MG Pittard accused of steering federal contracts to classmates

| June 22, 2015

dana-pittard

Several folks sent us a link this morning to the Washington Post article about Major General Dana Pittard who was the deputy commander of operations in the Middle East – a year ago we wrote how he was to lead the US effort against ISIS in Iraq and Syria. Well, this year, he’s accused of steering federal contracts to one of his West Point classmates while he commanded Fort Bliss;

Pittard was not accused of financial gain but was reprimanded by the Army for his “excessive involvement” in awarding the $492,000 contract and for “creating the perception of preferential treatment,” according to his reprimand. The contract was an initial step in a $250 million project to make Fort Bliss, one of the Army’s largest installations, self-sufficient in energy usage.

[…]

The Army declined to comment in detail. In a statement, Cynthia O. Smith, an Army spokeswoman, said the misconduct findings and Pittard’s reprimand “called into question his suitability for continued service and resulted in his request for retirement, effectively ending his career in the Army.”

Pittard is a decorated combat veteran who served multiple tours in Iraq. As a military aide to President Bill Clinton, he was entrusted with the “nuclear football,” the briefcase containing codes for launching a nuclear attack.

In 2012, we wrote about his poor choice of words in regards to the suicide problem among his soldiers.

Category: Army News

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Hondo

From the linked WaPo article.

“We’ve got to make sure there is no cronyism. There are some gross examples of where we have paid way too much for certain things. . . . The idea of the ‘sweet deal’ that bordered on cronyism, we are just not going to put up with it anymore.”

Your words, General. I doubt anyone twisted your arm and forced you to say them.

I guess you found out the hard way that the Army isn’t going to put up with even the appearance of such from senior officers. And given your public statement from a few years ago above, one might even say you’ve been hoisted on your own Pittard. Justifiably so, IMO.

In my book, you’re damned lucky you’re being allowed to retire at all. Here’s hoping the Admin review board considering your retired grade finds a way to take BOTH of your stars.

AW1 Tim

Not just this case, but the whole upper echelon is rife with “golden parachute” deals too.

What I’m talking about is project managers in every branch who set up their overview of various projects like, say, the LCS or DDG-1000 programs so that when they retire, they have a high-salary job waiting for them with the lead contractor.

It’s endemic and needs to stop, as these guys are placing their personal gain above the needs of the military, and especially the taxpayers.

I would love to see a 5-10 year window whereby any O-6 or above who chaired an acquisition program be prohibited from going to work for any contractor on that system.

Steadfast&Loyal

Agreed. I see it all the time.

I don’t have an answer for it, but it just seems wrong to see someone switch uniforms and suddenly they are selling you something.

Sorensen25

Not to mention they’re taking away jobs from other veterans who didn’t stick around for 20 years in creampuff units…happens on the federal side too.

For example, I applied for an intel job on the East Coast and fit the requirements perfectly. Decade of experience, bachelors with honors, current security clearance, etc. etc. Didn’t get the job because they selected somebody else. Turns out this “somebody else” was a retired Bulk Fuel MSgt (no, I am not joking) who worked did a stint at the Pentagon as his last duty station which is why he got a clearance. No intel training and no intel experience whatsoever.

The whole government hiring process is incestuous and rigged. How about sending some jobs over to QUALIFIED vets who don’t have the opportunity to rub elbows with higher ups?

Sparks

“For tis the sport to have the enginer Hoist with his owne petar”.

Guard Bum

“hoisted on your own Pittard” – Well done Sir!

Eric

He should know, especially working for Clinton carrying the football, that only elected officials are allowed to steer contracts to their buddies.

If they hit every GO for things they did wrong, we probably wouldn’t see these kinds of issues pop up as often as they do. While he was tagged on this one, how many more weren’t caught for doing the same thing?

Bobo

Apparently several O-6’s on his staff, to include his JAG, voiced their concerns with how he was handling the process for awarding the contract. He decided not to listen. Such is the life of a GO who declines the advice of his staff.

Matt P.

What was the name of the contract?

Arby

“The contract was an initial step in a $250 million project to make Fort Bliss, one of the Army’s largest installations, self-sufficient in energy usage.”

Given the current administration’s penchant for cronyism and “green” energy projects, I doubt that. In fact, hundreds of millions more will be spent lining the pockets of the party faithful and the end result will the military left holding the bag for a worthless project.

Dave Hardin

Tell me its not true. Shocking. I had no idea this kind of thing goes on.

Energy Self-Sufficient……..AYFKM

Hondo

Yes, Dave, they are BSing you. And everyone else, too.

But that’s the “trendy mantra” these days.

Instinct

AW1Ed

“…been hoisted on your own Pittard.”

Bad, Hondo. Bad!

😉

Hondo

Sorry, but that was one bad pun I couldn’t resist. (smile)

Eric

I’m on your side Hondo, there’s no way you could avoid that one. I saw it in the manual.

Ex-PH2

Well, I went back and read that thread from 2012. It appears to me that da general thinks he can say and do whatever he wishes with no consequences. Unfortunately, that is no longer true, especially with that wide-ranging venue called the internet. It all comes back to haunt you at some point, all of it, including this kind of two-faced dishonesty.

As for da general – :p 😛 😛 :p 😛

B Woodman

Digital is forever.

Club Manager

I seem to recall the words “Duty, Honor, Country” from my time working at USMA, West Point, NY. The same shame should be dealt to the grad (e.g. ring knocker) who accepted the illegal favor.

B Woodman

Not to excuse this general’s actions (I don’t have time to keep up with every piece of gossip), but it seems to me that there are two things which might be either mitigating circumstances, or a damper on future contracts:

1- In the rarefied world of flag orificers (especially ring knocker classmates), everyone knows everyone. How will/can you avoid charges of cronyism?

2- It’s the WaPo. They could f**k up a wet dream.

Devtun

Ironically, a USMA classmate (the vice chief) issued MG Pittard his reprimand. The general once certainly looked like he was being groomed for 3 star duty…should have heeded advice of his staff.

Andy11M

The good General was my brigade commander during OIF II. I only ever had one face to face conversation with him in the chow hall on FOB Warhorse.He saw my 3ID combat patch and asked about it. He seemed like a very personable guy, but I just don’t know. I have to wonder if he will get to retire as a 2 star or if they will knock him down? A few years ago they were kicking around a law that would have prevented general officers from taking jobs in the defense industry for so many years after retirement, but I guess it died on the vine. I doubt a law like that would have stopped this from happening.

Eric

It died because those defense contract companies and organizations pushed back on Congress and said in so many words “You probably won’t get any money out of us for your campaign if you say yes on this one…”

Robot Wrangler

He was my brigade commander as well at Warhorse, he was always asking if we had what we needed to get our mission accomplished. I have always had respect for the man, sad that Michelle Obama can get away with getting her friends fat government contracts with no repercussions for a shitty website that didn’t even work.

Andy11M

Robot, I wasn’t stationed on Warhorse, I was in 2-2 Inf over on FOB Normandy. Nobody important came over to Normandy unless someone died. Our company generator died every day during the summer at about 1000 hrs because of the heat. The ROPU (sp?) was always broke,so we couldn’t always shower or wash cloths, and our chow hall didn’t even have windows or tables the first few months. No shit, we ate on concrete slabs that were for bodies as the building had originally been a morgue. Such is life when you are that far from the flag pole. Wasn’t all that bad. We could get away with wearing our fleece jackets despite every CSM above our BN forbidding it. I hope Duke 7 heard me say that and is having a stroke. Fuck you Foreskin.

Robot Wrangler

Yea foreskin was a dick. I was caught in that vbied blast at the Northgate and he stopped the humvve I was riding in to because the Windows were dirty…never mind I was in a bloody uniform.

Andy11M

No shit. I was there on the PRF augment detail and I was the first up there. I threw a bunch of wounded into the cargo humve and took them to the aid station. When I went back to the gate they already had Cpt Kahn in a body bag and Col petard was kneeling beside it with his hand on the bag.

Green Thumb

Better his classmates than All-Points Logistics.

Old 1SG, US Army (Retired)

Oh hell, that’s just a drop in the bucket! Not a surprise that a GO would follow in his Commander and Chief’s footsteps!

Here are a few “investments” you may have forgotten about:

Amonix Solar: FAIL – manufacturing plant subsidized by more than $20 million in federal tax credits and grants closed its 214,000 square foot facility a year after it opened.

Solyndra: FAIL – $500,000,000 in taxpayer money and shut its doors and laid off 1100 workers after Billions in Losses due to failure to make a solar product that works!

Abound Solar: FAIL – Received a $400 million loan guarantee and filed for bankruptcy.

Beacon Power: FAIL – Filed for bankruptcy just a year after approved $43 million loan Government loan guarantee.

Ecotality: FAIL – Never earned any money on the verge of bankruptcy after receiving roughly $115 million in two loan guarantees from Obama.

A123 Solar: FAIL – Received $279 million from taxpayers thanks to DOE loan guarantees and after Solyndra bankruptcy got another $500M and has lost $400M.

Evergreen Solar: FAIL – Received $527 Million in Taxpayer money and filed bankruptcy.
Ener1: FAIL – Received > $100 million in government funding and filed for bankruptcy.

Doesn’t matter if we failed on these (and other) “investments” — It’s just taxpayers’ hard earned money conviscated by the guberment…

Eric

The problem is, not everyone “failed” in these. I’m sure all those high level officers and the CEO are living it up with the salary they made in that one year.

Green energy is the craze and why so many are jumping on the “climate change” bandwagon. So more people can make money off a bullshit cause that’s only making money for certain people who know other people.

Andy11M

Hey Eric, want to buy some carbon offsets from me? Al Gore says he does it, so that makes his lifestyle ok.

Doc McNasty

He’s damn lucky to be keeping his rank as he goes out the door – he def dodged a bullet there.

On a side note, I love when they roll out the MilAide references: “Bill Clinton entrusted him with the Football”, etc. It’s called your job that day, and I assure this reporter that Pittard took his days off like everyone else, and did NOT take the Football home with him. What a fluff filler piece of reporting.

Climb to Glory

You went full Pittard, never go full Pittard.