Thursday, January 28, 2010

A drug free Annapolis? No, but we have D1 football!


UPDATE & BUMP: see bottom of post for latest developments.


This is sad.

Let's set the scene. You have a very good urinalysis program - one of the best in the Navy. You have to, you are in charge one of the most high-profile commands in the Navy; all eyes are on you. You can't afford to have drug problems or run any of your programs short of perfect.

After the last round of tests, you have a junior Sailor who pops positive for marijuana ... very strong pop. All the paperwork and proceedures are perfect, and you have been in the Navy long enough to know MILPERSMAN 1910-146 like you know your own Social Security Number.

Then you see the name; oh, him. Another administrative burden.

This isn't the first time this guy has been in trouble either; not drugs per se, but his counseling jacket is thick and highlighted, in a fashion - no one is really defending this guy either.

As things progress further and excuses are tried - inconsistencies come up even there. The pattern repeats; problem Sailor, air-tight urinalysis, pop positive for the evil weed, and finally no one can keep their story straight.

Cut and dried case, right? Time for a Big Chicken Dinner (OK, talk BCD, but OTH will do), right?

Don't be silly - this is exactly the kind of Sailor this Navy needs ... as a matter of fact - this man is officer material! You're the man in Command, you know quality and leadership potential when you see it; you're keeping him!

No, this isn't a parallel universe, this is the United States Naval Academy.


One report is a rumor. Three reports a trend. When I get above a half-dozen reports and phone calls - well, that is a story. It is especially a story when all of my primary sources are not bitter, angry, anti-Annapolis types. No; to an individual these are people who deeply love the Navy and USNA. They are sad, frustrated, and feel that their institution is once again selling its soul for superficial reasons. For reasons that make no sense to them, honor and integrity is being sold for a silly game. Yes, my friends - this also has to do with football.

In the
Potempkin Color Guard fiasco, we saw a loved institution twist itself into knots to satisfy a corrosive, self-loathing, and debunked racialist theory known as Diversity. I am afraid that we now have an institution that has sacrificed itself for something even more misguided - a game. A sport.

Though I know the name of the individual in question - I am not going to mention it here or some of the details as they aren't the important part of the story,
right now.

This story is much larger than one man - the United States Naval Academy deserves better than this - sure successful football brings in money, but you cannot buy back your honor through football. It is Honor, Courage, and Commitment - not Fudge, Courage, and Bowl Games.

Executive Summary: A USNA football player popped positive for marijuana post season - but the act of smoking pot took place "in season." Though there are inconsistencies in the stories that explained "why" he smoked pot - there was never a question that he did - in the end the story is that he was handed a cigar that was stuffed with marijuana, he smoked it with vigor, and had no idea there was marijuana in it. Ahem. An official statement was given to that effect by another party. The Sup bought the story decided to let him stay.

Let's be blunt here (pun intended). I didn't fall of a turnip truck and neither did any of you. First of all, everyone and their mother knows that a cigar stuffed with marijuana is very popular and is known as a blunt. No one "accidently" smokes a blunt. You smell it, you taste it - and you sure do feel it. Pot now days is not 1970s skunkweed. No. Not even close. If someone tells you he did not know it was pot the minute it was lit - not to mention after taking may long, deep breaths and holding (which you don't with cigars there natch) that is needed to pop positive - then that someone is probably lying to you.

Then again, we know that - don't we?

I remember what it was like in the '80s - I remember the posters, "
Not on my watch; Not on my ship; Not in my Navy". I have seen many a Sailor shown the door with a Big Chicken Dinner. I have seen successful and unsuccessful excuses for popping positive - one rather pornographic. In the end though, "no tolerance" had sticking power and I never saw a case of special consideration for any individual who popped positive - officer or enlisted.

Would this have happened if we didn't have an important member of the football team? I doubt it, but who knows. It would be interesting though to see the results of positive urinalysis cases over the last, say, five years to see what exceptions have been made.

I think the smart money is that we have another case of throwing away hard earned integrity to play football at a level a Service Academy has no reason playing.

Losing the bubble. Lost lock. Adrift - you call it what you want; but this just plain smells wrong (pun intended again).

A Commanding Officer, rightly, has a wide latitude in making decisions. Only he knows the reasons that he makes them. That doesn't mean we have to agree with him or his justification.

This whole thing is sad. The United States Naval Academy deserves better than this. Again, what example does this set for the future leaders of the Navy and Marine Corps?

That question deserves an answer.
UPDATE: Hey, look at the kids now days with all their facebooktwitterybloggy thingies going on!

Just reinforces what I tell people any time I get a chance - it isn't the young who are the problem.
UPDATE II - Electric Boogaloo: Philip Ewing @ NavyTimes has picked up the story. (Update to original here)
UPDATE III - Perfect Storm: Daniel de Vise at the Washington Post has picked up the story as well.
UPDATE IV - Set Condition Zebra: Things have become very interesting over the last 24-hrs and I encourage everyone to follow comment as there is some very good primary sources out there. First of all, I want everyone to get a peek at how business is sometimes done inside the lifelines at Annapolis.
--Forwarded Message Attachment--
From: [REDACTED]@usna.edu
Subject: Please Read
To: co[REDACTED]@usna.edu
Date: Wed, 27 Jan 2010 [REDACTED]

[REDACTED],

-----BODY OF EMAIL REDACTED ON A TEMP BASIS BY REQ----

Very Respectfully,

[REDACTED]
MIDN USN

--Forwarded Message Attachment--
From: [REDACTED]@usna.edu
Subject: IMPORTANT
To: co[REDACTED]@usna.edu
Date: Wed, 27 Jan 2010 [REDACTED]

[REDACTED],

Do not join the facebook group "Zero Tolerance=Zero Exceptions" or any other similar group.

This is coming down from the highest echelon. There will be severe consequences for disobedience.

Thanks,
[REDACTED]
Very interesting habits we are teaching the future officers in the military of a Representitive Republic.

You can find a link to the facebook page in question in a previous update. Just a little detail here; the page was started by a civilian and, in a fashion, supports a Navy policy - i.e. zero tolerance for drug abuse. The owner of the page has now made it private - so the conversation - some support zero tolerance, some do not; some support the USNA Admin, some do not - goes on, except now it has gone underground. Way to make it worse fellas.

I ran the above by a JAG friend - and from that exchange of emails comes some sound advice and some caution.
... the Academy may be right on this. While no particular officers are named, there's some pretty harsh criticism of the university administration which could be construed as an open condemnation of a senior officer, which is a violation of the UCMJ.

I'd advise the MIDs to tread carefully here.
This isn't black and white, and is a very gray area. Like I have advised in a few emails - stick to informal and if needed formal grevience proceedures. Keep your nose clean and your eye on the goal - graduate. If you have some venom that gets you near a gray area, feed it to civilian friends & family, or vent to some dorky blogger.
For the MIDN, all anyone will care about in the end is that you have a degree and a commission - all else is vanity. Make sure you can look yourself in the mirror every AM with your honor intact, and keep clear of UCMJ and/or regulations problems. If you find yourself in a gray area - there are JAGs there that will help you find out where the lines are before you cross them. If you need a POC there for a good one, email me. The overwhelming majority, as close to total as you can get to an imperfect human institution, of the uniformed and civilian staff at Annapolis is on your side and wants you to succeed so the Navy and the nation it serves can succeed. Remember that.

Part of the problem is that there are some logic disconnects coming at the MIDN. There of course is the obvious one of what is being said vs. is being done, and different "classes" of MIDN being treated differently - but there are messaging problems. For example, this came out in DEC09 - I like it;
Subj: Naval Academy News Media Policy

The following information is provided to clarify the Naval Academy’s policy regarding interaction with news media.
Like the Navy and Marine Corps, the Naval Academy does not forbid anyone from speaking with news media. The Naval Academy’s public affairs office requests to be notified when midshipmen, faculty or staff are contacted by news media in order to provide assistance and advice. This assistance and advice is particularly important for individuals who do not routinely interact with media, do not wish to respond to media, or may lack perspective on issues of potential media interest.
In most situations, individuals are free to address news media - either initiating or returning contact with reporters - and can do so without approval from their chain of command. However, there are specific situations, such as an ongoing official investigation or judicial proceeding and issues involving classified information, where Navy and Marine Corps policy specifically addresses limits of public comment. It is imperative during such situations to obtain the assistance of the public affairs office when contacted by reporters.

Naval Academy personnel who interact with media should also realize that their public comments can sometimes be construed - either intentionally or unintentionally - to represent the Navy or Naval Academy. It is important when interacting with media in an unofficial capacity to ensure that all opinions expressed are understood to be personal and do not necessarily represent the views of the Navy or the Academy.

Midshipmen, faculty or staff are free to interact with news media, but are strongly encouraged to contact the public affairs office prior to doing
so. Additionally, Naval Academy personnel who do not wish to engage with media can refer all media requests to the public affairs office. As always, any questions concerning this policy or any news media related issues should be referred to the public affairs office at X2292 or pao@usna.edu.
What is Facebook? Social media? New Media? Personal journal? Personal correspondence? Yes to all the above. That is why this is a gray area. If you canx facebook, can you do the same for subscriptions and online registration for NYT, WaPo, and multiple forums and, ahem, blogs out there? Do you restrict who they can and cannot email to? What about being a member of the NRA, NOW, or the Sierra Club? What about USNI? Do we punish them for being members of organizations that have authors who question policy? Sure we draw lines, at hate groups for instance, but be careful that your line is thick, bright, and straight. Crooked and selectively sketchy only breeds cynicism.

I think the folks at USNA are making this much worse trying to control the story ... again.
UPDATE V - Electric Glide: The local paper is on the hunt too.
UPDATE VI - Fiasco Edition: Thomas E. Ricks smells it as well.
UPDATE VII - Flash Gear: Front page of the Washington Post News Section.
UPDATE VIII - Defilade fire: URR has a higher brain function piece over at USNIBlog.
UPDATE IX - Load canister: The AP picked up Daniel de Vise's WaPo bit.