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The Few, The Lack of Honor, The Lack of Judgement

 

What is Missing from this report, is the fact that after being arrested for Drunken Driving, hours later, Col. Dunn actually "Co Piloted" a flight in a C130 Marine Aircraft, with passingers on board, and neglected to inform the Pilot of the flight of his arrest for Drunken Driving, which is required, per a report on one of the local channels that service Jacksonville. 

Colonel Denn, one rank less than a General, walks on any military installation and is treated and worshipped like a god.  He is often times, required to issue punishment to all lower ranking military personnel, and he would do so with the same demeanor of a sitting supreme court judge, and while in the judge mode, his demeanor is that of "individual perfectionist and rightousness". 

I've stood on the other side of the table from men like Colonel Denn, recieved punishment for having a beer with a maried woman, with the specific charge called, "associating with a married woman", not having sex mind you, simply being seen at a local store purchasing beer with a married woman.  The punishment was my having to sign a "page 11 entrance", which is equivelent to an "official repremand", like the one that Colonel Denn is recieving. 
However, I was a "corperal", looking forward to being promoted to seargent, but these official repremands, for enlisted personnel, are crussial when enlisted personnel are waiting on that promotion, in that, minor repremands may move your promotion to the back of the list, which is a significant blow to a young marine. 

Comparing the punishment system for the enlisted personnel to the officer ranks is similar to what we experience in the civilian judicial system, in that, the rich and powerful often times, recieve a slap on the rist, as compared to a poor person who cannot afford a quality lawyer and find themselves getting years for stuff that a good lawyer would have had thrown out of court due to law enforcement misrepresentation of the facts.   

Colonenl Denn, had he been sitting on the otherside of that same military judiciary board, would have had a different dispostion, as well as issuing out a different degree of punishment..., had he been the judge of a young corperal who had gotten a DUI, blowing a 1.4 (or there about), as well as piloting a military aircraft shortly there after, while passengers were on board. 

Yet, Colonel Denn, recieved the standard "good old boy" break from his pears, allowing him to retain his rank, and his future retirement check amount will not be affected, even though, a man who has been worshipped like a god at every military installation that he visits, and expects that degree of praise, when ever he walks in any room, does not recieve equal punishment to the crime that he committed. 

A Young 24 year old seargent would have been reduced in rank, fined, assigned to some type of extra duty, confined to quaters, and possibly would have been discharged from the military with a "other than honorable" discharge.  Quite a significant blow to the lesser rank as compared to the higher ranking Colonel Denn.

Example, I know a local marine that is raising children as a single parent, this marine fudged on a martial art certification due to the lack of time required to attain the certification at the time, was selected for a promotion that would solidify the marine's ability to serve for 20 years then retire.  However, the fudging by the marine was found out and the marine admitted the marines mistake in judgement, however, this marine's promotion as nullified, and the marine was denied the promotion and will have to leave the marines due to not being promoted to the next rank within the time line required, and suffice it to say, the marine is devistated.

Addtionally, not only was the marine denied the promotion, the marine was serving in the war zone at the time at the time of the denial of promotion, and during this deployment, the marine was denied legal due process, and due to that lack of due process, this marine wasn't able to defend the marines interest, even after the marine spoke with all who would listen. 

A truly traggic way to treat a marine in a war zone simply because of fudgeing a certificaiton, as compared to Colonel Denn's great degree of drunk driving with a open container found, then subsequent co piloting of a multi-million dollar aircraft with passengers, neglecting to inform the pilot of his arrest, as well as his being a Colonel at 46 years of life.  Between the two instances, you'd think that the young marine would have recieved the simple repremand allowing the marine to continue the career, while the Colonel recivieving the punishment based on his own degredation of judgement. 

Quite the differents in treatment within the military's judicial system.  While in the Marines, I didn't agree with the deplorable process of justice, due to the unequal treatement and dispersment of punishment, to the ranks, and the lack of any degree of legal representation that can be contrued as decent. 

The Two direct issues that I have with the military punishment system: one is subjected to double jeperdy, which is the case with Colonel Denn, in that, a DUI is punished by civians courts, and then the same crime is being judged by the military courts, thus, your punished twice for the same crime.  Additionally, no other huge company on earth can actually try a "volunteer or paid employee" for committing any crimes, iregardless if the crime was committed on the companies property, but, our military can, 98% of the time, the military judges are not lawyers and 95% of all punished are not provided with any legal advise or support. 

Infact, if you asked 10 young marines if they were to be charged with "associating with a married woman", what would be their rights, I'd venture to say, all 10 marines would have no idea what his or her rights are nor do they now where to look for such resources that would guide the young marine as to their rights as a result of being accused of anything. 

Second issue that I have with the military judicial system, not only are the lawyers atroctious and lazy, I believe that no military personel ought to be punished by a military system when the crime itself can be addressed in the civilian courts, primarily because  the military system is ineffective, unfair and bias to skin color and rank. 

Regarding Colonel Denn, if the military were to punish him at the same degree that he would have punished a lower level military personnel, Colonel Denn should have recieved a reduction of rank, fined and required to perform extra duties, and discharged with a dishonorable discharge. 

Colonel Denn actions of co piloting a C130, when hours earlier, he was arrested for DUI, displays a degree of mal judgement that I would feel great discomfort in thinking about all the young marines that Colonel Denn judgement and subsequently, assigned their punishment.  Colonell Denn enjoyed the pleasures of worship for years, and those that enjoy this degree of praise, ought to be held accountable equal to those he or she rule. 

 

In My Opinion

ASMFMB
7/31/11

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