Officers and weird sex
Old Trooper sends us a link to the story of an Air Force Lieutenant Colonel at CentCom who was arrested in Florida for enticing a teenage boy into a sexual relationship.
The teen’s parents had alerted the FBI office in Maitland, near Orlando, to Facebook sex chats their son had been having with [Air Force Lt. Col. Stephen Michael Governale, 49], and provided the agency with copies of some of those messages, according to federal court records. The FBI then interviewed the boy.
Apparently, the FBI persuaded the parents and the teen into trapping the perv into an explicit conversation on Facebook which led to his arrest after two encounters with the youngster over a two year period.
Mr Wolf and Chief Tango send us a link to an Associated Press story about an 82d Airborne Division general who is being sent back to Fort Bragg from Afghanistan under arrest for forcibly committing sodomy;
The Fayetteville Observer reported Wednesday that Brig. Gen. Jeffrey A. Sinclair faces possible courts martial on charges that include forced sex, possessing pornography and alcohol while deployed, engaging in inappropriate relationships and misusing a government travel charge card.
From The Fayetteville Observer;
Other charges are possessing alcohol and pornography while deployed, maltreatment of subordinates, filing fraudulent claims, engaging in conduct unbecoming an officer and a gentleman and engaging in conduct prejudicial to good order and discipline, or of a nature to bring discredit upon the armed forces.
So while the command structure is busy forcing the troops to sit through endless training to preach about sexual misconduct, maybe the officers need it more than the troops judging from the cases we’ve witnessed recently on these pages.
Category: Big Army, Military issues
I miss the time in my life where I was genuinely shocked and surprised at such behavior.
What Nik said.
The problem with the endless EO/SHARP/SAPR (whatever the hell acronym we use) is simple:
The people that are going to do sick and perverted shit are going to do it no matter how many classes, policies, etc. are out there. Why? “It doesn’t apply to me”. “I won’t get caught”.
The sentencing from the Court Marshall will depend on his rank and is he a ring knocker? WPPA anyone? Different spanks for different ranks. Joe
Isn’t forced sex just another name for rape?
Talk about conduct unbecoming….
4ss raping kids will put you in the same level of hell as all those wonderful Catholic priests….
@5
I don’t know. It could indicate coercion that doesn’t deal specifically with physical force, like “Sleep with me or you’ll never get a promotion”.
Leading by example?
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=208461039284059&set=a.195787690551394.43931.194363127360517&type=1&relevant_count=1&ref=nf
If these two are proven guilty, I hope they both absolutely get their asses nailed to the wall.
That’s particularly true regarding the BG involved. Higher rank means more should be expected – and demanded – of him.
However, after the “massively excessive” sentence James H. “Bigamist” Johnson III received, I’m just not going to hold my breath.
Joe Williams: a previous article I saw about BG Sinclair indicated he got his commission through ROTC.
Yep, more disgusting behavior. What happened to integrity, FFS?
This just despairs and befuddles me. I understand stupid privates. I get idiots with a sham shield. I even understand drunk and stupid sergeants (I’ve been one). But a Lt. Col, and a fucking BG?! Really? These are not ranks earned in a year or two. They have put in a huge amount of time, a ton of work, and then threw all of it away. For what? A piece of ass? Really? These are people who have been serving their country for 20+ years. What a waste.
Chances are, if he accepts a trial by his peers and not judge alone, one would have hopes that the paneled officers (who all likely know him, or know OF him) will do the right thing instead of letting him walk walk like Col James Johnson III did. Do the right thing in the interest of justice – not the institution.
UtahVet–
It’s been my experience that COL/BG is about the time some folks tend to lose their minds. It’s almost like an aura of perceived invincibility settles over them. suddenly, they are falsifying travel orders to fly to DC to “visit” a former secretary, or banging the current one on their desk, abusing contract money or personnel, or their subordinates.
Power corrupts. I would like to talk to some people who worked with these guys in the past. Typically, you’ll find that someone, at some point or points, threw a yellow flag and it was either ignored or covered up. Usaully, the flg-thrower was punished for it, too.
*usually and *flag. Sheesh.
I just completed the two-week SHARP training last week. One thing that stood out to me was the emphasis our instructor (a retired E-8) placed on the fact that most assaults are made by leaders against their subordinates. He didn’t give many examples of officers, but did speak of a couple of nameless E-9s he helped to put away. Having served in squared away Infantry units until now (in recruiting any sexual harassment or assault fell under the umbrella of recruiter misconduct) I had no idea the problem was so rampant until hearing accounts from my classmates and instructors.
A senior officer overseas, especially in a combat zone, has a degree of power and freedom from accountability that is similar to that of a medieval prince. Think about it: On his particular base, he is the the absolute dictator in all but name, and usually immune to his own rules. His only superiors are – literally – half a world away and have their own problems to deal with. Sure, there are mechanisms in place to report misconduct, but it’s like the old saying that goes “if you strike at the King, you’d better kill him.” So it’s not surprising to me that some of these guys give in to the “darker angels of their nature.”
As to what will happen to him? Unless his victims have friends in high places, the worst will be a slap on the pee-pee and a hasty retirement, possibly with a reduction in one grade upon retirement. But he’ll still draw his retirement pay and probably slide right into that Beltway Bandit job he was heading for anyway.
Private Snuffy or Sergant Fury would be breaking rocks at Leavenworth, but once you get to the 05+ level, that rarely happens.
The reason we’re seeing more of this is we’re letting the previous pervs that were caught keep breathing. It’s time to start culling the herd.
So, what’s the difference between a pederast priest and a senior military whatever?
The clothes they wear.
It’s about frickin’ time to call this crap what it is and quit tolerating it. There is a huge dif between consensual realtionships that are technically wrong and in violation of several rules/laws/commandments and forced sex with minors. Coerced, because the aggressor has power over the subordinate can be just as bad but may be a bit less bad because there are often ways for mature adults to laugh off unwanted advances without jeopardizing their own careers.
Could it be that the real reason the upper echelon doesn’t want gays in the military has nothing to do with homosexuality but because it would require them to enforce rules which have been in place for decades, if not centuries, against their own officer corps regarding female members of the military? I dunno. I never had a problem in that regard, but observed several situations which looked like they were out of regs.
But these clowns need to do hard time. With Bubba and the boyz.
Lots of big fish have gotten the hammer lately over issues w/ child porn possession or sex w/ minors. Pretty recently a Navy CMC assigned to Fort Bliss got sent away to the DB – had close to 30 yrs service I remember.
Maybe if the upper echelons of everything had something besides testicles for brains, we would not be having to read about these perpetrators of gross misconduct.
See, this is what I mean: another BG bites the dust because he can’t keep his pants zipped and his wick dry.
http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/09/26/14113684-army-general-accused-of-sex-misconduct-adultery-with-subordinates?lite
Somebody let me know when these maroons grow the frak up.
Thanks.
There was an article in Stars and Stripes earlier this year referencing the Bathsheba Syndrome. Bathsheba, if you remember from Sunday School, was the woman that King David took as his own wife, after having an affair with her and sentencing her husband to death. The point is power’s ability to corrupt even righteous individuals. Interesting reading.
http://www.stripes.com/news/navy/do-fired-navy-cos-suffer-from-bathsheba-syndrome-1.171525
http://ksuweb.kennesaw.edu/~uzimmerm/Notes/Ludwig+Longenecker,%20The%20Bathsheba%20Syndrome.pdf
I remember wanting to ask out this cute little PFC (E-2) who was at Schools Bn but I was afraid! Why was I afraid? I was a Cpl!!! I spoke to 1st Sgt Corrales and he said “technically” it would be ok since I wasn’t in her chain-of-command but I never did.
These guys make me sick.
BG Sinclair sounds like the proverbial brother to another ‘infamous’ BG, one Mark Kimmitt.
Recall this: http://www.blackfive.net/main/2007/09/not-just-no-but.html
Something tells me they are cut from nearly the same cloth. At least in attitude toward underlings. Kimmitt was never charged with anything, but damn, was another piece of work. And it was also chronicled in the book ‘Inside The Fortress’.
in recruiting any sexual harassment or assault fell under the umbrella of recruiter misconduct
I remember how many times I got lectured, warned, etc., about “dipping DEPpers”, but it seems like only the CPO’s and above were the ones pulling that shit.
I was in recruiting and my Chief Recruiter was one of the several people who went away (along with Admiral Watson) for sexual misconduct for pulling a train on a Zone Supervisor’s wife up in Oakland–the same girl (22, IIRC) who was permanently disqualified to serve so the CPO Zone Supervisor could date and later marry her.
I wish I was kidding.
Damn, I missed the part in the article about BG Roger Duff being sentenced to 2 months confinement and dismissal – though not finalized yet. Well sh8t you don’t see that happen to a General Officer everyday.
It seems that when this stuff does get reported, it gets the appropriate exposure it needs, in spite of the defects in the judicial system (UCMJ). @#25- YAT YAS (yes, I’ve seen that gigantic painting at Del Mar/Pendleton – which is still there), I remember talking to 2 male Cpl’s about 2 years ago outside the JRC at Pendleton who were watching the new Marines exit the bus. When I asked them what they were doing, they responded, “We’re watching the new PFC’s, Top.” (This struck me as curious, particularly since there were quite a few new female PFC’s getting off the bus, so I asked) “What do you have to do with any of them? Are you troop handlers?”, in which the reply came, “C’mon Top, PFC’s… you know – Pussy For Corporals!” I was dumbfounded and quickly reminded them that those NEW Marines did NOT join the Corps to be stalked or harrassed, and were someone’s daughters and sisters – and reminded the two of them were NCO’s who were expected to train and lead them, not to violate the trust that’s expected of them – and a few other choice words of guidance. I did manage to get their ID’s and brought this to their attention of their First Sergeant. Now, I’m not looking for a pat on the back, but it just ASTOUNDED me that some folks don’t get it, and are so brazen about it – no matter what rank they are!
Sinclair was commissioned through ROTC at WV University, and pinned on BG 2 MAR 12. Only 6 months as a general officer until getting busted must be some sort of record.
Sinclair actually had an exceptional career. Staff and company command at 3/75(RGR), S-3 at 2/75(RGR), and plans and training chief a JSOC.
@28-Who in the hell would marry someone they pulled a train on? Not to mention someone who already has a history of infidelity. I know it is a rhetorical question.
Dude, you should call your doctor.
That hard on you’ve got for officers just won’t go away.
It’s not like they got the market cornered on the freaky shit.
I was enlisted for 13 and commissioned for 24. I’d say it was about an 80/20 split in terms of disturbing behavior (not mine, enlisted vs. officer in general).
I will say the enlisted guys and gals were far more creative though.