A problem in the Military ?

Let's get this out fix this problem so hopefully it won't happen when our
soldiers return from Iraq.








December 31, 2002





"The hard right over the easy wrong", "What goes TDY, stays TDY"
, "Screw-up and move up", we have all heard these sayings before but just
how true are they? Well I'd like to tell you a story and let you decide.



A few years ago a women deployed to Bosnia with the 3rd Armored
Cavalry Regiment in support of SFOR7. She was a SPC, an avionics tech,
married and the mother of three children. While in Bosnia she met a man.
He was a CW3, OH-58 pilot, also married with children. They would both call
back every few days to their spouses and say that all was well. But it wasn
't, the SPC and CW3 were having an affair. The affair started not long
after they arrived in Bosnia and lasted almost until their redeployment, 8
months later.

They would eat, watch movies, and go on trips together. They
would also meet in his office late at night, after he finished his night
flights. They spent a lot of time together, so much time that rumors
started. But no one cared to look into the rumors, too much trouble maybe?
When they called their spouses, they would even warn them that rumors were
going about and not to worry, the rumors weren't true.

She was promoted to SGT and even earned her Spurs, while having
an affair with a Chief Warrant Officer. He continued to fly and earn his
flight pay while getting his "Becky fix", a term they used for their private
moments. But, as all things do, the affair was found out.

Not by some one with them in Bosnia, but by her husband. The
rumors where too much and he confronted her. She admitted to her husband
that yes she was sleeping with this pilot, whom he also knew. So the affair
stopped (?) and they returned home to FT. Carson, CO. In time her marriage
ended, but not her career. She applied for and was accepted to the Warrant
Officer Flight program and is now a WO1 attending flight school at Ft.
Rucker, AL. The pilot? He is still flying and is now a maintenance test
pilot. She earned her promotion and her Spurs, but did she disserve them?
Screw-up and move up?

The base in Bosnia was small and everyone knew just about
everyone. So I wonder how their affair was missed. The Army has a policy
about relationships between enlisted and officers. In basically states that
officers and enlisted personnel will not have improper relationships. It
goes on to define "improper" as anything other then professional. I think
eating alone, going to the movies, and going on MWR trips together would
fall under the improper category. One of the duties of a NCO is to know
your soldiers. It's hard to believe that her Squad Leader, Platoon
Sergeant, and First Sergeant did not notice that something might be going on
between her and this CW3. Where they just bad NCO's who didn't care or did
they see the problem and decide it was just too hard to confront? The easy
wrong over the hard right? What about his peers and superiors? Didn't they
notice either? What goes TDY, stays TDY?

What about the command? Well a few months after the 3d ACR
returned to Ft. Carson someone spoke up about the affair and an
investigation was started. The SGT was asked about her relationship with
the CW3 and she said they were just friends and the investigation was
dropped. A short time later her packet for Warrant Officer was approved and
letters of recommendation signed. Maybe the command was just wanted her to
quietly disappear. The "Not my problem anymore" syndrome?

A lot of people who were with them in Bosnia knew about or at
least suspect that they were having an affair. My question is how come no
one said anything about it? Is the Army fostering a climate were actions
like this are ok? Are the soldiers being taught by example that as long as
you don't get caught in the act it's ok? As long as they do their job, no
one cares what they do in their off time? Are our leaders afraid to
confront soldiers about their personal life? Do we expect our soldiers to
follow the Army values or are the Army values just lip service?

I hope that the Army can train its leaders to be more perceptive
and not afraid to approach a problem which may be "touchy" and embarrassing.
To guide and mentor our soldiers to do the right thing and to up hold the
Army values.





This story is true. How do I know? Because the SGT in this
story was my wife, Rebecca Beasley (now WO1 Rebecca Clark) and the CW3 is
Edwin Annis. Now you maybe be wondering why I wrote this story. Maybe it's
because I'm a hurt and angry ex-husband wanting to get back at his ex-wife?
No, it's too late for that. But I am an NCO who has seen a soldier do a
terrible wrong and get away with it and I also have soldiers who have lost
faith in our system because of this. I also wrote this story because I am
tired of living this lie. How can I look my soldiers in the eye and preach
to them about doing the hard right over the easy wrong and following the
Army values when I myself can't do it. I should have said something along
time ago. Now I will retire in a few years and when I do it will be with a
clear conscious. So I wrote this letter for two reasons: as a NCO to
officially inform you of an incident which I believe was wrong and as a man
who must live by his principles.

I also ask that you use this story as a training tool for our
soldiers and leaders. We have all heard stories like this one after major
deployments. I feel something must be done about it. Maybe it's time to
enforce a distinct separation between Officers, NCOs, and the soldiers.
Policies are written which do just that, but are they enforced?

Maybe this story can be re-written so as not to incriminate anyone and shown
to our soldiers as an example of what can happen when we start believing in
terms such as those stated at the beginning of this letter. I have been in
for 20 years now and am tired of hearing "What goes TDY, stays TDY". I hope
this letter helps to show others that that saying is wrong.



Thank you