Saturday, November 20, 2004
The Crisis Of The Air Force.
Big Blue continues to get hammered hard over the 767 tanker lease deal. (WaPo story requires "free" registration; jerkwads).
Lockheed Martin alleges the former Assistant Secretary of Air Force Acquisition Darleen Druyun favored Boeing not only in the tanker lease, but also in the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle program.
(Ditto WaPo).
Given my day job, I can't really comment in detail here. I not only enjoy my anonymity, I also don't leak, so I ain't gonna tell anyone anything they don't already know.
But the whole Druyun Affair is eating the Air Force alive.
She goes to prison on a guilty plea. Secretaries Roche and Sambur are forced out. A number of Air Force generals selected for new commands have their nominations put on hold. And this is only the beginning.
My personal opinions, not endorsed by the United States Air Force?
I believe the Air Force line, and not only because I'm professionally obligated to parrot it. I *still* can't fathom the whole Druyun-going-to-jail thing. Sure, she's admitted she's guilty, but part of me wonders how much of this is a witch hunt, blowing things way out of proportion.
Besides, having known many of the second-tier personalities involved in these issues, I simply cannot fathom widespread corruption.
Hey, I am no rube. I understand Washington. I understand all too well how something like Ill Wind could have happened. But these are honorable Air Force men and women, who, had they known something unethical-- let alone illegal-- was going on, they would not have stood for it.
Right?
Right???
Anyways. . . like I said, this is only the beginning. And I have a feeling it may get worse before it gets better. Part of me wants to look for another job, to run away from dealing with the fallout from this (and dealing with it while, oh, there's a war on-- i.e., other things we should be paying attention to).
But the other part of me wants to tough it out. It's a corny sentiment for civilians to hold, but it's true: you never leave your wingman. And right now, my wingmen are in trouble.
P.S. Oh, and another completely personal opinion: a certain high-profile Senator who will remain nameless is right to investigate and castigate, but he's being a world-class asshole dickwad about it, eager to climb over the careers of honorable men and women in his quest for corruption, and publicity.
Lockheed Martin alleges the former Assistant Secretary of Air Force Acquisition Darleen Druyun favored Boeing not only in the tanker lease, but also in the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle program.
(Ditto WaPo).
Given my day job, I can't really comment in detail here. I not only enjoy my anonymity, I also don't leak, so I ain't gonna tell anyone anything they don't already know.
But the whole Druyun Affair is eating the Air Force alive.
She goes to prison on a guilty plea. Secretaries Roche and Sambur are forced out. A number of Air Force generals selected for new commands have their nominations put on hold. And this is only the beginning.
My personal opinions, not endorsed by the United States Air Force?
I believe the Air Force line, and not only because I'm professionally obligated to parrot it. I *still* can't fathom the whole Druyun-going-to-jail thing. Sure, she's admitted she's guilty, but part of me wonders how much of this is a witch hunt, blowing things way out of proportion.
Besides, having known many of the second-tier personalities involved in these issues, I simply cannot fathom widespread corruption.
Hey, I am no rube. I understand Washington. I understand all too well how something like Ill Wind could have happened. But these are honorable Air Force men and women, who, had they known something unethical-- let alone illegal-- was going on, they would not have stood for it.
Right?
Right???
Anyways. . . like I said, this is only the beginning. And I have a feeling it may get worse before it gets better. Part of me wants to look for another job, to run away from dealing with the fallout from this (and dealing with it while, oh, there's a war on-- i.e., other things we should be paying attention to).
But the other part of me wants to tough it out. It's a corny sentiment for civilians to hold, but it's true: you never leave your wingman. And right now, my wingmen are in trouble.
P.S. Oh, and another completely personal opinion: a certain high-profile Senator who will remain nameless is right to investigate and castigate, but he's being a world-class asshole dickwad about it, eager to climb over the careers of honorable men and women in his quest for corruption, and publicity.
Comments:
Druyun has been eating at Air Force credibility since she got MG Butchko fired for following her (illegal verbal but unproveable) direction in the mid 90s. She drew the ire of Congress for that (illegal progress payment on the C-17) and for a multitude of capers that infuriated Authorization and Appropriation Committee members, for example a last minute sole source contract to Lockheed Martin to upgrade C-5s. In that move she broke with the dictates of competition and also managed to break Congressional funding rules!
She skated away from these and many other abuses of rules, regulations and law. How did she get away with such acts?
If you read the story of Druyun getting generals fired when they tried to [see http://www.govexec.com/features/0204/0204s1.htm] cancel her position while she was on leave, you get the understand that she had so called "sponsors" as do many generals and especially those who aspired to more than one star equivalence.
Who were her sponsors? Clearly the Clinton appointees and some say her sponsorship went all the way to the White House.
She was in a key position to assuage the bruises provided by the 1995 BRAC, base closures. In particular she helped the high electoral States of California and Texas when Air Force depots were closed. Getting offsets to the lost Defense jobs was a high priority, and Druyun delivered while many Air Force executives, military and civilian went along. These pork programs eviscerated the logic of the BRAC process and many officers and high ranking civilians turned a blind eye.
Interestingly the blindness was assisted by the examples Druyun made of killing many career aspirations. Her vindictiveness is legendary – for example the summary firing of the F-117 Program Manager who would not fudge the cost analysis that clearly showed economies from lifetime support by the Air Force rather than Lockheed. No smoke screen or semblance of competition was needed after heads rolled at McClellan AFB, even after Congress was made aware of the firings.
The reputations of the Air Force as an institution and many of its leaders will suffer however their oaths of office were not followed so I have little sympathy. Gutless behavior by others pumped Druyun from an unattractive, acid and in many ways incompetent government executive, to the powerhouse she became. It is important that she received a Presidential Senior Executive Service award, which brought the highest possible bonus. I wonder whose signatures are on the recommendations and approvals?
Druyun was simply a hit man who got greedy at the end. But she had a horde of facilitators for over 10 years. It will get worse for the Air Force - much worse.
Post a Comment
<< Home
She skated away from these and many other abuses of rules, regulations and law. How did she get away with such acts?
If you read the story of Druyun getting generals fired when they tried to [see http://www.govexec.com/features/0204/0204s1.htm] cancel her position while she was on leave, you get the understand that she had so called "sponsors" as do many generals and especially those who aspired to more than one star equivalence.
Who were her sponsors? Clearly the Clinton appointees and some say her sponsorship went all the way to the White House.
She was in a key position to assuage the bruises provided by the 1995 BRAC, base closures. In particular she helped the high electoral States of California and Texas when Air Force depots were closed. Getting offsets to the lost Defense jobs was a high priority, and Druyun delivered while many Air Force executives, military and civilian went along. These pork programs eviscerated the logic of the BRAC process and many officers and high ranking civilians turned a blind eye.
Interestingly the blindness was assisted by the examples Druyun made of killing many career aspirations. Her vindictiveness is legendary – for example the summary firing of the F-117 Program Manager who would not fudge the cost analysis that clearly showed economies from lifetime support by the Air Force rather than Lockheed. No smoke screen or semblance of competition was needed after heads rolled at McClellan AFB, even after Congress was made aware of the firings.
The reputations of the Air Force as an institution and many of its leaders will suffer however their oaths of office were not followed so I have little sympathy. Gutless behavior by others pumped Druyun from an unattractive, acid and in many ways incompetent government executive, to the powerhouse she became. It is important that she received a Presidential Senior Executive Service award, which brought the highest possible bonus. I wonder whose signatures are on the recommendations and approvals?
Druyun was simply a hit man who got greedy at the end. But she had a horde of facilitators for over 10 years. It will get worse for the Air Force - much worse.
<< Home
