<p>I wore out my welcome in the Air Force after I pushed for the prosecution of a married Brig Gen-select who was having an affair with his executive officer (who got GREAT officer performance ratings from her boss,as you might well imagine). The command staff judge advocate, one of Fiscus’ peers, called me in and angrily asked me why I was interfering in the private relationship of two people “in love.” I was flabbergasted. But I didn’t fold. Both officers got Article 15s and retired or separated.</p>
<p>Then I committed the unpardonable sin of winning the court-martial conviction of a fast-rising lieutenant colonel, a USAFA graduate, for conduct very much like but more serious than the conduct that felled Swaggart. But he was religiously devout on the surface and much beloved and respected by the small military community, and I was the devil incarnate for prosecuting him. He actually flew in a lieutenant general to testify that his military character was so flawless he simply could not have done what he was accused of doing. The court-martial panel disagreed, as I knew they would (I prepared the case very thoroughly).</p>
<p>The good news is, that group of warped senior leadership appears to be mostly retired and gone from the scene now. I am confident that better days are ahead. If I didn’t think so, I would have counseled my son not to pursue a military career. </p>
<p>Now that I think of it, I am not aware of the Navy having similar scandals on such frequency and scale. I don’t know whether that is because the Navy just hasn’t suffered any recent scandals of significance (apart from the Nowak incident), or I just haven’t been made aware of them.</p>