Commissioned Officers Gone Wild!
Though it possesses explicit constitutional recognition (and the concomitant respect that derives therefrom), we mustn't let this fool us into forgetting the simple fact that the military is still a government enterprise and, therefore, suffers from all of the corruption, incompetence, and lethargy common to such enterprises. I'm reminded of this by the following (especially annoying) example.
For some 18 months now, the head of US Africa Command, 4-star General William "Kip" Ward, has been under investigation by the DoD Inspector General for suspicious spending activity. The resulting report from said investigation levies serious allegations (with plenty of evidence) at Ward. According to The Daily Mail, Gen. Ward's alleged malfeasance includes:
-$129,000 on an 11-day trip to Washington with his wife and 13 staff where he only had short engagements on the first three days of the trip. The cost covers the hotel and 'other' costs such as transportation.
-$10,000 on hotels rooms for himself and staff during a 'refueling stop' in Bermuda on the way to an engagement in Germany. He and his wife stayed in a $750 suite. The bill does not include transport or other costs.
-$18,500 on producing and publishing 2,000 books about the Command's plush residence in Germany and its first three years of work.
-One staffer stayed in the Ritz Carlton Hotel in McLean, Virginia for 49 consecutive nights in early 2010—even though Ward was in the area for just 18 of the nights.
-Use of government-rented vehicles to run errands including collecting flowers, books, football game tickets and snacks.
-Dinner and a Broadway show—paid for by a government contractor—before meeting Denzel Washington and staying in the five-star Waldorf Astoria Hotel.
-Wife joined him on 52 of his 79 trips even though she had no official capacity.
-Ward also set officials meetings after being refused the use of military aircraft for personal travel.
Any one of these qualifies as a serious offense. One would therefore presume, if the same man committed all of these transgressions, the legal reaction would be swift and severely punitive.
Unfortunately, such is not the case - not even close. According to Fox News, 4-star Gen. Martin Dempsey, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has just recently voiced his opposition to demoting Gen. Ward and his wish that Ward retire at his 4-star rank. Though the decision to demote or not to demote lies with Secretary Panetta, we've every reason to take Gen. Dempsey's suggestion seriously since he is, after all, the top officer within the US Army.
The response from every enlisted soldier I've spoken to concerning this nonsense has, rather predictably, been the same. If an NCO or junior officer committed just one of any of these or similar infractions, they reply, he'd be tarred and feathered, and the punishment would be certain. By contrast, it appears as if Secretary Panetta is brooding over whether or not the Uniform Code of Military Justice should even apply to Gen. Ward. There's no reason to suspect, however unfortunately, that Ward's violations will ever be redressed. My speculation is that such spendthrifts are not uncommon among flag officers, and that Ward's expenditures merely surpassed some pre-existing level of permitted financial indiscretion within the upper echelon.
If the Army ever published a monograph entitled "How to Stoke Enlisted Cynicism", this fiasco would be an exquisite example of step number 1: administer justice in a non-uniform fashion. But even though we enlisted folk lack the advantages of the officer corps, e.g., better education, better training, better pay, etc., we have at least this consolation with us: we're not afraid of the rules.
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Comments:
Jul '11
Re: Commissioned Officers Gone Wild!
Fascinating. Abuse in government is at an all time high.
Re: Commissioned Officers Gone Wild!
Oh man, does this post ever hit close to home. I worked for close to two dozen flag officers during my time as an historian. Something happens in that rarified air, and the rules just don't apply like they do for others further down the food chain. In the late 80s, on a deployment to Germany, I witnessed such a total break down in discipline due to obvious double standards, that enlisted people stopped saluting rated officers. There are so many stories like this that I personally witnessed. This is still a sore subject, to be honest.
Your comment that, "...the military is still a government enterprise and, therefore, suffers from all of the corruption, incompetence, and lethargy common to such enterprises," is absolutely spot-on, by the way.
Jun '10
Re: Commissioned Officers Gone Wild!
Part of the Black Panther voter intimidation case, Christopher Coates quit the Justice Department partially due to being informed there should be no black defendants in civil rights cases. Could this have a similar "there shall be no prominent black disciplinary demotions..."?
Or is it just "no corruption shall be noted..."?
Edited on October 14, 2012 at 5:54amJan '11
Re: Commissioned Officers Gone Wild!
I'll say the obvious - thanks, Michael, for bringing this to our attention. I hadn't heard of this until your post.
May '10
Re: Commissioned Officers Gone Wild!
Eeyore: Part of the Black Panther voter intimidation case, Christopher Coates quit the Justice Department partially due to being informed there should be no black defendants in civil rights cases. Could this have a similar "there shall be no prominent black disciplinary demotions..."?
Or is it just "nocorruption shall be noted..."?
I think it's his rank, not his race, that is shielding him from UCMJ retribution. Rank solicits far more consideration than race. Soldiers just want competent leaders.
My pleasure.
Dave Carter:
Your comment that, "...the military is still a government enterprise and, therefore, suffers from all of the corruption, incompetence, and lethargy common to such enterprises," is absolutely spot-on, by the way.
Thanks again.
Sep '10
Re: Commissioned Officers Gone Wild!
Thanks, Michael, for telling us about this. When I worked for the Army I met some really superb officers, but also heard a talk by a retired general who seemed to think that every sentence he uttered was a pearl of wisdom, no matter how obvious. I suppose he'd been told that when he was active duty. Generals are among the few in our society who are treated with the deference usually reserved for royalty, and it has bad effects on some -- like this character.
May '10
Re: Commissioned Officers Gone Wild!
I can imagine. Must have been worse then, because saluting here is typical of enlisted/officer interactions.
May '10
Re: Commissioned Officers Gone Wild!
All true. It seems to me that generals face nefarious incentives. They rarely receive subordinate criticism and, as you say, are treated as superstars. Thus, humility, I imagine, may be lacking among some flag officers. That's why the civilians in charge of the armed forces need to constrain their military underlings - bluntly, if need be.
Edited on October 15, 2012 at 11:22pmDec '11
Re: Commissioned Officers Gone Wild!
Michael Labeit
Rank solicits far more consideration than race. Soldiers just want competent leaders.
That's the good news, no? This specific observation is one of the most impressive aspects of the military in the mind of this civilian.
Oct '12
Re: Commissioned Officers Gone Wild!
When I worked for a government contractor we would regularly have meetings with our counter parts in the Air Force. Not high ranking by any means. It was customary to provide coffee and doughnuts. One day we got the word that Air Force attendees would be required to purchase there coffee and doughnuts, please provide a container for the money. No gratuitees from contractors were alowed! The secetaries didn't even know what to do with the few dollars collected! These junior officers had to pay 10 cents for a doughnut and this guy is going through tens of thousands!! Only the government.
Dec '10
Re: Commissioned Officers Gone Wild!
Apr '12
Re: Commissioned Officers Gone Wild!
He didn't do this totally out of the blue, nor alone; of course there's only going to be token punishment, because he'd burn a dozen others at minimum if they tried to take him down.
Oct '10
Re: Commissioned Officers Gone Wild!
R.H.I.P.
Dec '11
Re: Commissioned Officers Gone Wild!
Don't they teach Ethics at West Point? Or is that the problem ... that ethics needs to be taught as a class.
Aug '12
Re: Commissioned Officers Gone Wild!
This post hits very close to home for me too. Gen. Ward's roots are Airborne Infantry, same as my son.
I've known many Infantry officers who've seen combat. Each one subscribes to the Infantry leadership motto "Lead from the Front". They are some of the finest men to grace the planet. Leaders by birth, Warriors by training, Infantry by the grace of God.
By his actions, Gen. Ward has brought shame and disgrace to the Airborne Infantry.
Aug '12
Re: Commissioned Officers Gone Wild!
The "U" in UCMJ stands for "uniform." That is, a single legal standard for ALL military personnel from a recently-recruited private E-1 all the way up to, and including, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs. One of the primary reasons I got out of the Army after my enlistment expired was the double standard practiced by the senior NCOs I served with; Do as I say, not as I do. This was literally demoralizing. It looks like the senior officer corps is no better. I've always taken it as fundamental elements of leadership to set a good example, don't ask a subordinate to do anything that you are not prepared to do, & don't play favorites, particularly with yourself. If true, this general should face criminal prosecution & spend his retirement years doing hard labor at Ft. Leavenworth . . . you know, like a junior enlistedman or a company-grade officer who did the exact same thing.
Nov '10
Re: Commissioned Officers Gone Wild!
I believe that Gen. Dempsey has set the military, and the US Army back decades. Compare the treatment that Gen Ward gets vs. LTC Dooley:
www.breitbart.com/Big-Peace/2012/09/19/Lt-Col-Matthew-Dooley-Loses-Teaching-Position-at-Joint-Forces-Staff-College-For-Criticizing-Islam
As a retired US Army officer I am ashamed of Gen Dempsey. He is way over his head.
Mar '11
Re: Commissioned Officers Gone Wild!
As an officer, I am disgusted by this sort of disgraceful fraud, waste, and abuse. He should be demoted. Especially in light of the special faith and trust of our office, this sort of behavior shames all of us.
When anyone submits a retirement resigning nation package, there is a statement included to effect that 'I do not owe the united states gov't any money to my knowledge.' Clearly not true in the General's case, and he should be paying some of this back to the taxpayers he's been defrauding.
Aug '10
Re: Commissioned Officers Gone Wild!
I am glad he took his wife with him, but the "staffer" staying at the Ritz......bet that wasn't his wife !
This is , after all, a government bureaucracy . Such behaviour should be expected to some degree .
Top heavy, unaccountable, and spending opm like drunken sailors ?
Could be any governmental body .
There are probably as many admirals in the Navy as there are ships.
Edited on October 14, 2012 at 5:58pmApr '11
Re: Commissioned Officers Gone Wild!
As one "low-ranking-enlisted-swine"* to another, right on!
*Epithet courtesy of one of my NCOICs. He was, of course, joking and treated me with the utmost military courtesy and professional respect.