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.

[John Thornton]

I guess the question is: How do Kerry's performance reports compare with Bush's performance reports under this criteria?

[xzins]

This analysis of Officer Efficiency Reports is exactly on the money.

In fact, it finally got so bad that the Army and Air Force have come up with entirely new rating systems that absolutely prevent "rating inflation."

Each commander can now have no more than 50% of his ratees receive his highest rating.

In the past, commanders said such laudatory things about EVERYONE that if they ever said less about anyone that that person was dead in the water. If Kerry managed only 6 of 16 "highest" ratings, then he would NEVER have made Lieutenant or Lieutenant Commander....and we want him to be commander in chief....NOT!!

[Puddleglum]

ping to muhself to read later

[Quilla]

Kudos to ol' moi.

;-)

[Ciexyz]

Wow! Thanks for the analysis. Probably won't see it anywhere else but in conservative media and message boards.

[Eva]

Thanks for the article. It explains a lot. I just have to wonder if this news is good or bad. It seems that an awful lot of Democrats are abandonning the presumptive nominee and Hillary is making herself more and more visible.

[HRoarke]

Fitreps are always inflated, not just during the Vietnam Era. That being said, one mark or two below perfect isn't a major deal for a LTjg, especially since he is noted as being new to the command. It is fairly common to downgrade a new check in for ranking reasons and then move him up. You have to leave room to do this. 9 below might be a different story but I don't know that this is that big of a deal.

[Punditstar]

He also didn't release his medical, right?

[Ciexyz]

This clown will be a disaster for the military, and the country, if he ever gets into office.

[MindBender26]

It's the Kiss From The Spider Woman.

[MindBender26]

It's the Kiss From The Spider Woman.

[MindBender26]

It's the Kiss From The Spider Woman.

[Protagoras]

Thanks for your opinion. Makes sense. Any others that you know of who have published similar opinions?

[Airborne Longhorn]

Army O-3 veteran here (70-76; USAREUR and ASA)...

Fully, totally concur with this assessment. Inflation was a raging bonfire in these years...

[BluSky]

Great explanation of an "officer's ratings" but, difficult to get that all in one sound bite.

That's what it takes to get this issue across to the american voters.

The media know this and will not pursue this.

Keeping the public ignorant, works every time for liberals.

[ampat]

Navy officer fitness reports have always been inflated. No one likes to berate anyone. When a fitness report is written it's easy to praise the best officers, and give them top 1% marks. To rate an average or substandard officer, you must place some marks in the lower colums. Everyone in the military knows this. The real meat of the fitness report is in the substance of the narrative. It's either filled with substance (for the best officers), or just filled with filler (for the less than best officers). Then, the summary consists of rating the officer against his peers, such as 1(first) of 5, or 4 (fourth) of 6.

[PatriotCJC]

I have had numerous fitness reports (FITREPS) and what strikes ne besides the mark downs is the narrative. The FITREP narratives are always very glowing. This narrative is very unflattering. Maybe the FITREP has changed but usually there are narrative comments on Promotion, Command at Sea, Further schooling. There is none of this in his fitrep. This looks like a death nail fitrep if you ask me.

[PISANO]

Only those who SERVED would know this to be a fact. The general public will NOT. The MEDIA/PRESS will NEVER take the TIME necessary to explain this so EXCEPTIONAL catagories and LAUDATORY narratives will be quoted and the nothing negative will come of this.

[MindBender26]

Not yet, and the OER was just released..... and all the retired Squids live in San Diego.... and they're just getting up after a hard night at the O/CPO Club, and that beach yoga class, guacamole tasting and the whale watching ....

:~)

[BJungNan]

The link shows only the document. Where does the information in the thread come from about the rankings?