New leader at Lackland after scandal
From the San Antonio Express News:
The Air Force chose a woman Saturday to lead its basic training unit at a Texas base where dozens of female recruits have alleged they were sexually assaulted or harassed by male instructors within the past year. Col. Deborah Liddick is taking command of the 737th Training Group, bringing a distinctly new face of authority to Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio. Six male instructors have been charged with crimes ranging from rape to adultery, and there are others still under investigation.
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Why am I writing about this? you may ask, reasonably enough. The answer is that it is very odd that six male instructors have been charged with crimes “ranging from rape to adultery,” and there are others “still under investigation,” for the simple reason that adultery is not a crime in Texas. I’m all for getting to the bottom of the harassment and abuse directed against women in the basic training unit, but I seriously doubt that any instructors were charged with adultery, since adultery is not a crime in Texas. It is punishable, however, under the Uniform Code of Military Justice.
The answer is, “It (punishment of adultery) depends upon the circumstances,” which generally means whether it is matter of morale.
Thomas says:
Paul, adultey is a violation of the code of military conduct, as are other activities considered detrimental to morale.
Thomas
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Texian Politico Reply:
September 17th, 2012 at 7:54 am
That’s correct. Adultery is a crime under the UCMJ and should be enforced as such.
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gwbIV says:
http://usmilitary.about.com/od/justicelawlegislation/a/adultery.htm
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WUSRPH says:
They were not members of the military at the time….however, their punishment, if any, would be at the hands of their wives and or the voters….You are certainly hung up on the personal morality of politicans…What about businessmen, doctors, priests and ministers…Why don’t you take a look at them for a welcome change in your postings.
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wopate says:
Yeah, I’m not sure why you posted this either.
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Texian Politico says:
Here is a interesting story about the Davis vs. Shelton race. I don’t understand why it says that Molotov cocktails (plural) were thrown at her office.
http://www.star-telegram.com/2012/09/16/4262488/gop-is-targeting-davis-for-unseating.html
My understanding was that one was thrown against the door of her office and it was done by a mentally ill urban outdoorsman. The way it is written makes it sound like her political opponents are routinely chunking Molotov cocktails at her place.
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Robert Morrow Reply:
September 17th, 2012 at 10:46 am
It is going to be a good race.
“Davis ousted Brimer from the district in 2008, earning 49.91 percent of the vote to Brimer’s 47.52 percent and Libertarian Richard A. Cross’ 2.56 percent.
“Republican senators from the beginning believed that’s a Republican seat and her initial election was an aberration,” Kronberg said.”
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Whoa, Nellie! says:
I don’t want to get hung up in a forest vs the trees technicality here. The charge is that a large number of women were subjected to sexual abuse over a period of time and that there is or was a culture that condoned it. That’s the issue to be addressed, dress it up however the lawyers will. I hope their is a wholesale housecleaning at this and any base where sexual abuse of women soldiers is an issue. Absolutely no excuse for this and I would personally like to see the harshest possible punishments meted out to the guilty.
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Whoa, Nellie! says:
Typos! Arghh!!
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Davemaz says:
The broad label is “prejudicial to good order and discipline.” In general, it plays hell with the morale in a unit when an officer is doing things an enlisted person can’t get away with (or worse, is having an adulterous relationship with an enlisted person’s spouse). The Air Force has to get their hands around this issue. No one lets their daughter enlist in the Air Force thinking they are going to be prey to predators.
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