Walsh has no excuse for his plagiarism. We all who have been through any school for commissioned officers, warrants, or NCOs know that we are reminded, hounded actually, repeatedly about the work we do being our own work. ANY plagiarism is an immediate dismissal, a career ending efficiency report, and possibly charges.
I’m saying it was almost daily. In one school, I witnessed 2 students kicked out. It was brutal.
But they knew. Everyone knew. I’m saying it was repeatedly drummed into us as a matter of honor, integrity, keeping faith with comrades, betrayal of trust. It could not have been more emphasized. Nothing else came close to the warnings we received about plagiarism, and I’m not embellishing this. I’m absolutely serious.
PTSD, shell shock, ADHD....deathbed illness — nothing is an excuse after that level of warning.
As a butterbar, I was constantly reminded that I was responsible for everything my unit did or failed to do. It was all on me...no excuses. After flunking my first ARTEP, that lesson was driven home.
Rather than moan about it, and call it unfair (I was appointed Platoon Leader the morning of the evaluation), I said to myself, "if that's the way it's going to be, then I'll run the show the way I see fit, and stay the hell out of my way."
For the next 7 years, that's how I rolled. Some superiors loved it and gave me the independence I thrived on, and a few made my life miserable.
I resigned my commission the day after I received my first efficiency report as a Battery Commander. Let's just say I never would have made Major. My battalion commander didn't realize that he put himself on a path that would keep him from the War College.
I was in a unique position. My unit was a headuarters battery, with soldiers from the Commanding General's staff, and five directorates headed by Colonels. I was able to minimize the BS coming from battalion, allowing them to get their job done. The "birds" were happy, my unit pass rate on the PT test was 99%, and I had just been awarded CG's Best Mess.
When a captain resigns his commission, he has to be counseled by the first O-6 in his chain of command. In my case, that was the Base Commander, with whom I had an excellent relationship. To say he was surprised at the nature of my visit is an understatement, until I showed him the OER. We both knew nothing could be done about that, but the word got out.
A few months after I became a civilian, I received a call from one of the other colonels, letting me know that individual was not selected for War College. That was my final contribution to the Army.
BTW, that battalion commander came from the same state as the Senator. Irony is certainly ironic.
Excellent post...Walsh has proven the case against him by putting the excuse of PTSD out there, honor and integrity don’t seem to be among his virtues.