Nation: Air Force Academy reckons with mounting drug charges

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

[B4Ranch]

Better connected !! How could you even suggest such a thing! My goodness, don't you know that all military officers have honor and integrity? There is no such thing as inequal justice in the American military forces.

[dr_who]

Guess some of them want to fly the easy way. Not good.

[Uncle Miltie]

Clean it up now. My Civil Air Patrol Cadet is targeting the Academy, and I kinda expect them to be flyin' right.

[Rubber Ducky]

Let's see, we have 38 plus 6 out of a student body of 4,300. It looks like the academy is fielding .999, better than Steve Garvey ever did. Sure, bad apples, many undoubtedly inspired by an ex-president who skated, need to be rooted out. But the other 99.9% of the cadets deserve our praise and respect.

[the]

Check your math. You are off by an order of magnitude. Damn decimal points.

---

"We will not lie, steal or cheat nor tolerate among us anyone who does." -- USAFA Code

[Tennessee_Bob]

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.

Well, there's also the two or three other individuals on the line that will check the CTK, as well as QA and the line chief.

[Tennessee_Bob]

Is political influence being exerted behind the scenes in some instances to get well-connected but unstable youths appointed?

Considering that they're all appointed by politicians, I'd say that there's a strong chance of that happening.

[AntiScumbag]

.999

is off by one order of magnitude

nonetheless, ~.99 is still good (assuming that there aren't a few additional percent who are just not getting caught), considering the sheer number of candidates arriving with the imprimatur of a 'rat congresscritter

in fact, one might reasonably expect a higher rate each year considering the current abysmal state of the culture through which they have percolated

[onedoug]

I'm sure I speak for most here, who're proud to be among you fine academy graduates. Thank you for your service to country.

I wonder, that since USMA, USNA, USAFA, and USMMA require some type of political recomendation for appointment (i.e., a given year's nominating slate for a congress(wo)man, senator, VP, President and perhaps one or two others), and the US Coast Guard Academy does NOT - as its admissions are strictly competitive - might there be, if 'twere, quite an embarassing gap in these statistics?

I don't know for sure. I'm just askin'.

Everything Good for All of You Guys, and Your Families.

[SR71A]

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.

Don't forget the "boomer" in the back of that tanker, either.

[Steel and Fire and Stone]

"We rely on the American people to send us their best. Every now and then we don't get the right people,"

Well, now isn't that convenient? True, Our faithful Congressional members, the same the ones who upheld the Constitution so well they gave Clinton a pass on perjury, rape, obstruction of justice, etc., also make the Academy appointments. On the other hand, the USAF has significant input in admissions (ever hear of a background check?).

This USAF Officer ought to be cashiered immediately. He can't push back blame for dirty USAF Cadet's upon the American people. The USAF is responsible for the standards it sets, the standards it enforces, and the failure to instill those standards in their cadets. One or two misfits are an aberration, and can be weeded out as plebes. THIRTY-EIGHT misfits are a long term, institutional failure!

SFS,

CDR, SC, USNR (Retired)

[ken5050]

Two points.....

Gen Clark forgot all about the cheating scandal in the 50's which wiped out the Army football team.

As an Academy grad, would you speak to the question of ignored violations of the honor code. It seems to me that if these many were guilty of drug, and related charges..then a great many more had to know about it. This type of activity doesn't exist in a vacuum. And the honor code, as I understand it, specifically requires that this activity and those who indulge be reported. So doesn't that make the failure more widespread.

[Jimmy Valentine's brother]

We routinely lost about one-half of our starting enrollment back then. Usually people who couldn't handle the academics and discipline.

How many do the service academies lose today? I'm willing to bet that the graduation rate is a lot higher. I don't believe that life is as rigorous today as it was in 1967 at the service academies.

[USNA74]

Uh, wait a minute . . "it's just that the AFA is catching them." Well, that's a convenient conclusion but it isn't supported by any logic. The Navy (and I strongly suspect the Army too) has had random drug testing for many, many years -- and they do it at USNA/USMA also. So, maybe the problem at USAFA is totally rampant and therefore the random drug testing is catching far more folks and it makes the news bigtime, while USMA and USNA have the onesy-twosy pops positive and they just get bounced out without making a scene of it.

[USNA74]

Something I've always wondered was how "lie, cheat or steal" captures knowing someone is smoking pot. That person isn't lying, cheating or stealing, just toking up. So I'm not sure I get how the honor code is used to toss people out for just knowing their neighbor is smoking pot.

[ken5050]

Would you comment on my #35?

[USNA74]

In answer to your question, I believe the wash-out rate is still around 1/3 (that captures all categories of departure reasons, voluntary and non-voluntary).