More on that “one mile walk” LTC
A little bird emailed us last night that we should check further into LTC Chris Cote, the Air Force Lieutenant Colonel who filed an EO complaint against the Air Force’s unfair standards for the one-mile walk. So I went over and checked the Air Force Times and he’s been in the news there before.
Apparently a gang of LTCs got together and complained about their boss, the wing commander at Dover Air Force Base, DE, Col. Randal Bright;
Lt. Col. Chris Cote alleges Bright retaliated against him after he told Bright in an e-mail that he didn’t appreciate being called a “loser” in a staff meeting. He believes he received a referral officer performance report and other negative reviews because of the e-mail.
I guess it never occurred to Cote that maybe he got negative reviews because he might indeed be a loser. Only a loser would write to their Senator after the Equal Opportunity Office did them a favor and didn’t make a stink on their behalf.
Our little bird tells us that Cote flies C-5s, an impressive job, but that doesn’t insulate him from being made fun of for giving the military a bad name.
Category: Military issues
,,,,,and Paul Harvey smiles as the OTHER side of the story comes out.
“More than 53,500 airmen have taken the walk test since the PT test was revised in July 2010; 6,527 — or 12.2 — percent, have failed.” (Air Force Times) Holy Hanna! What are they doing, walking on their hands over broken glass and hot coals?
I must take exception to the last sentence of this piece. He didn’t give the military a bad name because the Air Force isn’t part of the military!? JUST KIDDING!!!
He only embarrassed himself and gave himself a bad name. He might have given the AF a black eye by proving the type of turd he is and they didn’t get rid of him before it came to this. If he isn’t pariah #1, then there is a problem.
It’s a cultural thing. So many people, including quite a few officers, see the Air Force not as a military service but a uniformed government service in the military business. It may seem a slight distinction but, I think, it’s part of what feeds the “If I’m good at my actual job what does it matter if I’m not in a military state of physical condition?”
A little bitch like this could never have made LTC in the Army. Not even in the “kinder Gentler Army”. Could you imagine this little crybaby going through SERE school? Or (God Forbid!) actual combat!
“Please Mr Taliban, don’t shoot me, I’m holding up my stress card!”
Pa-fucking-thetic
Doc, I know you may find this hard to believe……but if he is an aircrew member on a C-5’s, he would have been required to attend SERE training. But I’m assuming that was many moons and many pounds ago.
@6: I’m just going to throw this out there but I find it hard to believe that anyone could get through SERE and whine about stupid stuff like this.
@6, 7 – Don’t forget that there is SERE B and SERE C. I ‘think’ it’s only the B level that is a mandatory requirement for aircrew, whereas C level is for selected aircrew (SOF, AFSOC, etc)
Someone with an Air Force background, please let me know if that’s incorrect.
LTC Cote continues to enhance his reputation as a ‘loser’ every time he opens his mouth and nothing but ‘waaah’ comes out.
#5 Doc: for the Army, passing one’s APFT was one of two requirement to make LTC. Something complex as landing a plane as large as a C5 may indicate competence. As the good folk at HRC explained, competence is assumed but never graded. Heh
The other requirement is an up-to-date photo.
Does anyone else find this being yet another Dover deal to be fascinating? There seems to be a LOT going on there.
Are all these events related somehow?
Not trying to start a pissing contest, but different missions, different training. I was AD AF for 12 years and the only time I was ever tested was once a year in SAC. We didn’t do PT, even in SAC. We reported to the base gym once a year and were told to do as many sit-ups, squat thrusts, chin-ups and run a certain distance as we could all in a certain time. We were’nt told how many of each exercise (test) we had to do, but were told if we passed or failed. If we failed we had to go to the gym and work out every day for 2 weeks and then were tested again. I passed every year except one; I fell while running and couldn’t get up.
After those 6 years I transferred to MATS/MAC (heavies) and never tested again.
So before you trash someone because of fitness tests remember-different missions, different training.
One other thing, in SAC we were issued weapons, M1 carbines from ww2 and Korea and we had to qualify every year.
#8 CI — I was Army Aircrew. DoD Instruction says all aircrews are supposed to get SERE C, up through and including resistance lab. We even send our Chinook pilots (snark).
That said, for some time (until 6 or so years ago) we only did through SERE B at Rucker. It took engaging in the recent fight to make it to SERE C.
A friend’s son is becoming an enlisted C-5 back-end guy, and they have him scheduled for the full meal deal in Washington State.
@13 – Thanks….I was a knuckle-dragger when in uniform, so I wasn’t sure about the aircrew requirements.
http://www.dtic.mil/whs/directives/corres/pdf/130021p.pdf
I suppose it depends on how you define “Combat Aircrews.” See page 4.
I have had a love hate relationship with PT standards in the Army. I understand them….truly I do but they never seemed to hit the mark. I am a big boy, I am 6’4 and pretty thick. I always scored 270 or 280 depending and had to be taped. Only once did I get below the weight to be taped but I was so exhausted that it dropped my PT score to 200. Even still I went longer in training then most of my “superior” PT advocates. For that is all mental.
Any case mission or not a warrior should be in shape. While I don’t think all need to be thin and wiry I do think have “Dunlaps” disease is taking it too far.
The military should just stop trying to please people. IT’s a volunteer force. They didn’t ask you to come. Their rules boys and girls. Their rules.
For what it’s worth, the 1mi walk is for those who are on a no-running profile. It’s usually a 1.5mi run after (pushups and situps) at a fairly brisk pace although it’s age and gender normed. By no means difficult to pass if you work out a once or twice/week. If you only do 12oz curls and eat donuts everyday, it’s not easy.
I’m curious why he’s on a profile–whether it’s for a bum knee from years of marathon running and combat injuries…or for sand in an inconvenient orifice…
And to get a “Referral” OPR as an officer is pretty tricky–it takes a special kind of asshat to accomplish that. It’s pretty much a career killer.
Oh, and saying that something else happening at Dover (during an unspecified timeframe) is hinting at some grand issue at the base is a little too conspiracy-minded for me. Cross section of society, and a cross section of the AF, folks.
Raven, a plethora of problems consentrated in an area usually means there are command issues.
Used to tell the troops, you have E5’s-E9s and then you SSgt-CMSGt’s ie NCO’s or civilians in uniform. and we didn’t call them zero’s for no reason at all.
Well all the wooden nickel carries are almost gone, now a bunch of self centered, “I make rank for a paycheck”, “I don’t give a crap about you just me” card carriers are in charge now. GOD HELP the USA