At least they keep their retirement.

Navy censures 4 officers for vulgar videos

(CNN) -- The Secretary of the Navy issued censure letters Friday to four naval officers for the roles they played in a series of raunchy videos shown aboard the USS Enterprise between 2005 and 2007, a spokesman said.

The letters, which cannot be appealed, effectively end the officers' careers as they will prevent promotion, said Navy spokesman Capt. Danny Hernandez.

Capt. Owen Honors, who lost command of the aircraft carrier soon after the videos were made public, was issued a letter.

Letters were also issued to Rear Adms. Lawrence Rice and Ron Horton, who were commanders of the Enterprise at the time Honors, then the ship's second-in-command, was making and showing the videos. Capt. John Dixon, former executive officer of the Enterprise who took over as second-in-command after Honors, also was censured.

Adm. John Harvey, head of Fleet Forces Command, said this month that in addition to the top brass, he would send nonpunitive "letters of caution" to 32 officers and sailors who helped produce and broadcast the videos. Those letters will not become part of those individuals' permanent files.

In January, Harvey removed Honors as commanding officer of the Enterprise, claiming that the captain demonstrated poor judgement with videos he created on the carrier between 2005 and 2007.

The videos, which mocked gays and simulated masturbation and naked shower scenes, created an uproar when they became public. Honors claimed that the videos were morale boosters and helped inform the crew about important issues.

Naval investigators found 55 videos stored on the carrier's computer system, and 25 were determined to be vulgar and objectionable and in violation of proper behavior, Harvey has said.

Shortly after news of the videos broke, the Enterprise left for the Middle East with a new commanding officer.

http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/03/18/navy.vi...tml?hpt=T2

I never understood why a mistake, or even a mistake made by someone else, automatically ended military careers. And I guess the top brass have never been in a sports locker room.

(03-18-2011 08:55 PM)smn1256 Wrote:  I never understood why a mistake, or even a mistake made by someone else, automatically ended military careers. And I guess most prima donna athletes have never been in the military.

FIFY

(03-18-2011 08:30 PM)WMD Owl Wrote:  At least they keep their retirement.

I don't think there was ever the slightest chance their retirement benefits would have been affected. My guess is, they have too many friends and supporters throughout all levels of command for that to have happened. You have to remember, this is not really about the actions or inactions of those four officers. Rather, it is about providing an example for Today's Lesson in the ongoing political re-education of the broader military culture. For the purposes of Today's Lesson, it was not really necessary for Captain Honors to lose his pension (although you can simply read certain posts on this website, to see that some people would be in favor of that).

Now, having said that, the rest of the military has now been effectively put "on notice", and future punishments for these sorts of speech-crimes and thought-crimes certainly will go beyond what was done today. For those who flout Today's Lesson in the future, pension/retirement benefits will be the least of their worries.

As America's military culture is continually re-shaped and re-molded to more closely resemble America's civilian culture, it becomes less and less likely that US Armed Forces will be sent into harm's way. It also becomes less and likely that they will be capable of defeating their enemies, on the rare occasions they are sent there.

(03-18-2011 10:21 PM)Native Georgian Wrote:  As America's military culture is continually re-shaped and re-molded to more closely resemble America's civilian culture, it becomes less and less likely that US Armed Forces will be sent into harm's way.

Spoke too soon: http://www.navytimes.com/news/2011/03/ap...ed-031911/

Come on now Owl. We need to take away their retirement because we just can't afford to pay for it. I mean, imagine how much they get every year in retirement. This goes for all troops. Just eliminate their retirement and make them pay for their own healthcare. No more freeloading soldiers! I can't afford to keep paying for them.

(03-19-2011 04:36 PM)RobertN Wrote:  Come on now Owl. We need to take away their retirement because we just can't afford to pay for it. I mean, imagine how much they get every year in retirement. This goes for all troops. Just eliminate their retirement and make them pay for their own healthcare. No more freeloading soldiers! I can't afford to keep paying for them.

I wouldn't mind paying into my own healthcare. But what we do is a lot different than any other worker.

(03-18-2011 08:55 PM)smn1256 Wrote:  I never understood why a mistake, or even a mistake made by someone else, automatically ended military careers. And I guess the top brass have never been in a sports locker room.

There is a certain behavior that officers are supposed to keep up.