Posted on 02/01/2014 3:47:53 AM PST by Timber Rattler
A worrisome culture of fear that made launch officers believe they had to get perfect test scores to be promoted fueled a widening cheating scandal within the military's nuclear missile corps, according to Air Force officials.
(snip)
Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James said the scandal hasn't affected the safety or reliability of the military's nuclear mission.
(snip)
All 92 officers — nearly 17 percent of the force — have been decertified and taken off the job while the scandal is being investigated. That means other launch officers and staff must fill in, performing 10 24-hour shifts per month, instead of the usual eight, Wilson said. Staff members from the 20th Air Force, which oversees all of the nuclear missile force, are also being tapped to do the shifts.
(snip)
Wilson said all missile launch officers have now been retested, and the average score was about 95 percent. He said 22 failed.
(Excerpt) Read more at stripes.com ...
Having spent 26 years in AF I would agree with everything you say with one additional point. As you move higher the boards recognize the names of the Additional Endorsing officers. The members of the boards know which Additional Endorsing Officers are honest with their words and which ones pass out compliments like candy. This influences their decision.
My last EPR had the Wing Commander’s endorsement but I was ready for retirement. When preparing for an IG Inspection stresses you more than incoming rocket and mortar fire there’s something very wrong.
I retired in 2011.
“When preparing for an IG Inspection stresses you more than incoming rocket and mortar fire there’s something very wrong.”
Indeed! If you don’t have the courage to face someone giving you poor marks, how will you handle someone who is trying to KILL you?
“Seemed very odd to me but I was assured by other USAF officers that they were not exaggerating”
Not at all. An AF Major had better get a O-7 or above endorsement or kiss off becoming an O-6. The AF is busy making up medals to give to those not serving in war zones tat are then equal in stature to the war medals.
Indeed! If you don’t have the courage to face someone giving you poor marks, how will you handle someone who is trying to KILL you?
The problem was the Wing and Groups were so paranoid that they would overwhelm the rank and file. Obviously, you “exercise” harder in preparation than the actual inspection will be, but they took it to a whole new level.
Active Duty ping.
I guess I'm not surprised. It's a culture that has gotten out of control. When one award means nothing, none of them mean anything.
Many years ago I attended a staff NCO academy graduation for some of my AF NCOs (I had an interesting career) at Kirtland AFB and at the dress dinner afterward, I sat across from a young, pretty female AF NCO who was wearing a Bronze Star. I have the same medal - but with the V - so I asked her what war she was in and she answered "Grenada". I asked her what she did to earn the award and she said that she "assisted logistics for the war at the Pentagon". I was taken aback and resolved that I would avoid wearing my medals in the future - it's an option we have in The Marine Corps and I rarely wore anything on my uniform after that.
Really. I guess you forgot that there are more than a few Marines who read this stuff, huh?
I can give you this: I owe my life several times over to the courage of Marine Close Air and Medevacs. They came in where nobody else would through dense AA at altitudes that nobody in their right mind flies and they didn't hesitate. I'll take courage as a discriminator anytime.
When I did see USAF stuff, they flew high and safe and bombed the wrong treeline - and sometimes us. Put that in your pipe.
“I guess you forgot that there are more than a few Marines who read this stuff, huh?”
Nope. I did not forget. I just don’t care. In my experience over 25 years, the USMC was at the bottom of the heap for honesty.
. What job were the Marines doing?
In one case, they were supposed to deploy to replace us. They failed, and made false claims about why they failed. They kept it up until a 3-star investigating it was handed a stack of emails showing the CO & XO were lying.
A month later, I ran into a Marine Lt Col who repeated the lies - until I offered to show him & the others in the room the emails. He turned red and left the room.
In another, an accident report reviewed a series of accidents in a USMC squadron, and blamed the final accident on the CO & XO covering up the previous ones.
In another, their operational performace was, shall we say, inflated.
My SIL & daughter were in the Marines, and they made the same conclusion.
I did not have a huge number of intereactions with the USMC. But in the few I did, the marine officers I met were the least honest of any I ran into during my 25 years. It could be I was unlucky in which USMC officers I met. I can only report what I encountered, not what I did not.
So jet guys?
The Marine officers I dealt with were pretty much all jet guys.
Well, there’s the problem! I was in a mixed unit, while there were dicks in that MOS, there were also the guys that worked and flew hard and even did their ground jobs. Those were the guys or guys like them mentioned upthread. Spent 18 of 21 in the Wing, never met guys like you mentioned. Careerists, yeah, butt sniffers, unfortunately yes. Liars rarely, but you can’t get by in the Corps, if you lie to the rest of the Corps.
In defense of the USMC, the CO & XO who lied were fired along with the maintenance officer once the General read the emails. And frankly, the vast majority of military officers were more open and honest than what I’ve encountered in the civilian world.
I did a tour with a Navy squadron. I worked part of the tour as the Safety Officer. Anything that didn’t reflect well on the squadron did not go above the CO level. That was very from my experience in USAF squadrons...but then, much of my flying experience was before 2001. By 2008, it seemed like things were going downhill fast, and my impression is that it has gone all to hell now.
My son was in the Army Guard and my daughter in the USMC as enlisted, and both swore the things I did in the 90s would have been career-ending for guys in 2010.
I did the Safety Officer thing as well, but I wanted safety school so I could call BS on the many things done in my squadron in the name of safety. As a school trained guy, I had the quals that made my call more likely to be heard in the midst of the safety conspiracy madness.
In defense of the USMC, the CO & XO who lied were fired along with the maintenance officer
As it should be, liars reflect on themselves, the firings, on the Corps. Most things that don't reflect well on a unit shouldn't go above the CO, it should be fixed. Work the programs you are supposed to do, keep the records you are supposed to do and your unit is fine. If you have an incident or a death, the witch hunt begins. If you were doing what you're supposed to be doing, the unit should be OK. Unfortunately, there exists the 'there are no such things as accidents' mentality.
Pretty slimy of you to tar all of us based on your limited experience with the Marine Corps but I have seen a lot of people like you on the internet. Conversely, I spent a tour in the IG investigating all sorts of malfeasance within the Marine Corps and we were quite good at finding the dirt and getting the dirtbags charged and expelled. We are very good at cleaning up our own.
Both of my uncles and my dad were Air Force (actually Army Air Force) so I don't make general statements about that service - or any other service other than specific examples of failure.
The blanket statement you made about the Marine Corps is shameful and wrong. If you have any integrity, you should apologize.
“The blanket statement you made about the Marine Corps is shameful and wrong. If you have any integrity, you should apologize.”
No. I saw and experienced what I related. And frankly, my daughter and SIL - both Marines - think my opinions are too nice.
Then you are welcome to your own little world.
I recall several high ranking desk jockies in the CONUS getting Bronze Stars during the first Gulf War.
I was attached to a Combined/Joint activity in Afghanistan during 2006 and had the pleasure of ripping up an Air Medal package put in for a female A1C. The entire package consisted of things she “might” have experienced had they happened.
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