Metzger exonerated
“The Air Force Office of Special Investigations and several outside agencies then conducted a comprehensive and detailed examination of all the facts in this case and continued the investigation as long as was necessary in order to get to the truth,” Air Force spokeswoman Maj. Tracy A. Bunko said.
After talking to hundreds of people, canvassing areas of Kyrgyzstan and conducting a forensic analysis of the evidence, investigators determined that all of the evidence supported Metzger’s account of what had happened, Bunko said in an email.
The story goes that Metzger stabbed one of her captors with a homemade knife and made good her escape. I guess that’s one POW we won’t have to investigate. She sounds pretty bad-ass.
Category: Politics
http://www.militarycorruption.com/
Does not concur.
Thread: http://www.militarycorruption.com/metzger.htm
H1…What is that site you claim is reputable? Never saw it before in all my years of blogging…just sayin’.
#1 That link looks to be a good 6 years old while the AFT one is only a few days old.
Suprised the community here has not run across these folks.
Interesting place to drop in on occasionally.
They do get a little wrapped around the axel at times…
Maj Metzger has particularly stuck in their craw.
I just grabbed the last link off the home page.
I am sure they will have their own take on the final report.
Move along people, there’s nothing to see here…
Even their dismissal doesn’t pass the smell test.
“By analysis of all of the available information, the OSI eliminated multiple alternate scenarios and concluded the information uncovered is consistent with Maj. Metzger’s account of the events,” Bunko said.
If her story is true, isn’t she owed an apology, medals, promotion, parade, movie-of-the-week? WTF, over?
I don’t buy it and I’m gullible.
If that is the case, then I am a Chinese fighter pilot.
Beretverde…not that I have ever had a lot of stock in your opinion on anything it just continues to drop.
Along with #5: there has to be more to this story and it will be interesting to see what kind, if any, blow back from the Kyrgyzstani government there will be for the AF’s official version. A more accurate version of this official release could have included, though numerous resources were expended to corroborate her story, this matter remains unsolved or something to that effect. I’m no deep throat, nor do I appreciate horribly spun conspiracy theories, however, remaining neutral and accurate probably would have been more accurate and intellectually honest in this instance. Just my two copper… btw first time commenter, long time follower, please continue to do what it is you all do.
defendUSA: The site “www.militarycorruption.com” has been around for a looooong time. The guy who runs it, Glenn MacDonald, is a disabled Vietnam vet and retired ex-PAO who has the proverbial permanent hard-on for military brass who abuse their authority. He’s pretty damn good at exposing wrongdoing in high places.
Regarding Metzger, I’m also willing to bet that there’s more to the story, but I’m glad she escaped and not still missing, or worse.
The ‘militarycorruption’ site looks like it has some interesting reading on it, but dear god, could the admin bring his layout and color scheme into the 21st century? It’s hard on the eyes.
Any expertise I have for things like this comes from re-runs of “CSI” and “NCIS”…that having been said, however, I would think the answers to two questions might clarifying the Major’s situation.
1.) What happened to the Major’s career? (Is she still in the military, or did she get out? Under what circumstances?)
2.) Is she still married? (The military corruption website hinted at some kind of possible “runaway bride” scenario.)
@11 – At least as of Oct 2010, she was still on active duty after “temporary medical retirement”.
“The former Air Force marathon champion returned to duty on Oct. 12, as the chief of community programs for the Air Force District of Washington at Andrews Air Force Base, Md., according to Air Force spokeswoman Lt. Col. Ann Stefanek.”
http://www.stripes.com/news/former-missing-air-force-officer-returns-to-active-duty-1.123542
Their website is not the most modern layout.
More on the back story (GEN North), links at the bottom of the page.
http://networkedblogs.com/vmFLG
Metzger was temp retired at 100% disability but after a few years of running marathons, was recalled to active duty. The AF times article fails to mention that her husband and father-in-law are OSI investigators. Seriously, 5 1/2 years to wrap this up? I’m throwing the BS flag on this one.
“You simply can’t even in words express how you feel,” Kelly Mayo, Jill Metzger’s father-in-law, said during a Saturday telephone conversation with Stars and Stripes from his home in Colorado Springs, Colo.
The call with news of Metzger’s recovery came from the Air Force’s Office of Special Investigations; both Joshua Mayo, her husband, and his father, Kelly Mayo, are OSI agents, as well.
http://www.stripes.com/news/family-overjoyed-after-missing-air-force-officer-found-1.53959
Good timing on the announcement and I noticed there are zero comments in the only two pubs that have mentioned the story. In addition, no mention of an apology, or a demand for one.
I have been reading Militarycorruption.com for a long time.
Yeah, this chick has their dander up because of the 100% disability and still running marathons.
“Something is rotten in the state of Denmark”
And while I have nothing new to add to this case, I would like to point out that MC.com is a good blog, in fact, it led me to this one, while I was researching another article.
The way some if the jackals have been showing up lately I hope nothing bad happens to me. My past aint spotless and I am disabled. Someone can draw some bad conclusions about me.
@17 profound…. Very profound. Almost Shakesperian!
If you read MC.com, you’ll also note their crusade against a certain 4-star that they believe had been protecting her.
@17- This story isn’t about picking the bones of a poor defenseless disabled veteran. I have been following this story for over five years and the ending is not only anti-climatic, but it stinks. See also:
http://youtu.be/wAO_09p-BuE
And BTW, after seeing no comments on this story in the Air Force Times, I posted one asking when the medal pinning ceremony was and when the Air Force would be issuing their apology to this heroine. The post has been deleted.
Militarycorruption has been around quite a while. Their reporting is pretty accurate, especially if you get lucky and are able to pull court docs from the NMCCA
MC response to the AFT article is up.
http://www.militarycorruption.com/metzger-undone18.htm
Related stories at the bottom of the page.
The Air Force Times internet article has a download link to the redacted investigation report.
I downloaded and read the investigative report for period from September 5, 2006 to December 28, 2011, dated February 3, 2012. There is no official confirmation or conclusion in this report that Jill Metzger’s disappearance was result of an abduction or kidnapping.
Nothing indicates she was a POW and no evidence was found to prove or disprove her story of abduction, captivity, and escape. The Air Force Office of Special Investigations is basically stating they don’t have a clue if she is telling the truth or lying.
Read the report, do not rely on thye public relations fixers telling you ther is nothing to see and move on. The report can be down loaded here http://militarytimes.com/projects/documentcloud/jill-metzger-report-032012 Read it and then offer an informed opinion.
Three days and not a peep out of the MSM on this. A female version of Rambo by her account, but no medals, no parade, no Letterman… not a word.
Ummm … the last time I looked, Air Force medals were awarded for combat or for saving someone else, not for being heroic in a criminal action. From the report, it appears Maj Metzger was a victim of mistaken identity in a criminal action. And if you read the report further, it appears Maj Metzger’s temporary retirement was driven by a medical board instigated by someone other than Maj Metzger. So the USAF responsibility here is to make sure Maj Metzger has no criminal liability, which it appears she doesn’t. That does not mean that she should be therefore rewarded with a medal – there is a major logical fallacy in that! Why don’t you all just lay off of her?
The report can be downloaded here: http://www.foia.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-120316-032.pdf
Or here http://militarytimes.com/projects/documentcloud/jill-metzger-report-032012/
It is unlikely the abduction/kidnaping was a mistaken identity. The motivation would have been to kill or beat her up for purpose of getting even. Also too much opportunity to get caught in the act by stopping on street curb to force her to cut hair with knife at gun point, stopping at a store to allow her purchase water while the kidnappers stayed outside in van, and stopping at an apartment complex for twenty minutes and a house for 10 minutes before finally getting her to where she was held captive certainly is lacking in motivation of not being seen and caught.
Just a few points, as I too have followed this story for the full 5.5 years–she violated orders the day she disappeared–rules used in a foreign country to protect “troops”–in that she ditched her authorized group, and she was the ranking member. There was video tape from the shop that disputed her story. Additionally, there were several things that she did and said that put our relationship with the host nation in great jeopardy. The time that has passed has led to a significant re-write of the facts compared to those presented at the time. I think the most accurate statement is that there was no evidence of a kidnapping, therefore, there is no evidence that a non-existent kidnapper tried to cover up his crime.
To Any Mouse: Why not leave her alone? Because the whole truth is not there, and we are allowed to ask the questions because great warriors fought for us to have free speech. Corrupt militaries are the downfall of great countries–we need leaders willing to do the right thing, even when it is tough and unpopular–by another name, courage!
Also, the best recap I have read comes from http://formerspook.blogspot.com/ March 20, 2012. The writer does a great job of summarizing the history of the mess….
KT I really don’t give a crap, yeah there may or may not be more to this story, but I was posting something directed at a person in particular because of some personal issues. If it is your wish to drag more stuff out that’s fine have at it. Why don’t you concentrate on the army needing to become more “professional” I’ll be willing to bet there is a good story that will come out there. Of course that might not be as fun as following the exploits of one Major.
ABC is airing a new show called Scandal which is about a crisis action firm covering-up scandal. The Metzger gone missing certainly has all the appearances and stench of a scandal clean-up operation. Perhaps the Metzger Scandal will be the first season’s cliff hanger closing episode.
The OSI report has a date of Report date of February 3, 2012 and AF Times is producing published articles based on this report on March 29, 2012.
Any and all Reports of Investigation produced by the OSI is supposedly the written record of an OSI investigation. This report supposedly has purpose at the close of the investigation to be provided to an action authority having responsibility to take judicial, non-judicial, and administrative actions. But instead went to the Air Force Times to herald and trumpet nothing to see here folks except a victim heroine.
There is no summary in the report or accompanying it that succinctly discusses the allegation and results of the investigation. Most if not all of testimony and evidence in the released report is not collaborated and consequently the how and why Metzger went missing remains unresolved. “Unresolved” is the accurate and honest headline the Air Force Time should have went with as the report has complete absence of Source and Assessment of Credibility (how credible is the source, and why did the investigators assess the source of information or witness testimony that way). Consequently the Metzger scandal appears to be in process of being buried by the AF OSI.
There is more to this story, but the company line is nothing to see here, move along because there is really nothing to see.
Corrupt militaries are the downfall of great countries
Seriously?!
Re-write as – ‘Corrupt governments and complacent populations are the bane of professional militaries, and the downfall of great countries’ – and you might have something.
The Air Force recently awarded Major Metzger a lowly commendation medal in a back office ceremony at Travis AFB. That doesnt add up either. How does it feel to be lied to and defrauded by generals who chase misstresses and cant win the war?