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Mike G

DEFENSE BULLYING REPORT - Air Force Worst of the Three Services

A recent report by experts has found that allegations of "a culture of
widespread bullying and brutality" within the Military are, in the most
part, unfounded. The audit team, which traveled to every Defense
establishment across the country and abroad and interviewed staff from
all three services, found surprisingly few cases of unfair treatment and
bullying within the Army and Navy.

When it came to the Air Force, however, the report told a different
story. Complaints to the team came from a total of 3,555 Air Force
members, compared with three from Navy, just one from Army and none

from the Marine Corps.

While this statistic is alarming in its own right, it becomes horrific
when one considers that each complaint represents a sad story of abuse,
mistreatment and neglect. As one senior Air Force officer put it, "Each
story is, in itself, a sad indictment on the Military. When taken as a
whole, however, they demonstrate a reprehensible lack of regard for
personnel on the part of managers at all levels."

One young pilot told of having to spend two nights in tented
accommodation, despite the fact that there was an empty five-star hotel
just 1 kilometer away.

Another said that he had been forced to endure a grueling fitness test
every year since he joined in 1997.

One airman alleged that she had been overlooked for promotion on
numerous occasions, simply because she was fat, lazy and stupid.

An airman stated he had been refused permission to wear civilian attire
to work, despite the fact that his uniform clashed with his eye color.

Another had been forced to wear uncomfortable safety boots for periods
of up to eight hours straight.

A clerk could not understand why she had been sent to work in a Joint
military headquarters, "I have been forced to work for horrid Army and
Navy people who just don't understand what the military is all about. I
feel the Air Force has victimized me by forcing me to do this...I will
be seeking compensation..."

Shockingly, Air Force senior ranks are also subject to mistreatment.

One SNCO stated, "I was deeply upset when I was addressed as 'Sergeant'
by an officer. He knew my name was Robert. It was just horrible - I
have never been more humiliated in my life." In response a senior
officer stated, "the officer in question has been moved on..."

A number of personnel complained of having to attend courses that were
not relevant to their jobs, such as rigorous ground combat courses and
drawn-out lectures on occupational health and safety. To add insult to
injury, a young A1C was even ordered to pack up chairs in the classroom
after one such course

The huge backlash against treatment of Air Force personnel should
provide senior officers with a vital clue with regard to the massive
retention problems experienced by the military in recent times. Over
the past two years, the Military has spent millions looking into the
issue.

Not all of the Air Force's hierarchy, however, were upset by the
revelations. Said the outgoing Chief of Staff, "I'm delighted with the
result, I am very happy that our retention problems are due, in the most
part at least, to something as harmless as bullying. I thought everyone
was leaving because of me."

Classification: UNCLASSIFIED
Caveats: NONE

OTRphoto · 07-10-2007, 10:48 AM

LOL

As I sit here at my desk on Lackland.. I am copying this and forwarding it out to soooo many....

Funny stuff!

Bruce M. Morris · 07-10-2007, 01:57 PM

It is funny but even more so as I have heard other stories about the AF while I was active Duty Navy. The Navy Photo School in Pensacola was converted to the "Defense Photo School" for a few years in the 90's. Where as the sailors were happy with the barracks because they were an improvement over shipboard quarters, apparently the AF students were authorized extra pay to live in local hotels because the barracks were "unacceptable".

Shaggysnack · 07-10-2007, 03:08 PM

I worked with some Air Force while over seas. They each received an extra $200-400 a month for having to live in inadequate living quarters...i.e. my Army post.

Man, I joined the wrong branch.

Mike G · 07-10-2007, 03:11 PM

I keep telling my son that .. I was Navy, 2 of my cousins were Marines, and a few friends were Army .. he needs to join the Air Force not the Army

JamesB · 07-10-2007, 03:32 PM

I was Navy and we got to stay in an Air Force Barrackes out in Falon Nevada. These were the old run down barracks of the Air Force enlisted folks. They had brand new Barracks which were 10 times nicer than their old ones.

The run down barracks that the air force did not want to use at this base were 20 times nicer than the Navy Barracks we had back in Oceana.

I have spent my time in a coffin rack aboard ship (air craft carrier) and anything is nicer than one of those things. Im sure Nitromike (submariner) thinks we had it made in our lush quarters aboard the aircraft carrier. I think our racks were about 1 inch bigger, but we did have built in TV/vcr combo's and individual climate control for each of our racks on the carrier.

James

Mike G · 07-10-2007, 03:40 PM

Wow .. you did have it nice, I knew your racks were nicer but damn .. you had entertainment also!

TXhummer2 · 07-10-2007, 04:16 PM

I shoulda sued USAF when they "forgot" to turn on the heaters in the back of a modified 707, where I awoke with nearly frozen legs! Thawing out took the rest of the way across the Pacific! (says me, a USAF retiree who rarely spent time outside or without A/C). hee hee

amadjuster · 07-10-2007, 06:02 PM

Sgt. Benjamen should have joined the Air Force.

Daniel Bates · 07-10-2007, 06:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bruce M. Morris

It is funny but even more so as I have heard other stories about the AF while I was active Duty Navy. The Navy Photo School in Pensacola was converted to the "Defense Photo School" for a few years in the 90's. Where as the sailors were happy with the barracks because they were an improvement over shipboard quarters, apparently the AF students were authorized extra pay to live in local hotels because the barracks were "unacceptable".

I need to switch services then... can I do Green to Blue before Basic?

Murph · 07-10-2007, 09:47 PM

When we went to the field (I was infantry) our assigned Air Force FACs got to sleep in heated quarters while we slept in sleeping bags, or the back of a track (M-113). They had heaters in their jeeps, our division CO had all the heaters removed from the jeeps (Germany, 3rd Armored Division, 1984), and they got to wear flight suits, or whatever they wanted, and never got up before daybreak.

BlueStar-57 · 07-11-2007, 02:03 AM

Daniel, you can get blue in basic-black and blue that is. Only tip I can remember that counts is don't wear metal (put da tags in your pocket or over your shirt collar) before playing gas attack. If you want to burn somebody just touch them with that stuff on, someone did me and it smarts for sure. Unless they have changed you'll have to say your ssn frontwards or backwards to make sure get a taste of gas. Spoiler I know, but it was passed on to me ahead of time.
LOL on the report Mike.

Mike G · 07-11-2007, 08:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Daniel Bates

I need to switch services then... can I do Green to Blue before Basic?

Unless they've changed it, you aren't actually in any service until you take the final oath right before you ship out. Right now you could walk away and they can't stop you.

Breezy · 07-11-2007, 10:11 AM

oh this was too good.
And the money deal to live in "navy" housing is so true. While stationed in Charleston we lived in Navy housing. The Navy and AF housing were built at the exact same time by the same company etc... looked identical, everything. But if AF lived on the weapon station instead of the AFB they got an extra $200 a month cause it was not "satisfactory" housing. I thought it was bs myself lol.

darktiger · 07-11-2007, 01:23 PM

AF is a bunch of whiners. They get the best treatment out of the other services. Funny when I was in the USMC, I had them saluting me. And I was not even a officer, guess they cannot distinguish rank. When my brother was in AF Boot Camp, I was allowed to visit him on weekends, and even brought him snapple. They have this program "Adopt a Airman", at Christmas time and Thanksgiving where they get to goto someone's house and eat a meal. Man a lot of things are different than when I was in the military.....