← Autodidact Archive · Original Dissent · Gabrielle
Thread ID: 19597 | Posts: 6 | Started: 2005-08-12
2005-08-12 22:35 | User Profile
WASHINGTON (AP) -- In an extraordinary move, the Army sacked a four-star general who was the subject of a Defense Department investigation into alleged sexual misconduct, an official said Tuesday.
Gen. Kevin P. Byrnes, commander of Army Training and Doctrine Command, was approaching retirement when the decision to relieve him of duty was made by the Army chief of staff, Gen. Peter Schoomaker.
The Army announced no specific allegation against Byrnes, but a senior official said it involved unspecified sexual misconduct. The official spoke only on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the allegation.
Disciplinary action against officers is not rare, but it is extremely unusual in the case of a four-star general. An Army spokeswoman, Lt. Col. Pamela Hart, said records from the General Officer Management Office show no cases in recent history in which a four-star general has been relieved of duty for disciplinary reasons.
Byrnes, 55, a Vietnam veteran, ranked third in seniority among the Army's 11 four-star generals.
A two-sentence statement issued by Army headquarters in the Pentagon said Byrnes had been relieved of his position. It gave no reason except to say, "The investigation upon which this relief is based is undergoing further review to determine the appropriate final disposition of this matter."
A spokesman at Training and Doctrine Command, Harvey Perritt, said Byrnes was unavailable to comment.
In his position as commander of Training and Doctrine Command, Byrnes oversaw all Army training programs and the development of war-fighting guidelines. The organization operates 33 training schools and centers on 16 Army installations and is headquartered at Fort Monroe, Virginia. Byrnes had been commander since November 2002.
Among the command's responsibilities is to oversee Army recruiting and initial recruit training, as well as operation of the Combined Arms Center at Fort Leavenworth, which is responsible for leadership development and the writing of warfighting doctrine. Coincidentally, the commander of the Combined Arms Center, Lt. Gen. William Wallace, was nominated in April to succeed Byrnes at Training and Doctrine Command.
Wallace has not yet been confirmed by the Senate for promotion to four-star rank, so the Army chose Byrnes' top deputy, Lt. Gen. Anthony R. Jones, to take over immediately as the acting commander.
Asked about the case at a Pentagon news conference, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld had little to say.
"It's something that's being handled in the proper channels, and it's not something that it would be appropriate for me to get involved with," he said.
Other officials said the matter was investigated by the Defense Department Inspector General, and the findings were now being considered by senior Army officials to determine whether further action should be taken.
Among the four-star general or flag officers to have been relieved of command in recent years was Navy Adm. Richard C. Macke, sacked as commander of Pacific Command in 1995 for remarks he made about the case of U.S. Marines accused of raping a 12-year-old Japanese girl. Gen. Michael Dugan was fired as chief of staff of the Air Force in 1990 for comments to reporters about planning for the 1991 Gulf War.
[url]http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/08/09/general.relieved.ap/[/url]
2005-08-12 23:08 | User Profile
I've been thinking about this case.
What with all the queers in the military (officers included), the "don't ask/don't tell"-hokum wouldn't wash. & if military officials can get away with buggery, a simple "adultery" charge doesn't either.
My feeling is, that this man is being railroaded out of his job, by virtue of his political Stance.
2005-08-12 23:12 | User Profile
"railroaded" (?)
Your friend Stang talked about this the other day. I wish we had more information about this, Todd.
2005-08-12 23:41 | User Profile
Sert.,
Listen to Alan Stang. He's one of the truest America-Firsters extant.
I don't have the answers here. But "listen to the music."
2005-08-12 23:41 | User Profile
smear campaign, railroaded call it what you will. When the government has to get rid of someone the first thing they do is discredit them so that whatever they say people won't believe them.
Next it's threats then it is the 'accidents'. Military tactics pollywogs.
2005-08-15 22:48 | User Profile
Maybe, maybe not.
Sexual misconduct is sadly too common in circles where special trust and confidence is placed. I guess the world is full of sinners.
Back late 90's a two star Army General in Turkey got relieved for doing the wives of three or four of his staff officers. Forget his name. The 1AD commander in Bosnia was quietly retired over a pecadillio, or so word on the street was. 96-97ish a US Navy Rear Admiral got canned for doing his Yoeman in Portugal.
A couple of years ago, a Navy base commander in Northern Florida was canned a month before he was to be relieved, like this General it appears, for doing his secretary.
While this might be a smear campaign, there are some folks in charge who just can't seem to keep it in their pants. I hear there was a President a few years ago with a similar problem.
Maybe it's the pressures of the job, or the ego it takes to get there.
Hard to say. (Horrid pun, sue me!)
AE
[QUOTE=siren]smear campaign, railroaded call it what you will. When the government has to get rid of someone the first thing they do is discredit them so that whatever they say people won't believe them.
Next it's threats then it is the 'accidents'. Military tactics pollywogs.[/QUOTE]