The Virginian-Pilot
©
Four members of an Oceana-based fighter jet squadron have been disciplined for an "inappropriate video" featuring footage of a female officer that was edited to be "sexually suggestive."
The video was filmed without the woman's knowledge as she was eating dinner in a public setting on the carrier Theodore Roosevelt.
It was shown aboard the ship on Nov. 28 as part of "Fo'c'sle Follies," according to a situational report on the incident obtained by The Virginian-Pilot.
Made by three junior officers from Strike Fighter Squadron 31, which is nicknamed "The Tomcatters," the video violated "clear and repeated direction from the strike group commander and air wing commander to keep the content of the video clean and decent," the report said. It noted that VFA-31's commanding officer had approved the video.
Reaction to the clip was swift: The following morning, those responsible were ordered to apologize to the woman. Two days later, the junior officers who made the video were given nonpunitive letters of reprimand. One of the three was ordered back to the United States.
The commanding officer of the squadron, based at Oceana Naval Air Station in Virginia Beach, was ordered to "take immediate and aggressive steps" to correct the squadron's "command climate."
According to The Navy Times, which reported the incident on its Web site Saturday, Cmdr. Daniel Buckon was given a punitive letter of reprimand, which could keep him from advancing.
Lt. Sean Robertson, a Navy spokesman at the Pentagon, would not confirm that Monday. Robertson would say only that the commander of the carrier strike group, Rear Adm. Frank Pandolfe, "took appropriate administrative action after the incident and held four officers accountable for their actions."
The female officer depicted in the video was not a member of the carrier's air wing and did not attend the presentation, Robertson said. The report said she asked to watch the video after being informed about it.
Fo'c'sle Follies - the word refers to a ship's forecastle, where the gathering takes place - is a tradition among aviation squadrons deployed on carriers. The informal, often humorous presentations recognize high-performing pilots and personnel.
Robertson said the follies are "intended to be a team-building social function."
"Inappropriate behavior undermines the spirit of an event like this," he said. "The strike group took this seriously and immediately conducted a thorough and complete investigation."
Fo'c'sle Follies has been cancelled for the remainder of the cruise, Robertson said.
The carrier left Norfolk in September and is operating in the Middle East.
Kate Wiltrout, (757) 446-2629, kate.wiltrout@pilotonline.com
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Building a Sissier Military (Scapegoats)...
Now junior US Naval officers are being disciplined for following vague orders from their chain of command. Make a fun, playful home movie. If its a success, the brass takes credit. If there are problems, scapegoat and sacrifice the hapless junior officers involved. In addition to being concerned with performing their normal duties, US military men now have to tiptoe around female personnel like politically-correct ballerinas. I thought our servicemen and women were supposed to be tough? This is more like a sensitivity encounter group session than a US Naval operation.
All of you who believe women
All of you who believe women should not be on ships let alone in the NAVY need to wake up and face reality. We are a big part of the USN and will continue to be. If some males do not know how to act around us or treat us then that is their problem not ours. We are all equal and should all be respected the same. Its funny to read how we get pregnant and try to get out of work but guess what I currently work with all males and out of all of us I am the one that does the less complaining. They always have excuses for everything to get out of work. All you old timers who say women don't belong on ships need to just get up and do something with yourself or perhaps stop collecting that retired check if you don't agree with the NEW NAVY!!
Remember Tailhook?
Anyone remember the Tailhook scandal?
How many of you are against the Suffrage movement?
Dam, barefoot, pregnent, in the kitchen? Women ARE a benefit to the military. Get over it. This is insane people think like this. It was her fault? She has ever right to be on that combantant ship. To serve honorably and in an environment that is condusive to good order and discipline that respects the individual. The Navy is not Tom Cruise in top gun. The Navy is suppose to respect each other as well as maintain a high level of self-discipline. The Navy nor the Officer core are frat boys at the local campus. It is about honor, courage, commitment. Those are the Navy core values. Because of what these 4 guys did, that female Officer is going to be scrutinzed. WHY? She did nothing wrong. The "boys" just wanted some fun and now she and many other women have to again prove they belong. Women should do not have to prove anything in our society. Women belong. If their carrier is ruined it was by self choice/stupidity/failure to respect the rights and dignity of others. Something that should be engrained in an Officer.
another good reason why...
There shouldn't be women on combat ships. It's ruined more lives, and caused the ship to finish deployments shorthanded from untimely pregnacy's than any possible benifit other than "feel good" policies. There should maybe support ships strictly designated for women if they want to be in the sea going Navy. Trust me, that's the feelings of a majority of sailors officer and enlisted even in today's service.
PC or not PC
It seems like today's military is just another place where political correctness again restricts their ability to get the job done. seitzjus
Since when do you have to be politcally "incorrect" to get your job done? Typical Pilot reader.....
Too bad. . .
But I don't feel sorry for them. If they were so "career driven," these idiots wouldn't have been playing movie directors. This reminds me of when a buddy of mine was a doorman at a very popular beach club, and when Navy people wanted to enter, he would jack the cover charge up by 200%. It was to cover the risk they would act like teenagers and bother patrons.
Tailhook round two and lessons not learned
No Officer and Gentlemen lessons in VF-31. While I bet Navy core values are crammed down the enlisted folks, Officers of this squadron are above them. No respect for women is the Officer command climate. Any complaint by any one about any kind of inappropriate action on the part of an Officer of this squadron has to be belived over the Officer of that squadron thanks to that CO. A CDR is not made over night, but is groomed for leadership roles. This indicates either this officer was not required to listen, the training sylibus is poor, or this officer just does not care. The first two are what I am worried about. This means that the Navy has done lip servise to male/female equality, that females are not equal. It sounds like the CAG is continuing the lip service with a boys will be boys attitude/punishment. I bet there was a huge laugh at the airing and that is repulsive. Another Officer was ridiculed behind her back in an open forum. That is a huge problem. The primary reason, because she was female. Is that being a Gentleman?
OUR FEMINIZED NAVY
This fiasco shows how feminized our military has become, and what a bunch of hypersensitive sissies we have in the chain of command. What happened to the toughness our military people used to have? What happened to people who could take a joke and get on with life? They've been replaced by a generation of perpetual whiners. Here we go again - more officers' careers ruined and millions of dollars in flight training out the window -over nothing.
Affairs in order...
Does no one proofread these days?
High jinks. Seriously? And in the title no less.
Virginian-Pilot, you never cease to amaze me.