Nation: Air Force Academy reckons with mounting drug charges

Associated Press ^ | March 22 2002 | By ROBERT WELLER, Associated Press

[Dialup Llama]

>"The kids that are coming out of these public high schools don't know what honor is," he said.

[homeschool mama]

**"The kids that are coming out of these public high schools don't know what honor is," he said. "They have quite an adjustment to make when they come to an academy that has such high standards of integrity and ethics."**

Shameless homeschool bump. :o)

[SpookBrat]

Sad article. You always find the best news. Would you please put me on your ping list? :)

[BluH2o]

"The kids that are coming out of these public high schools don't know what honor is," he said ...

After eight years of the Clinton's where honor and integrity didn't exist, it's not hard to see why the latest generation of cadets are coming up way short of these virtues.

[SpookBrat]

We have to do things right or people die.

Absolutely!!

[homeschool mama]

Amazingly true, Glasser.

[AngrySpud]

"We rely on the American people to send us their very best."

What a scumbag, mealy-mouthed, pathetic attempt at spinning away responsibility. It is up to the Academy to make the selections ... if the process is busted, they need to fix it (and fix the blame on themselves).

[The Shrew]

Of the 38 cadets implicated, eight were court-martialed and seven of those went to prison; one of them got 3 1/2 years at Leavenworth. Twenty-one others have left the academy; some of those are being forced to repay the government for their tuition, while others must serve in the Air Force in the enlisted ranks and not as officers.

I'd like to think that the ones who are getting enlisted service instead of prison are truly guilty of lesser infractions and not just better connected, but.....

The implication that this leaves is that there is less honor required of enlisted personnel and that is not the case.

"We have to do things right or people die. When I come out of Baghdad and I am out of the fuel, I am trusting that tanker pilot will be there," Hyatt said. "Because of what happened, we are not going to look the other way."

He is also trusting that the E-5 who worked on his F-15 also has a full tool chest and didn't leave something in the engine.

Regards,

TS

[FastCoyote]

As an aside, this is not a "libertarian libertine" issue, if you join the military you have in essence signed a contract to abide by their rules. Quite a bit different than tarring a civilian for lighting up a doobie.

[MinuteGal]

C'mon. Who's kidding who here? After reviewing/investigating the applicants' entire pre-academy school and personal history they have NO clue what the entrants are like? I can see a few slipping by the screening and evaluation process, but this many?

May I delicately ask if admissions have been relaxed or standards dumbed down? Are quotas or preferences now holding sway? Is political influence being exerted behind the scenes in some instances to get well-connected but unstable youths appointed?

I will say that the punishments meted out are tough enough. But how much taxpayers money was invested on these perps before they were caught?

Something ain't right here.

Leni

[TheLion]

USMMA.....Class of 67'. We routinely lost about one-half of our starting enrollment back then. Usually people who couldn't handle the academics and discipline. Don't remember any crime problems. They must be producing some scary characters these days with the new morality.

[tenthirteen]

The problem starts right at the very beginning as each member of Congress gets to recommend two candidates a year to the Academy selection committees. Imagine the crap that a Gephart, Dashole, or even the traiterous Jeffords sends.

[AngrySpud]

As an aside, you may have misinterpreted my post. I was in the Navy 22 years, and have no tolerance for those who flout regulations.

[USNBandit]

Unfortunately, the last couple scandals at Navy involved a disproportionate precentage of varsity athletes which leads one to wonder where these people are being recruited from. It has unfairly tainted those classes and the vast majority of student athletes which are destined to be America's first string.

It is very difficult to judge from a couple interviews and a high school transcript whether somebody has good character or not. As drug behavior is still very much in the norm in America we will continue to have issues with it in the military. The military can't change American society, so we are left to figure out the best way to weed these people out as quickly as possible.

USNA '90

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

This is pretty sad. The Air Force Academy needs to reign in their druggies (I've been reading about drug scandals at the AFA for 2 years solid now) just like the Catholics and Mormons need to reign in their child molesters. Screw compassion, it's time to kick them in the ass hard!

[Travis McGee]

bttt

[kemathen7]

Unfortuately, this isn't happening at the AFA alone ... my boyfriend is a graduate. I was asking him about this mess -he said it definitely happens at ALL military academies. Its just that the AFA is catching them.

As for the screening process, it is very intense. My guess is they get to the academy, first time away from mommy and daddy, and its one hell of a lot harder than high school. Then they do stupid crap like this. I am by no means defending their behavior; just presenting an explanation to the "why aren't they seeing this in the application process" question