PUBLIC FORUM : ALL INVOLVED IN FLINN CASE CATCH FLAK FROM READERS.As the spouse of a career Air Force officer and a former reserve officer, I'd like to respond to your questions and then amplify my position. No, adultery should not be a court-martial offense. It should be taken care of by nonjudicial punishment Nonjudicial punishment in the United States military, is a form of military discipline authorized by Article 15 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Nonjudicial punishment permits commanders to administratively discipline troops without a court-martial. , which ruins an officer's career just as effectively as a court without the hassle. Yes, it is appropriate to require a high standard of conduct by officers at all times, because they are in positions of authority. But similar high standards should be required of all military members regardless of whether they are commissioned or enlisted; lives and the security of our country rest in their hands. No, Flinn is not a victim of a double standard. She is a victim of backlash against affirmative action affirmative action, in the United States, programs to overcome the effects of past societal discrimination by allocating jobs and resources to members of specific groups, such as minorities and women. . And yes, the case has become politicized because Flinn is a woman. The Kelly Flinn Kelly Flinn, sometimes referred to as Kelly Flynn in media sources, (b. December 23 1970, St. Louis, Missouri) was the first female B-52 pilot in the United States Air Force. Flinn was discharged from the U.S. incident is the result of several trends that I've seen in the Air Force, and the armed forces in general. First, Flinn was treated as a media darling for being granted the opportunity to do something that any woman who is competent should have been allowed to do: fly combat jets. Now that cockpits are open to them the female pilots should be treated like normal crew dogs, but the Air Force was eager to trot her out as their ``poster child'' for equal opportunity. Surely the publicity created resentment among her male comrades and nullified nul·li·fy tr.v. nul·li·fied, nul·li·fy·ing, nul·li·fies 1. To make null; invalidate. 2. To counteract the force or effectiveness of. any inclination her superiors might have had to mentor her through the ridiculous situation that she found herself. Second, Flinn was hammered for marital infidelity by her superiors in an attempt to give the appearance of being gender-blind in handing out punishment. I think that the attempt to prosecute Flinn to the maximum possible extent was made as a retribution for Tailhook and the latest Army flap. Commanders have a good bit of latitude in handling situations and there are many cases of male officers having had similar sexual indiscretions handled much differently. It's time It's Time was a successful political campaign run by the Australian Labor Party (ALP) under Gough Whitlam at the 1972 election in Australia. Campaigning on the perceived need for change after 23 years of conservative (Liberal Party of Australia) government, Labor put forward a to redefine the fraternization frat·er·nize intr.v. frat·er·nized, frat·er·niz·ing, frat·er·niz·es 1. To associate with others in a brotherly or congenial way. 2. rules. Restrictions on fraternization should be confined to chain of command, and officers should be allowed to date enlisted people who do not work in the same unit. It is practically impossible for a female officer to find suitable partners for relationships when she is stationed at an isolated military base like Minot Air Force Base Minot Air Force Base (Minot AFB) (IATA: MIB, ICAO: KMIB) is a base of the United States Air Force in Ward County, North Dakota, 15 km (8 mi) north of the city of Minot. In the 2000 census, the base was counted as a CDP with a total population of 7,599. . If she had been allowed to have a open relationship with a nice enlisted fellow, she might never have ended up in a covert relationship with a married jerk. - Leigh Kelly Edwards Air Force Base Edwards Air Force Base, U.S. military installation, 301,000 acres (121,805 hectares), S Calif., NE of Lancaster; est. 1933. It is one of the largest air force bases in the United States and has the world's longest runway. What the public fails to understand about the military way of life is how close-knit the military community is. When husbands and wives are on temporary assignment for months away from home, or on a six-month deployment at sea, their spouses form a mutual support network. The network of friends and acquaintances is as much to assuage as·suage tr.v. as·suaged, as·suag·ing, as·suag·es 1. To make (something burdensome or painful) less intense or severe: assuage her grief. See Synonyms at relieve. 2. the loneliness of long separation as it is to reinforce the notion that the military looks after its own. Nothing is more important to a person serving on long deployments as knowing that the family left at home is safe. No service person would be honest if he or she didn't say that having someone waiting for them at the end of a long deployment is what keeps them going. So, is having family integrity important to military readiness? Absolutely. The civilian sector needs to understand that 1st Lt. Kelly Flinn not only violated the military's code of conduct with respect to adultery. She also disobeyed direct orders and lied after receiving orders. Let us not confuse military work with civilian work. Disrupting the integrity of a civilian company is not going to cost lives. The business of the military is war and war costs lives. Flinn should have been court-martialed and appropriate punishment meted out Adj. 1. meted out - given out in portions apportioned, dealt out, doled out, parceled out distributed - spread out or scattered about or divided up . Better that than have her decide that she knows best on what to do with a B-52 Stratofortress loaded with nuclear weapons. - Anthony Peckson Palmdale I was under the impression, and so are the latest editions of all the dictionaries, that you committed adultery when you were married. First Lt. Kelly Flinn is not married. Therefore, how can she commit adultery? - Robert P. Johnson Panorama City As an ex-Air Force security policeman, I am aware of the charges brought against 1st Lt. Kelly Flinn, and I am also aware of their legitimacy within the context of military life. Flinn could not have gone through officer training without knowing the rules pertaining to disobeying a direct order, and the price for breaking them. Flinn's problem is that she didn't believe the rules applied to her, and got the shock of her life when she found out they applied to everyone. She was ordered to break off her relationship with a married man. She was given three separate opportunities to retain her status as an officer and a pilot, and she did not take the action required to do so. Lt. Flinn chose to disobey dis·o·bey v. dis·o·beyed, dis·o·bey·ing, dis·o·beys v.intr. To refuse or fail to follow an order or rule. v.tr. To refuse or fail to obey (an order or rule). a direct order and lie to her superiors instead. This, not adultery, is the primary issue. In answer to the questions posed in the Public Forum topic box: Should adultery be a court-martial offense for members of the armed services The Constitution authorizes Congress to raise, support, and regulate armed services for the national defense. The President of the United States is commander in chief of all the branches of the services and has ultimate control over most military matters. in this liberated age? Yes; this is a question of morale, not morality or Puritanism. Is it appropriate to require commissioned officers to meet high standards of conduct at all times? Absolutely; true respect is earned, and respect of commissioned officers is essential to the well-being of all military personnel, enlisted and commissioned, male and female. Is Flinn a victim of double standards for men and women? Or has the case become politicized because Flinn is a woman? Since most of the military personnel disciplined for adultery are men, I would suggest she's probably not the victim of a double standard in that regard. Considering that the vast majority of the military personnel court-martialed and convicted for disobeying a direct order and/or lying about it receive a minimum sentence of a dishonorable discharge dishonorable discharge n. Discharge from the armed forces for a grave offense, such as cowardice, murder, sabotage, or espionage. Noun 1. , with loss of pay, rank and benefits, I'd say she has done pretty well. - John McFadyen Winnetka I believe that commissioned officers should be held accountable to a high standard of conduct. There is no doubt that the case was politicized because 1st Lt. Kelly Flinn is a woman. If a court-martial for participating in an adulterous affair is a steadfast rule in the military, she should adhere to adhere to verb 1. follow, keep, maintain, respect, observe, be true, fulfil, obey, heed, keep to, abide by, be loyal, mind, be constant, be faithful 2. it and not run to the media to cry sexism. In the same vein, why hasn't President Clinton been forced to resign? He, as the leader of the military, has certainly not been a model, and would have no place judging immoral or unethical behavior. Although I am galled to admit it, this seems to be a clear-cut case of gender-based discrimination by our military leaders. And as a taxpayer, it makes me shudder to think of all of the millions of dollars in training wasted because the powers that be don't like Flinn's choice in a boyfriend. - Shannon Campuzano Woodland Hills It's a good thing Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. Mayor Richard Riordan Richard J. Riordan (born May 1, 1930) is a Republican politician from California, U.S. who served as the California Secretary of Education from 2003–2005 and as Mayor of Los Angeles from 1993–2001. Riordan ran for Governor of California unsuccessfully in 2002. isn't the head of the Air Force. If he were, 1st Lt. Kelly Flinn would have her honorable discharge honorable discharge n. Discharge from the armed forces with a commendable record. Noun 1. honorable discharge - a discharge from the armed forces with a commendable record by now, plus a $375,000 severance package A severance package is pay and benefits an employee receives when they leave employment at a company. In addition to the employee's remaining regular pay, it may include some of the following:
Seriously, Mr. Riordan, when you're finished being mayor, don't run for commander in chief. - Joe O'Brien Panorama City It is a strange thing that certain people are court-martialed in the military for something that most people do. Our military is clearly not filled with a bunch of saintly saint·ly adj. saint·li·er, saint·li·est Of, relating to, resembling, or befitting a saint. saint  li·ness n. virgins looking at its record. Also, it was not 1st Lt. Kelly Flinn's fault that her lack of judgment led to someone's divorce. The blame should be with that cheating spouse of someone else who lied to her. Did the Navy go after all the servicemen who were caught at Tailhook and who lied about it with the same fervor? Have they gone after all those married servicemen who frequent prostitutes in other countries, and who, at times, have left a child behind? Could it be that those men are held to a different standard? - Marie Tagenius West Los Angeles
Woman pilot deserves apology This is a colossal joke, isn't it? Thousands of acts of adultery take place every day of the year in the military. The fact this occurs so frequently doesn't make such behavior proper or acceptable. But to make such an outrageous example of this famous Air Force officer, the first female to pilot the awesome B-52 bomber, is unconscionable Unusually harsh and shocking to the conscience; that which is so grossly unfair that a court will proscribe it. When a court uses the word unconscionable to describe conduct, it means that the conduct does not conform to the dictates of conscience. . What needs to be investigated is the motive behind this kind of historic persecution. Apparently, someone with strong political clout has been grievously injured by 1st Lt. Kelly Flinn's indiscretion in·dis·cre·tion n. 1. Lack of discretion; injudiciousness. 2. An indiscreet act or remark. indiscretion Noun 1. the lack of discretion 2. and seeks severely damaging retribution. Instead of embarrassing this famous officer before the nation, the Air Force should be apologizing for conceding to someone's revengeful pressures. - Fred Coble co·ble n. 1. Nautical A small flatbottom fishing boat with a lugsail on a raking mast. 2. Scots A kind of flatbottom rowboat. North Hills Another reason why `she had to go' I served as a personnel officer in several B-52 wings, and put in my time at Strategic Air Command headquarters in Omaha, Neb. I have been a member of many court-martials, and never heard a case involving adultery. I know about situations involving enlisted-officer affairs. One aspect of the Kelly Flinn case has not, to my knowledge, been discussed, and that is the SAC ``human reliability'' program. Flinn in my opinion, can no longer qualify under the strict requirements established - for outstanding reasons - for command of a nuclear bomb delivery system. For this reason alone she had to go. At best she would be relegated to flying an administrative aircraft or a cargo plane. - George B. Carter Major, USAF (retired) West Hills |
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