You would think they would have learned after Tailhook...
"Ex-Blue Angels commander ousted amid lewd conduct allegations." (http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-blue-angels-commander-sex-20140423,0,5901767.story#axzz2znk7yJJI)
QuoteSAN DIEGO -- A former commanding officer of the famed Blue Angels aerial demonstration team was relieved of duty amid allegations of "lewd speech, inappropriate comments, and sexually explicit humor" and pornography, the Navy said Wednesday.
Last week the Navy announced that Capt. Gregory McWherter had been relieved of duty as executive officer of Naval Base Coronado because of initial findings of an investigation into misconduct during his tours as commander and flight leader of the Blue Angels.
Yay, another Officer screwup leading to more Powerpoints for Enlisted, woohoo!
There are a couple FB pages "demanding" his reinstatement based on people who have met him at air shows and determining "This guy would never do something like that." Not saying one way or the other but I would imagine the Navy may have more info than a person who got his autograph at an air show.
This is the norm... "Hey So and so is alleged to have done something we are going to look into it... We removed him/her until the investigation is complete." But if there is truth to this just goes to show how ineffective some programs within the DOD really are.
You know, you could say the -exact- same thing about CPP and CAP too. Allegations, removals, and the like. ;)
Throwing someone under the bus, before exploring the validity and severity of the offense? Can that happen?
I've been thinking lately, at least more so, that deep, personal involvement in organizations (any organization) may not be wise. Get in, sure, contribute, work at it, find some gratification in job(s) well done. But don't tie your self-image (or livelihood) to that connection. Don't set yourself up as a potential speed bump for an aberrant bureaucracy, or as a convenient, visible target for a politically correct leadership team.
If this Officer is catching heck out of proportion to the actual offense, I hope he can shove his retirement papers across the desk and walk away without a glance back - keep the good memories, and write off the sleazy, imposed ending. Find that next challenge, perhaps as someone who has matured beyond the culture he's leaving.
When I hear the words ". . .send a message", I start revising my IQ estimate of the speaker downwards.
Quote from: SunDog on April 25, 2014, 08:44:40 PM
Throwing someone under the bus, before exploring the validity and severity of the offense? Can that happen?
If by "throwing someone under the bus," you mean temporarily relieved of duties pending a full investigation, I suppose it can happen. In pretty much every organization in the world, including the armed forces.
Why do you think that is odd or unusual?
If a teacher or school bus driver is indicted for child abuse charges, for example, is it really surprising that they would be relieved of their duties pending final adjudication of the case? Sure, under the law they are presumed to be innocent until a jury says otherwise, but sometimes it is prudent to take reasonable precautions while the investigation is underway.
Here, the officer in question is being investigated for improper actions taken while in command. According to the article, he has been relieved of his XO position while they work out what, if anything, happened.
(It is also important to note that the article indicates that the officer was relieved
after a preliminary investigation. That tends to reassure me that the action was not arbitrary or capricious on the part of the brass. It may well turn out to be no big deal, but it sounds like there is some sort of due process being followed.)
Of course all we really know is what the media is feeding us on this, so it is difficult to be sure of anything.
QuoteIf this Officer is catching heck out of proportion to the actual offense, I hope he can shove his retirement papers across the desk and walk away without a glance back - keep the good memories, and write off the sleazy, imposed ending. Find that next challenge, perhaps as someone who has matured beyond the culture he's leaving.
Hmm, is it possible that you might be doing the same thing you seem to be accusing the brass of doing -- making assumptions about a situation before the investigation is done?
Let the process play out before making judgments.
In New York City Department of Education, the rule is if any child makes an allegation against a teacher or school personnel, that person is removed from the position until the allegation is investigated and the person arrested or cleared. The "powers that be" do not even wait for an indictment. If a teacher or other school personnel is arrested, that person is supposed to notify the DOE Office of Special Investigations and may even be possibly removed from their post pending the OSI investigation.
Flyer
Quote from: Flying Pig on April 25, 2014, 02:33:12 PM
There are a couple FB pages "demanding" his reinstatement based on people who have met him at air shows and determining "This guy would never do something like that." Not saying one way or the other but I would imagine the Navy may have more info than a person who got his autograph at an air show.
Yeah, "He'd never do that" based on a 90 second crowd-line situation..
I read a thing the other day that some CF colonel who was in charge of the unit flying dignitaries around was arrested for murdering several women.
"He'd never do that!"
Quote from: NIN on April 26, 2014, 12:21:26 AM
Quote from: Flying Pig on April 25, 2014, 02:33:12 PM
There are a couple FB pages "demanding" his reinstatement based on people who have met him at air shows and determining "This guy would never do something like that." Not saying one way or the other but I would imagine the Navy may have more info than a person who got his autograph at an air show.
Yeah, "He'd never do that" based on a 90 second crowd-line situation..
I read a thing the other day that some CF colonel who was in charge of the unit flying dignitaries around was arrested for murdering several women.
"He'd never do that!"
It's funny that 83% of news articles that have interviews with neighbors of murderers and such always say the same thing:"I am shocked, he seemed like such a nice guy."
BUT...Dahmer apparently creeped people out from the get-go and no one was surprised.
Quote from: Ned on April 25, 2014, 09:23:43 PM
Quote from: SunDog on April 25, 2014, 08:44:40 PM
Throwing someone under the bus, before exploring the validity and severity of the offense? Can that happen?
If by "throwing someone under the bus," you mean temporarily relieved of duties pending a full investigation, I suppose it can happen. In pretty much every organization in the world, including the armed forces.
Why do you think that is odd or unusual?
If a teacher or school bus driver is indicted for child abuse charges, for example, is it really surprising that they would be relieved of their duties pending final adjudication of the case? Sure, under the law they are presumed to be innocent until a jury says otherwise, but sometimes it is prudent to take reasonable precautions while the investigation is underway.
Here, the officer in question is being investigated for improper actions taken while in command. According to the article, he has been relieved of his XO position while they work out what, if anything, happened.
(It is also important to note that the article indicates that the officer was relieved after a preliminary investigation. That tends to reassure me that the action was not arbitrary or capricious on the part of the brass. It may well turn out to be no big deal, but it sounds like there is some sort of due process being followed.)
Of course all we really know is what the media is feeding us on this, so it is difficult to be sure of anything.
QuoteIf this Officer is catching heck out of proportion to the actual offense, I hope he can shove his retirement papers across the desk and walk away without a glance back - keep the good memories, and write off the sleazy, imposed ending. Find that next challenge, perhaps as someone who has matured beyond the culture he's leaving.
Hmm, is it possible that you might be doing the same thing you seem to be accusing the brass of doing -- making assumptions about a situation before the investigation is done?
Let the process play out before making judgments.
I don't think it's odd or unusual. . .it's routine, isn't it? If he's pure as the driven snow they can't un-ring the bell, can they? Under da bus, and thanks for playing. Pick up the remants of your reputation during out processing.
Sometimes it's prudent for management to keep their mouths shut until they have the facts. I don't know diddly about this particular event. Odds are he isn't without blemish. Don't much care, really. Likely he isn't Bluebeard, either. And likely he'll get sacrificed like a VooDoo chicken on the PC alter.
Prudent? Yeah, for professions involving children. For an adults only organization? A private interview, take some leave, maybe off for some PD, while we take a week or two to look into whether you actually told a sexist joke at the bar one night. Press release? Multi-month investigation? Oops, our bad, turns out it was really nothing much? Hope you didn't mind five months on the beach, initiatives foundered, career flat-lined.
These are the chances you take, granted. One of your JOs comes on too strong, makes someone uneasy, you have a quiet word, straighten him out, have him apologize. Preserve his career (this one time) and all is well. Until the victim is passed over. Now it turns out you fostered a hostile atmosphere, condoned the behaviour. Start the bus. . .
Other people been behaving badly recently? Let's send a message and react disproportionatly; you get to be the semi-right guy in the wrong place, wrong time. Message gets sent, for sure. It tells other folks their organization lacks integrity, balance, a sense of justice, and always has a finger in the wind.