Lt Col Wilkerson sexual assault case

[Learjetter]

Helo-- if that were true, then would that mean our senior leaders would willingly sacrifice a subordinate's career to appease politicians?

[17D_guy]

Possible correction: I think the promotion was red-lined upon original conviction and/or legal proceedings. Because Gen Franklin in one of the articles was upset Wilkerson wasn't going to have the promotion re-instated.

Possible other: Didn't the woman he had the affair with come forward and that initiated the second investigation?

I don't feel like reading through all the pages again.

[HeloDude]

Helo-- if that were true, then would that mean our senior leaders would willingly sacrifice a subordinate's career to appease politicians?

Lear--you answered my question...with another question. To penalize you, I'll ask you another question: Has or would a military leader (Sq/CC, OG, WG, whatever) ever 'willingly sacrifice a subordinate's career to appease' one of their own military leaders/commanders?

[Learjetter]

Helo- how would I know?

[zach braff]

In the late 90s, Gen Joe Ralston was VCJCS, top in running for CJCS. Came to light he'd had an affair in the 80s. Forced to retire in his 1980s rank? Nope, given Supreme Allied Commander NATO/EUCOM job instead. Good thing he retired before the sexual assualt witch hunts.

https://www.af.mil/AboutUs/Biographies/Display/tabid/225/Article/105866/general-joseph-w-ralston.aspx

It's too bad Congress hates Col Select-Then-Non-Select Wilkerson, because normally I'd say he should get his congressman involved.

zb

[Day Man]

Helo- how would I know?

read my SIB/FEB thread...

[sputnik]

I can see how they hold his O6. I can get how the can force him to retire. But how do they retire him at O4? I mean, there must be some legal/adminstrative process, what is it? I've never heard of someone losing rank outside court martial, or as part of a deal to avoid one.

Ralston was separated, living apart from his wife when his occurred. What hosed him was that it came to light soon after Kelly Flinn.

Edited October 18, 2013 by sputnik

[17D_guy]

There's provisions for an officer to be retired at the last rank he served honorably if there's been problems.

[Azimuth]

There's provisions for an officer to be retired at the last rank he served honorably if there's been problems.

That's the problem. He was charged with a crime that had been overturned, thus innocent in the eyes of the military justice system while he was a Lt Col. How did not serve honorably as a Lt Col?

[Grabby]

And all the while Metzger is still riding her way up. UFB

[sputnik]

There's provisions for an officer to be retired at the last rank he served honorably if there's been problems.

Not arguing, but what are they? Seriously, never heard of this

[Azimuth]

Not arguing, but what are they? Seriously, never heard of this

AFI 36-2023 The Secretary of the Air Force Personnel Council and the Air Force Personnel Board:

2.2.3. Considers advancing members retired in enlisted status on the retired list to the highest grade satisfactorily held and grade determinations on officers to identify the highest grade satis- factorily held (Title 10 U.S.C. chapters 69, 869, and 1225, and AFI 36-3203, Service Retirements).

Edited October 19, 2013 by Azimuth

[Ram]

And all the while Metzger is still riding her way up. UFB

[Toro]

And all the while Metzger is still riding her way up. UFB

Of course. She was a "victim."

[Pitt4401]

Anyone else wondering why Wilkerson's philandering as a Captain wasn't rewarded with enough administrative action to prevent his promotion to Major.

Point being, had someone drawn the line at that point...we wouldn't even be having this conversation now?

[Fuzz]

Anyone else wondering why Wilkerson's philandering as a Captain wasn't rewarded with enough administrative action to prevent his promotion to Major.

Point being, had someone drawn the line at that point...we wouldn't even be having this conversation now?

If I've followed this convoluted case correctly, no one knew about this until people who didn't like the verdict went digging.

[17D_guy]

If I've followed this convoluted case correctly, no one knew about this until people who didn't like the verdict went digging.

After the mother came forward, the AF didn't just go digging. See below -

The investigation into whether Wilkerson fathered an out-of-wedlock child began in April after the woman who said he had the brief affair with her learned of his sexual assault conviction and Franklin’s decision to overturn the verdict.

“I guess it’s grating to me that he has no accountability,” she told Stars and Stripes in an interview.

The woman declined to be identified, she said, to protect her children and herself from publicity. She said Wilkerson’s wife, Beth, was aware of the affair and the child.

https://www.stripes.com/news/us/wilkerson-had-affair-that-produced-a-child-air-force-confirms-1.225660

The planned Air Force investigation follows an allegation made by the woman, who says she and Wilkerson had a brief affair in Utah and that he fathered her child. She told Stars and Stripes in a phone interview that she and Wilkerson were intimate only once, after being introduced by mutual friends.

https://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2013/04/25/help_wanted_at_the_pentagon_wilkerson_being_investigated_for_an_extramarital_aff

Nobody knew about it until recently, so it wasn't exactly covered up. The woman was disgusted with how it all turned out, also probably with the fact that he was portrayed as some kind of integrity king.

Dude should have just opted for retirement right after it was overturned, or did he just forget about this large, and growing skeleton in his closet? It smacks of arrogance, or naivety ,that this wouldn't come back with how public his whole thing is/was.

[BattleRattle]

It will be interesting to see if he has a retirement ceremony, and if so, will it draw media attention...

[Rusty Pipes]

Nobody knew about it until recently, so it wasn't exactly covered up. The woman was disgusted with how it all turned out, also probably with the fact that he was portrayed as some kind of integrity king.

Dude should have just opted for retirement right after it was overturned, or did he just forget about this large, and growing skeleton in his closet? It smacks of arrogance, or naivety ,that this wouldn't come back with how public his whole thing is/was.

Agreed... WTF was he thinking? I can't imagine he had any great love for the Air Force after being dragged through a court martial and the events that followed. I'm sure there are details that none of us know about that led to him staying and thinking everything would be fine, but with a giant skeleton like that in the closet why would you not cut bait? You need to be realistic here... even if his wife knew about the affair/baby you can't just say it was something that happened a long time ago and is old news; not in this environment. It isn't like he was running some illegal Texas Hold'em tournament in his basement 10 years ago... the morality police were bound to catch him on this one.

Edited October 30, 2013 by Rusty Pipes

[Azimuth]

Read this on CAAFLog today. If this is true, Welsh should have some explaining to do.

https://www.caaflog.com/2016/07/21/caaf-specifies-an-issue-involving-air-force-lieutenant-general-franklin/#comments