One Big Fustercluck
Submitted by Skippy
From the article:
The Air Force could have prevented a former airman from buying a weapon and committing a mass shooting last year had investigators followed proper protocol, according to a Pentagon investigation of the incident released this week.
The investigation casts doubt on the capabilities of Air Force Office of Special Investigations agents and the training of ordinary security forces airmen, according to the Defense Department Inspector General report, released Dec. 6.
The findings, and a follow-up review across the DoD, could have implications across all the armed forces investigative arms.
“We are currently conducting a follow-up review to assess the progress throughout the DoD in ensuring that all fingerprints required to be submitted to the FBI are in fact submitted,” DoD IG officials said. “This review will also assess whether DoD law enforcement agencies submit DNA to the FBI’s Combined DNA Index System, as well as criminal history data, mental health information, and sex offender information, as required.”
On Nov. 5, 2017, former airman Devin Kelley shot and killed 26 people and wounded 22 others at the First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs, Texas. After being shot by citizen responders, Kelley fled from the church in his vehicle and later died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Kelley was able to purchase a firearm from a federally licensed dealer even though he had a disqualifying conviction. – Article.
The remainder of the story, which outlines the cascade of failures to follow up every time this investigation went further, is at the link.
Category: "Teh Stoopid", Darwin Awards, Government Incompetence
Bingo.
More legislation won’t solve the problem of existing legislation not being enforced or followed. And that’s exactly what happened here.
I can understand (somewhat) states not making NICS reporting a #1 priority – it’s effectively voluntary, and states don’t to my knowledge get Federal funding to do that. But failure to report disqualifying information on the part of Federal LE entities is IMO either gross incompetence or pure dereliction of duty. That is a part of their job.
To say that the Air Force incompetence would have “prevented” the shooting is media hyperbole. If the shooter was determined enough, he would have found a way to get his hands on a weapon. Many criminals who have police records are armed, so the supply is out there and all the gun laws in the world aren’t going to change that, up to and including national confiscation.
Granted the AF made it easier for him.
Granted the AF made it easier for him.
That’s the issue, we need to have an expectation that those entrusted with important information actually use that information as it’s intended to be used and to act appropriately to the information they hold. Especially when those organizations are entrusted with the protection of the nation.
These are not minimum wage burger flippers, these are men and women supposedly professional simply failing to do the jobs they were hired to do, whether it’s a systemic or individual failure should be determined and the appropriate corrections enacted.
So many people in this country of late are just average or mediocre at their jobs that we as a nation have come to expect shitty service and shitty results at virtually every interaction. From the Motor Vehicle department to the Child Protection services, mediocre shitty work is the norm.
We the people bitch about it, but don’t do a fucking thing to correct. We need to start raising our voices and throw a few more Trumps into the mix, loud mouthed sons a bitches who disrupt the polite mediocrity rampant throughout the nation.
Spot on VOV. Nailed it. “…simply failing to do the jobs…”
Preventable tragedy similar to the propeller on the 130 from the other day. Do your freaking job that you are paid to do.
Stop all of them? No. Would’ve stopped this one? Maybe…good chance. We’ll never know.
It is entirely possible that it would have made no difference, even so the fact that what you do doesn’t change other outcomes doesn’t excuse your requirement to do your job.
It’s always been my mantra that, “If you take the money, do the fucking job or get out”
It doesn’t seem like an outrageous requirement to me.
Dumbest thing I saw recently was some fucktard thinks a degree should guarantee you an 80k job regardless of what the degree is in. I have a friend who’s done nothing but study sociology since high school. He is constantly bitching about how undervalued his work is at universities and by the public. He and I have had a few serious disagreements over that statement, I explain it’s not undervalued it’s simply a degree that brings little commercial viability to the table because there’s zero demand for that skill set. I pay guys with technical prowess and zero college degrees more than my professor of sociology friend, because their skill set makes our company money.
This shit is not rocket science. But some motherfuckers sure act like it is.
So true. It’s like they have an education entitlement mindset. They think that simply having a college degree makes them worth more than those who don’t. It must come as a huge shock to learn that their degree in underwater basket weaving or lesbian dance theory won’t net them the six figure salary they thought it would. They can’t wrap their heads around the fact that their ‘educated paper’ is worthless beyond the four walls of academia that took their money.
There’s is such a huge push to get kids ‘college ready’ that educators forget to ask if that’s what the students need or even want. Students are pressured to attend a university when all they may want to do is twist wrenches on a car or airplane, or build a house, or fix a water leak. Society has made ‘skilled labor’ a dirty word and something that is beneath the self respecting person.
Not suggesting that USAF should be excused from their wrong doing in this scenario. Quite the opposite – they deserve every bit of ire directed at them. That said, a determined individual will find the means of creating mayhem no matter how many folks are doing the right thing. Still, each roadblock will discourage some of the crazies and/or criminals.
I think this illustrates how someone can simply fall through the cracks because no one really checked or followed through. It appears to me (and I’m not criticizing anyone) that it was just handed on, but somehow, the “stops” weren’t made.
That guy fell through the open canyon.
Word
There’s a lot of potential points of failure in the system. If fingerprints aren’t submitted, it doesn’t get added to a person’s criminal record either, even with a conviction. It goes into a “suspense” file where it just kind of languishes for eternity.
Our dual federal-state system creates all kinds of headaches.