Sunday, May 18, 1997

Air Force Adultery: Cupid is no excuse for lying bomber pilot

By ROBERT L. MAGINNIS / Knight-Ridder/Tribune News Service

Air Force Secretary Sheila Widnall may accept the resignation of an accused adulteress who would otherwise face a high profile court-martial. That would be a mistake because the accused has violated a special trust for which she must be held accountable.

Lt. Kelly Flinn, one of 322 Air Force female pilots and the first female B-52 pilot, is charged with five felonies: adultery, fraternization, disobeying an order, conduct unbecoming an officer and lying.

Although Flinn admitted to the adultery on CBS' "60 Minutes," she tried to minimize the charge by saying her ex-boyfriend lied to her about being divorced. Ordered to stop her affair, she disobeyed and continued seeing her still-married civilian lover. She then conspired with the man to lie about their relationship to military investigators. Flinn is also charged with having yet another affair with an enlisted man, which is strictly forbidden.

To civilians, adultery may not seem important, but the Pentagon's rules against it vaccinate military marriages. Two-thirds of military personnel are married, and stable marriages bolster readiness - the key to a successful fighting force.

Service families

The pressures on the military family make it fragile, and strict adultery rules help protect it. Service families are constantly pulled apart by extended deployments, which can often last a year. Separated spouses need incentives to stay faithful and the threat of criminal sanctions helps people remain faithful and focused on their mission.

During Desert Storm, there were a number of adultery cases in Germany. Waiting-wives and stay-behind soldiers were having flings. The soldiers were court-martialed for adultery. In Saudi Arabia, gratuitous sexual relationships were common, and some involved adultery and fraternization. To control these problems, strict discipline was imposed. Flinn is charged with fraternization, which also hurts readiness. Brigadier General Karen Rankin, 81st Training Wing commander, explains, Professional relationships ensure a system that's productive, consistent, predictable and fair. In professional relationships, people know where they stand. They can trust the system.

Rankin explains why Lt. Flinn's "fling" with an airman was unlawful. When an officer treats an enlisted person as an equal, it leads to debate when there should be obedience, discussion when there should be action. These are the opposite of military professionalism and lead to erosion of morale and productivity.

Violating trust

Flinn is also accused of violating a special trust - she lied. Air Force Chief of Staff General Ronald Fogleman says honesty is the glue that binds the members of an outfit into a cohesive team. Honest servicemembers, according to Fogleman, always exhibit the utmost in principled behavior, off-duty as well as on.

When an individual exhibits personal negligence, misbehavior or disobedience, that is not a mistake - it's a crime, warns Fogleman. And crimes are matters of serious concern for superiors. Thus, if a service member willfully ignores Air Force standards, falsifies reports, disobeys a superior, engages in inappropriate off-duty behavior or the like, then we must immediately take the appropriate disciplinary action.

Secretary Widnall says integrity is essential. Honesty is the most important of the service's three core values.

Flinn flies a nuclear capable B-52 bomber. It takes a talented and extremely trustworthy person to carry such a responsibility. Any failure in integrity should be disqualifying irrespective of gender or training costs.

It's that important.

Washington Sen. Slade Gorton has asked Widnall to drop the charges, citing Tailhook, an indefensible 1991 Navy sex scandal. Under the false impression that there were no court-martials for Tailhook, Gorton now wants to mandate cookie-cutter justice.

Commander discretion

Removing discretion from commanders in criminal cases, however, runs the risk of undermining the very reason our military has historically been successful - a proven process of leader selection and development with autonomous decision making. Commander discretion is key. After all, military leaders are expected to make life and death decisions in wartime and what better preparation than to make hard decisions during peace? We must remember that military and civilian cultures are radically different.

Of necessity, the military is highly structured with many rules and strict discipline. Soldiers must be prepared to drop personal considerations at a moment's notice to go to far flung places often at great personal risk. This concept is absolutely foreign to most civilians.

A soldier is always on duty and subject to military law. There is really no off-duty or off-base provision. Courts have long held that soldiers are never beyond the reach of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, and that includes affairs between military personnel and civilians on or off base.

The USAF has put Lt. Flinn on a pedestal. All the fanfare associated with being the first female B-52 pilot, however, is not a license for Flinn to engage in forbidden conduct. She must be treated like any other servicemember.

Lt. Col. (Ret.) Robert L. Maginnis last served as a Pentagon inspector general investigating sexual improprieties. Readers may write to him at 801 G Street NW, Washington D.C., 20001.