?

I also understand that Helicopter Pilots in the U.S. Navy (at least on the West Coast) now refer to their fuel gauge as a "Karen Thortonometer"..