MILITARY - Scandals in Three of Five Branches

Something to think about.  These are just the ones that got caught and maybe just the tip of the iceberg.

"Will military scandals erode public confidence in the armed forces?" PBS Newshour 2/5/2014

Excerpt

GWEN IFILL (Newshour):  The military has increasingly been racked by scandal, as three of its five branches face allegations of cheating and fraud.

Just as the U.S. military is winding down 12 years of high-tempo operations, three of its services are ramping up investigations into some of the most serious scandals in a generation.  The latest involves charges that Navy trainers cheated on certification exams to teach at a nuclear reactor school in Charleston, South Carolina.

ADM. JONATHAN GREENERT, Chief of Naval Operations:  To say that I’m disappointed would be an understatement.

GWEN IFILL:  The chief of naval operations, Admiral Jonathan Greenert, spoke at a Pentagon briefing yesterday.

ADM. JONATHAN GREENERT:  We need to and we will remain vigilant.  We will continue to drive home to our people the importance of integrity, the fact that it is the foundation of all that we do in the U.S. Navy.

GWEN IFILL:  The Air Force, meanwhile, is conducting its own investigation in the nuclear ranks, one that grew out of a drug probe.  It’s alleged that nearly 100 missile officers cheated on proficiency tests at a base in Montana.

The Pentagon’s top spokesman said Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel sees a troubled road ahead.

REAR ADM. JOHN KIRBY, Navy:  I think he definitely sees this as a growing problem.  And he’s concerned about the depth of it.  I don’t think he could stand here and tell you that we — that he has, that anybody has the full grasp here.  And that’s what worries the secretary.