Police: Airman faked stillborn-twins report to return home

The Virginian-Pilot online ^ | March 27, 2003 | Associated Press

[petitfour]

NEWPORT NEWS -- A Langley Air Force Base airman was charged with filing a false report that his wife had given birth to stillborn twins so he could return home from the Middle East. Madaka Newberne, 21, told his military command that he needed to go home to be with his wife, Frankie, 20. He arrived at his Newport News home Monday. The next day, the couple contacted police to report that their twins had died.

[beaversmom]

I was a little shocked at my dad the other night. On the news the other night they showed some military guys shipping out, kissing their wives goodbye. He said something to the affect, "I guess business at the local bars will be going up." He's always been cynical about women and their motives.

[beaversmom]

He's a real life Corporal Klinger.

[RosieCotton]

There was also an anti-apartheid activist named Topsy Madaka who was killed in 1982.

Hm...so I guess he can be thankful his momma didn't name him Topsy? (Ouch!)

I agree with those that say there has to be more to this story...normally someone can't just leave by claiming a family member has died or is in a medical emergency, without going through the Red Cross. Or so I understand it...I served in the AF but never had to use that procedure.

[Hildy]

Maybe he didn't know she wasn't pregnant. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt.

[LisaAnne]

Perhaps you should read the whole article and get all the facts before you draw conclusions.

"Frankie Newberne told WAVY News 10 Wednesday that her husband was only relaying to his superiors the information she was telling him....all of it, unbeknownst to him, a lie. It is not known what charges, if any, will be filed by the U.S. Air Force."

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

This made me think of a story my father once told. They were deployed to Guam back in the 1960's. One airman hated it there and wanted to leave. He went through everyone he could to get off of Guam, the First Sergeant, the Chaplain, and finally to the Red Cross. They got him off of the island. It happened to be on the same flight that all of the deployed people returned. They called him "Red Cross Robby" after that.

[SMEDLEYBUTLER]

I won't. Right now he is a deserter. If he was duped by his wife he needs to start talking instead of refusing to cooperate.

[cinFLA]

There's a picture

I thought there weren't any stillborn twins. Where did you get the pictures?

[cinFLA]

Which mosque is he from?

Sounds more like an "African Heritage" name.

[cinFLA]

Getsy said the Red Cross generally verifies information about deaths of service members' relatives - when they are deployed overseas - before they are allowed to return to the United States.

The Red Cross said they would check it out right after they check out our POW's in Iraq and the 600 Kuwaiti POW's in Iraq from 1991. But right now they are too busy monitoring the treatment of the terrorists POWs in Guantanamo Bay and all other matters will have to wait.

[Zavien Doombringer]

He knew she wasn't pregnant! The police did the investigation, couldn't come up with a doctor that delivered or one that could confirm she was ever pregnant!

[Zavien Doombringer]

Do you live in Hamptonroads/Tidewater much less Virginia?

Can you watch Channel 10?

Did you read all of the Virginian Pilot article...THe Girl wasn't even pregnant!!!

[Carolinamom]

Last I heard the gestation time for a human baby (or 2 in this case) is 9 months. He hasn't been overseas that long, has he? While it is most likely that she did lie, how could he have believed her? Sounds like complicity, doesn't it?

[AEMILIUS PAULUS]

Yep!

[The FRugitive]

if his CO got snookered he belongs in jail as well.

I don't know about that. It seems that trust would be an important thing, and if he were lieing he would eventually get caught.

That's probably why they were doing a police report to submit to the military. And if he were lieing, which he turned out to be, I'm sure the CO wouldn't want him around anyway. So I don't see how the CO is responsible in any way for being compasionate to his men.

[GovernmentShrinker]

It certainly could be complicity, though he may have been away from home at a training base for some time before he was sent overseas, and she may even have started the lie before he left, telling him she was pregnant. Probably he's a lying creep too, but I prefer to give the benefit of the doubt to servicepeople who are putting their lives on the line to liberate Iraq. It's pretty clear that he at least started being complicit after he got home, but that could have been due to panic from realizing the implications of his wife's actions.

[SMEDLEYBUTLER]

So I don't see how the CO is responsible in any way for being compasionate to his men.

He's required to get Red Cross confirmation before he cuts orders to send personnel home on emergency leave. He didn't do that. What else isn't he doing that he's supposed to? This screwup is more than likely the tip of the iceberg. Compassion takes a back seat to mission and procedures. See now?

[Chancellor Palpatine]

Soon to be followed by a zillion felonies under the UCMJ with some very serious Leavenworth time.

[Carolinamom]

Yours is a measured assessment that does you credit.

[Chemist_Geek]

It certainly could be complicity, though he may have been away from home at a training base for some time before he was sent overseas, and she may even have started the lie before he left, telling him she was pregnant. Probably he's a lying creep too, but I prefer to give the benefit of the doubt to servicepeople who are putting their lives on the line to liberate Iraq. It's pretty clear that he at least started being complicit after he got home, but that could have been due to panic from realizing the implications of his wife's actions.

Hear, hear!