As if things with Russia haven’t been bad enough, most of my life, now we have this turkey Air Force general acting out. To make matters worse he was in charge of nuclear weapons. That must have given the Russians pause for thought.
According to the Washington Post:
An Air Force general in charge of nuclear weapons repeatedly drank too much and behaved like a boor last summer during an official trip to Moscow, where he insulted his Russian hosts and hung out with two suspicious women he met at a hotel bar, according to an investigative report released Thursday.
Maj. Gen. Michael Carey, the commander of the Air Force’s arsenal of land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles, “acted in a manner that exceeded the limits of accepted standards of good conduct” during a four-day visit to Moscow in July, according to an investigation conducted by the Air Force Inspector General.
Carey’s behavior stunned his aides and other colleagues traveling with him for a nuclear security exercise and meetings with Russian officials. They said he started drinking during a stopover in Zurich and kept it up during three days in Moscow, causing a string of gaffes and embarrassments that led Air Force officials to relieve him of his command.
Carey was fired in October from his job as commander of the 20th Air Force, which is responsible for maintaining and operating the country’s intercontinental ballistic missiles. At the time, Air Force leaders said he was under investigation for “personal misbehavior” but divulged few details because the case was pending.
So Carey was fired from his job as commander of the nuclear weapons. He still retains his rank and all privileges. He does not face further disciplinary measures. If someone other than a general had behaved in this manner, what would have happened? Is this a case of the brass protecting the inner club? Why are there no consequences?
Behavior like described doesn’t just happen over night and in an isolated situation. Most of the time, it is a pattern. I suppose we will now be asked to pay for the errant general’s retirement. This behavior is a serious breach of not only military discipline but also of international protocol. It can cause international incidents and diplomatic nightmares. General Carey needs to at least lose some rank along the way.
Is he related to the mayor of Toronto?
How does someone with these proclivities get to a position with that responsibility? And to act out in Russia, of all places. Sheesh.
It sure sounds like he made a total fool of himself. I agree. Proclivities…it wasn’t a one time event.
It is easy to get screwed up in Russia–been there, done that. They smilingly ply you with vodka and good food, take you to the banya, steam you up, whack you with birch branches, dip you in ice cold water (in my case, ice cold sea water from the Baltic), steam you some more, provide you more vodka and the next thing you know…
In Soviet Russia, vodka drink YOU! DA!
@George S. Harris
I know about that. A collegue of my husband’s had to work
in USSR at times; always having to attend parties.
The toasts came often and it was out of the question not to
lift the glass and drink.
/ After the first time (no, he didn’t lose
his senses) he found a way to put a bottle of water next to his
glass and fill it with H2O rather than the vodka.
As for banya / sounds more like the true Finnish sauna treatment.
We used to drink a dose of vegetable or olive oil before drinking with the Russians. It slowed the absorption rate.
@punchak
Well, we were in St. Petersburg. Pretty close to Finland.