Top commander dismissed in Air Force scandal probe
In this March 2, 2012 photo, Air Force Col. Glenn Palmer, commander of the 737th Training Group at Lackland AFB, speaks to trainees in San Antonio. Officials tell The Associated Press that the Air Force has relieved Palmer, a top commander at Lackland Air Force base from his position in the wake of wake of a widening sex scandal. / William Luther,AP Photo/The San Antonio Express-News
(AP/CBS) AUSTIN, Texas — A widening sex scandal at Lackland Air Force Base had led to the dismissal of the top commander who oversees basic training for every new American airman, officials said Friday.
Col. Glenn Palmer was commander of basic training at the 737th training group at the Texas base, where more than a dozen military instructors in the past year have been investigated or charged with sexually assaulting recruits. Officials familiar with the decision said Palmer has been relieved from those duties, speaking on condition of anonymity because the announcement was not yet public. CBS News has confirmed the planned dismissal.
The officials said there was no indication Palmer was facing any criminal charges.
Investigators say more than three dozen female trainees have been victimized by male instructors at Lackland, where approximately 35,000 airmen graduate each year.
About one in five recruits are female, while most instructors are male. The most serious allegations involved a staff sergeant sentenced to 20 years in prison last month after being convicted of raping one female recruit and sexually assaulting several others.
The Air Force also was set Friday to announce that Col. Eric Axelbank, commander of the entire 37th Training Wing at Lackland, also would be changing command next month. Officials told AP Axelbank's move was part of a normal change of command and was not related to the sex scandal.
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If he knew what was going on he was a accessory to a crime. If he was igorant then a man who is clueless is leading a large miltaty training base. Who would want a clueless man in charge of training?
They, congress and the potus, don't mete out punishment the code of military justice does this. Any other way is called a lynch mob.
If he actively covered it up, knew about it and tried to impede the investigation he should be punished to the fullest extent. From all that I've read - probably much different from what you've read he just happens to be the guy in charge when the s*it hit the fan.
Losing your command is pretty much a death sentence for a military career. True, he will still have his pension but the dark cloud of this will follow him forever,
'the military is basically horse pucky nowadays or so it seems judging by this story and others.'
Again how about some examples? I mean the Tailhook, Iran-Contra, My Lai (bet you forgot about that one), The incident on Hill 192, Okinawa war killings and on an on are not shining examples of a proud military history but to generalize that today's military is 'horse pucky is certainly incorrect and dishonorable.
it is clear that some superiors were aware, the authors of these rapes were covered, reason that the rapes continued, the obvious question is, to which degree these superiors are they involved?
"au revoir"