Kerry Sandbagged Into Releasing Bad Performance Report From Navy Service In Vietnam.

The Smoking Gun ^ | U.S. Navy

[MindBender26]

John Kerry has just released his "Officer's Fitness Report" from his service in Vietnam. Kerry officials, with no knowledge of military operations, think the report is laudatory. In reality, it is disasterous.

Back in the Vietnam days, officers’ ratings were vastly inflated. To even be considered for promotion or a better assignment, an officer needed top grades in all categories. For example, in his book Colin Powell described how a dispute between his wife and his division commander’s wife led to one mark in one category out of 14 being less than perfect, and how, until it was corrected by a general further up the chain of command, it would have stopped Powell at one star.

Back then, the verbal descriptions of an officer’s service were always laudatory, and virtually meaningless. Many raters used standard paragraphs to describe every subordinate from a future member of the Joint Chiefs to “Beatle Bailey with gold bars” in glowing terms.

The actual rating was effectively “coded” into the comparative section. There a Navy officer was rated in 16 categories such as “Loyalty,” Judgment,” “Courage,” Personal Behavior,” etc. Each officer would receive one of nine rankings, ranging from “Exceptional” to “One of the Top Few,” “Above the Majority,” down to “Unsatisfactory” in each of those 16 categories. Anything less than perfect in any of the 16 categories was a clear indication of an undesirable officer.

Remember, these rankings were highly inflated, with at least 60% of the officers having perfect rankings in all 16 categories. Most of the others would receive one ranking less than perfect in one category…. and their careers were effectively over.

Lt. Kerry received only 6 of 16 rankings in the highest category. The remaining marks for “Judgment” was one step down and 9 of the 16 other marks were two steps down. When ranking these Efficiency Reports arithmetically, when one “down point” could end a career, Kerry had 19 “down points.”

Is there any wonder why the Navy had no objection to his early return from Vietnam and his subsequent early removal from the service. They wanted him away from the guns, where he couldn’t hurt Americans.

The Kerry Clowns tell us their man is fit to run the military and protect us. They are proven wrong for at least three reasons:

1. Kerry’s prior anti-US statements shown to be lies.

2. Kerry’s poor military performance, as shown in this report released today.

3. The lack of the senior staff’s knowledge as to what this report really means, and how it further diminishes his campaign…. and his stature, such as it is.

[HRoarke]

I think that if there is a smoking gun that it lies in his tax records. Chris Lahane tried to make a stink about Kerry not releasing them once Lehane left to join Clark's campaign. When your former campaign manager, who now is working against you, starts asking for something, it's a pretty good indication of a black mark...

[Diddle E. Squat]

Doesn't this present a real conundrum for Hackworth? On the one hand he now has a golden opportunity to stick it to Bush, since the media is no doubt pounding on his door and would give him the unimpeachable savior Clarke-treatement with wall to wall appearances for him to defend Kerry's war record. On the other hand, defending and spinning an elitist faux-medal-tosser's poor reviews would pretty much destroy his 'I'm all for the grunt' populist image with vets, right?

[BluSky]

Agreed.

A "phony" indeed.

You, I and host of many well informed people are all aware but, the uninformed buys this garbage until the truth gets out. That's the problem. The major bias media are not going to carry the water when it's one of their own.

The libs know and count on that. Libs factor this into their campaign strategy.

'A lie is around the world before truth gets it's shoes on.' (I paraphrase)

[truth_seeker]

While this may be the truth, it won't earn any votes for Bush by pushing it.

The media won't use it, and it is too complicated for the average person.

How can you "prove" that ratings were inflated? In a 30 second sound bite.

[CatoRenasci]

Exactly! Where is the "promote this officer immediately and assign him to a combat command" or "the senior noncommissioned officers of the battalion [the senior chief petty officers onboard the ship] are unanimous and vocal in praise of Capt. Y as a combat commander: they regard him, as do I and all of the officers who have observed him in action, as remarkably cool under fire, with superior judgment and unerring instincts as a leader." etc.

[El Gato]

It's basically boilerplate. A reviewer would never write anything he could be criticized for. Your not missing anything.

Well, the "enemy initiated firefight" comment is a little negative. One is supposed to take the fight to the enemy, not just respond when attacked. But not being up on the Naval officer rating verbiage "code" of the day, I can't say just how negative that comment was intended to be.

[finnigan2]

It seems that Kerry's people are reluctantly releasing his records and, comically enough, beginning with the ones they think are most laudatory when if fact it appears they are mediocre at best and condemning at worst. Lord knows what the more unflattering records will look like when they get to them. As for me, I'm waiting for the medal paperwork and supporting medical records - who signed them, when they signed them, etc. That's when the fit could really hit the shan.
As for Hitlery, I think Republicans should stop worrying about Kerry. She will pull the plug on him when she is good and ready so let's allow her do the dirty work. If Kerry is still close or leading in the polls come convention time I think there will be a huge scandal from which he will not recover. If he is trailing badly at that time, she won't pull the trigger. For this election, her interests and Bush's coincide. She wants a clear run at 2008.

[Myrddin]

My dad retired as a Commander in the Navy after 27 1/2 years. Most of his career was spent in the Executive Officer slot on destroyers, destroyer tenders and large communications ships (Marshall, Prairie, Arlington) and as XO at 32nd St Naval Station in San Diego from 1970 to 1977. He wrote many fitness reports. He often spoke of fellow officers "damned with faint praise" whose careers were effectively over. I learned a great deal about writing personnel reviews from him.

[PatriotCJC]

The words such as "stellar", "outstanding" "superior" "ahead of others" are common in a FITREP even in a poor FITREP.

[HRoarke]

If you were like most youngsters, it must have been tough to write evals from the rack...

I myself was stuck with a BM1 as a running mate..."Wake up Middie! It's time to launch some boats!" Sometimes I still hear "Set Condition 1A for welldeck operations" in my sleep.

[talleyman]

Bump!

[Dr. Faust]

If I'm correct, as far back as WWII a "down" was the career "kiss of death"! Any navy vets around to verify that?

[deport]

Kerry's 1040s

The link is to Presidential Tax records.... Kerry's list include the last five tax years plus the amended 2003 return..... So if there is something there the info is out in the public for viewing... That is why the 2003 return had to be amended as someone found the error and pointed it out....

[JoeSixPack1]

Wow, this has become one lively thread!

They got a pension?

The reference to a pension I made was a generality. 3 Passes of grade usually took anywhere from 6 to 12 years. Add that with a previously normal progression through the ranks and the 20 year mark was easily attained.

Plus, depending on the severity of the fitness report and a request to CMC a delayed release till pension was usally granted. Remember, these aren't shitbirds. Just a single stain on an otherwise superb career will do it.

Reading about but not seeing kerry's fitness reports, it sounds like he's lucky he got out without brig time.

[MEGoody]

The inflation of performance ratings isn't a surprise. I know that medals were being handed out left and right during the Vietnam war. (That's how Kerry got so many. No one should get a purple heart for a scratch on the arm.)

[hosepipe]

[ Is there any wonder why the Navy had no objection to his early return from Vietnam and his subsequent early removal from the service ]

Maybe thats why.. 3 purple hearts in 3 months, for scratches. 3 purple hearts was a ticket home. The Navys name was not impuned and saved him from getting fragged,. However look at what this passing the buck by the Navy, did. Made for a traitous, coward, nincompoop to be General Giap's(Supreme Commander of North Veitnamese Army from his memoirs) to be his grestest stealth weapon agaist the Americans according to him. Turns out to be true too.

Kerry should have been brought up on charges. Now Kerry is running rough shod over spineless republican politicians performing the very error the High Command did. Passing the buck. Where does the buck stop ? The Mai Lai massacre did far less damage than Kerry has done. But they got prosecuted. The truth will make all free. But nobody believes there is a such a thing as truth these days. So we are NOT free, and won't be until and unless it is spoken, loudly.

SO, I'm a pollyanna, naif, to expect that. Well I do and I don't care which party is savaged. So sue me, but I'm armed and have just about had it with both parties. So search me and cuff me first, and sue me when I'm in lockup. Better not let me out though.

[pepsionice]

Having worked around navy enlisted folks...I can say that evaluations were usually kept very level or borderline. Either you were just doing a good job, you were a heck of a performer...or you just weren't meant to be in the navy. To write Kerry that many negative points...they were simply telling him not to stay in or make it a career. I've worked around officers without a lick of common sense and they constantly required NCOs to run the daily operation. The officers simply attended the commanders staff meetings and dished out the commanders guidance. Based on these naval evaluations...I would guess that he isn't really the CEO type or president type. He would have to heavily count on his VP and cabinet to run the real affairs of the country. He'd be...for all practical purposes....a trophy president. We've had those before and muddled through four years....and we could get by again with such a loser...but would we want to do that while in Baghdad? Thats the question.

[Howlin]

When your former campaign manager, who now is working against you, starts asking for something, it's a pretty good indication of a black mark...

You're talking about Chris Lehane here; he's literally the scum of the earth. Not that I wouldn't want it to be true, but I wouldn't believe a word Lehane said.

In fact, he was FIRED by the Kerry people because he was such a low life. And that's saying something.

[mass55th]

"hese poor fitness reports could explain why Kerry came out of the Navy with an attitude."

He had the attitude before he even joined the Navy. His 1966 graduation speech at Yale railed against our military intervention in Vietnam.