20/20 Report on Air Force Academy

[RunUp]

We all know that the media rarely gets the facts straight, and on those rare occasions that they do, they are blown way out of proportion. Having said that....if there is even a grain of truth to the reported cases of rape at the USAFA, there is something seriously wrong with the system. According to tonights 20/20 program, there were 99 case of rape reported in the past five years at the Air Force Academy. Of those cases, only one went to court martial - and it resulted in an acquittal. (Yes...it's easy to cry rape after the fact, but 99 times??? I don't think so.) It sure appears as if the folks in charge are looking the other way. Additionally, if it is happening at the Air Force Academy, one has to wonder if it is also happening at West Point and Annapolis. Sadly, this is most likely just the tip of the iceburg. I predict a really big mess before this is over.

I have always (naively?) believed that the service academies were where our "best and brightest" went to be educated. In fact, I still believe that many of our future leaders can be found there. Unfortunately, the academies also seem to be a refuge for social misfits who, if they were in the real world, would be living in prisons rather than dorms.

And regarding the honor system..."We will not lie, cheat, steal, blah blah blah blah....." Obviously, that doesn't mean $hit!!!!

 

[BeachBum]

You obviously have no idea how important the honor code is to Academy cadets. You really should make an effort to show some tact and to not make such offensive comments about something you will never begin to understand. It's not "We will not lie, cheat, steal, blah, blah, blah, blah...". Try "We will not Lie, Steal, or Cheat, nor tolerate among us anyone who does. Furthermore, I resolve to do my duty and live honorably, so help me God."

 

[Toro]

I didn't see this broadcast and have absolutely no desire to see it, but I advise that you keep something in mind...
20/20 (with Dateline) where the same news programs that headlined the argument for the F-16 pilots who killed the Canadian troops...saying it was because they were "hopped up on speed" which the Air Force "forced them to take".

In most cases, the media has no concept of what goes on in the military and tends to have a very biased view. I was a journalism major in college and now fly fighters, so I can see it from both sides. I'll tell you that you need to take everything the media says with regards to the military - or anything in general - with a grain of salt. ESPECIALLY a worthless source like 20/20.

 

[Spur]

Saw part of it, had to turn it off... Total BS.

FYI when the SecAF briefed the cadets recently, one female cadet actually asked if they would be punished for infractions (ie drinking underage/ in the dorms etc.) if they were to report an assault. So lets see, youre getting plastered in your dorm room, underage... you all get busted, and all you gotta do is claim johnny put his hand on your a$$... he gets booted and you get a 20/20 interview... RIGHT!

The thing that really pisses me off is that the AFA is not fighting this BS in the media.

 

[skyward80]

I have met a number of AFA grads in my flight school's IFT program (first step in flight training toward UPT). I rarely say that I hold any amount of respect for folks my own age (23). Every single AFA grad I have ever met has been somebody I have held in highest regard. I don't care what 20/20 says. Most of the media is full of s***. That's how they get their jobs. There may be a small amount of truth in this matter, but I'm sure it is so deeply buried underneath crap that we will never know about it.

My hat goes off to all service academy graduates. You guys/gals are the best of the best.

Skyward80

 

[Pistlpetet]

I did not see the 20/20 program, but I did see some story on CBS about the whole thing. They had some older chic in the shadows to hide her identity, and it turns out that this female went to the Academy like 15-20 years ago, and she was now claiming to have been attacked. She was also saying how everyone turned a blind eye.

Well the military has changed leaps and bounds on the whole EO thing in the past 20 years. Comparing attitudes then to now is just a waste of time, but the media eats this crap up.

90% of all female EO complaints that I have seen in the military have been total BS, and most often used as a tool to grind an axe against someon. Most often then not, it is because that person actually put that female in her place.

It has been my experience in the military that a female can not take a good a$$ chewing and then drive on. More often then not they take it WAY too personal.

Anyways, I am sure there is more to the story then how the story is turned by the media.

Pete

 

[Mu2Driver]

watched the 20/20

one of those girls on the 20/20 episode (in the ugly green plaid shirt) whom i went through basic with said on the third day of basic that she was going to sleep with as many guys as possible before graduating. Now i must also say that i went through the freshman year with her and that she was possibily one of the biggest sluts i had ever met, even made a pass at me and i turned her down cuss she was so ugly. But for her to exclaim rape is an outrage since she was practically asking for it and she claimed rape to get out of bigger trouble that she had gotten into during the year. My synopsis is that they should've asked a couple guys about how the girls really act and that that 90% of these "so-called-rape" cases are blown out of porportion since everyone thinks (media) the girl is awlays right. Their exagerrations outraged myself and many friends watching as we realized that their naivie perception on the world would have gotten them worse at a real college. anyways im goin down to the gym where the men to girl ratio remains 1:6, and girls have the ego of supermodels...lates

 

[Eagleflip]

A Different View

As you can tell from my avatar, I did not attend the USAFA...(I tell folks that the acacdmy was going to admit me but changed their mind when they found out that my parents were married... ) I take a somewhat contrary position to the majority of posters on this topic, however.

If one were to summarize the previous opinions on this thread, you'd come away with the thought that these allegations are merely women crying "wolf" to distract school officials from other issues. That may well happen in certain isolated cases, but in dozens? Look at it from another viewpoint.

I agree with Skyward80--practically every USAFA (or other military academy for that matter) graduate I have met impressed me with their drive, candor and abilities.

That includes the female graduates as well, and I know quite a few of them starting from the Class of '80.

The credentials (other than physical) required to gain admission to a military academy are no different for women than for men. That said, why would one doubt the credibilty of female cadets more than their male counterparts? In other words, if we acknowledge that women attending the academy are as bright and full of integrity as the men, why would one think that every alledged sexual assualt must be based on personal convenience? If that assertion were true the men would be just be prone to lie their way out of personally unacceptable scenarios. You don't see anyone on this board universally condemning the male cadets here though.

In short, I believe the selection process for the academies is consistent; I do not believe that the the moral character of the students changes according to their sex.

We do not know the facts surrounding these allegations but they are worthy of investigation. No system is perfect; hopefully, institutions change to reflect a progression of fair and consistent treatment of individuals. The USAFA should take a hard look at their internal reporting and investigative process. There may be merit in some of these claims; the important part is that no one summarily dismisses these alledged assaults without due regard of the facts.

To infer that these women were merely trying to get out of trouble by any means available is to generalize in the worst way. Let the facts speak for themselves once the investigations are complete.

 

[Spur]

Eagleflip.
MU2driver wasnt generalizing, he was relating facts about a specific individual about whom he has first hand knowledge.

You are correct about the quality of the female and male graduates, but the vast majority of the complaints come from "former cadets" not graduates. In other words people who couldnt hack it. Im sure if the male "former cadets" could get away with claiming rape, some of them would.

As far as not knowing all the facts, you can be sure we will never know the facts if we continue to get information from sources like 20/20. In fact we won't even get both sides of the story.

 

[stlpilot]

Funny how a lot of the media used to report the news now they make it.