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Tailhook '91
- Thread starter AJB37
- Start date
I'll let others explain it, because some were probably there, but it has to be the single most important event to mold Naval Aviation's culture in the last 20 years. Well, after Top Gun, of course.
Harrier Dude
Living the dream
Tailhook 91. 3rd floor of the Hilton. Allegedly.
I'll let others explain it, because some were probably there, but it has to be the single most important event to mold Naval Aviation's culture in the last 20 years. Well, after Top Gun, of course.
It became much more than the event. I was a CO at the time and remember getting "personal for" message to CO's that basically said have all your aviators fill out the attached questionnaire within xx days (I think it was ten calendar days). If we do not receive one for every aviator assigned, the CO will be held personally responsible and may be relieved for cause. It went on to say that if any aviator is found to be lying on the form, the CO would also be held accountable and could be relieved for cause.
To the best of my recollection, below were the first three questions:
The first question was "were you in Las Vegas during the period xx to xx." It didn't say were you at Tailhook or at the Hilton. Simple yes or no.
The next question was whether you had visited the Hilton during the xx to xx period. Simple yes or no.
The third question was "did you engage in sexual activity in Las Vegas during the period xx to xx." Again, a simple yes or no.
Now, remembering the instructions to CO's, I passed along the questionnaire and had one aviator tell me he was concerned about answering it. When I asked why, he said because he had engaged in sexual activity, though it was with his wife, who went to Vegas with him. Now this was a guy who was a very straight-laced, happily married man. He went to the Tailhook events that were G or PG rated, and that was it.
I called the Bureau for guidance and was told "he answers them yes or no. Period." So he answered yes to all three questions.
All I can say is "standby for incoming rounds." It was unbelievable what descended on us. Even when we confirmed it was his wife (plane ticket receipts), we were grilled with a "yea, sure, that's the cover" response. It took over a week to finally get him, and me, cleared.
If you were there....
I was. Witch Hunt was real. Interrogators were relentless. Sucked mightily and sacrificial lambs (from JOs to SECNAV himself) were slain right and left to appease the bloodthirsty "tribunals" that were held. Somehow, it morphed into a woman's equal opportunity showdown.
It sure separated the Reagan/Bush admirals and captains from the Clinton admirals and captains. Warriors vs. weasels.
Harrier Dude
Living the dream
I was grilled by my USMC OSO about this because I was in the navy (and flying) during the period. I wasn't there. He wanted me to tell him who was there. I told him that since I wasn't there, how would I know? Repeat this question and answer sequence for about an hour and a half.
Evidently his promotion was being held up along with everybody elses over the issue and he wasn't a fan of naval aviation anymore.
I also had to answer a bunch of sexual harassment questions at OCS about it. What a red-ass.
Evidently his promotion was being held up along with everybody elses over the issue and he wasn't a fan of naval aviation anymore.
I also had to answer a bunch of sexual harassment questions at OCS about it. What a red-ass.
Now it's a case study in Naval Science 402. We discussed, at length, the legal, moral and ethical ramifications of the behavior that allegedly took place at that event. It scared me a bit. not because I felt like I would ever do anything to breech my moral code in such a way, but because, like Intruder Driver and heyjoe have attested, men at all levels of the chain were shamed personally and professionally. Even those who did nothing wrong were treated like petty criminals because they "might have been there."
I guess all that's neither here nor there. But, for a MIDN who was just about to commission into aviation, it was a bit of a wakeup call. It really drove home that you've gotta watch what you say and do in the fleet. Anyone can get offended, and it only takes one complaint and you're done.
I guess all that's neither here nor there. But, for a MIDN who was just about to commission into aviation, it was a bit of a wakeup call. It really drove home that you've gotta watch what you say and do in the fleet. Anyone can get offended, and it only takes one complaint and you're done.
The Navy investigators rolled in right away, but cries for "who did it?" especially in case of LT Paula Coughlin led the vultures to believe it was a mass coverup so eventually OSD took over and the interrogations started over with classic "good cop/bad cop" tactics. Promotions were held up; screened assignments were put on hold then Admiral Reason and his JAG vampire started relieving folks for merely having been COs of units/commands that had Admins. Many got career ending letters. It went on and on fueled by Greg Vistica's almost daily reporting that fanned the flames and kept the fire from going out. He still hasn't gotten his coveted Pulitzer but he's after Senator Bob Kerrey now and already worked over John Lehman and the Bush era admirals in his “Fall From Glory: The Men Who Sank the U.S. Navy” . What that book doesn't include is his role in firing torpedoes.
Anybody see the Made for TV Movie about Hook 91? Along with the "Texas Cadet Murder" movie, a classic of cinema.
Hook 91 was a party that got out of hand, plain and simple. Some folks there engaged in conduct unbecoming. But it was made into a cause celebe by folks with axes to grind against the Navy, or the military in general, and social engineers who loved the idea of "we can order these guys to do something, and they have to do it...or they get in trouble!" Folks who knew absolutely nothing about the Navy and its culture, but still waded in with flamethrowers and quivering with righteous indignation at 1030 quiv/sec, determined to root out the heresy of Unenlightened Behavior. It was, unfortunately, a perfect storm of behavior that was, frankly, kind of embarrassing in the sober light of day (and no one's ever done that before, of course) colliding with shrill social-activist harridans and yes-men beautock-coverers at the top of the chain.
[/rant]
Hook 91 was a party that got out of hand, plain and simple. Some folks there engaged in conduct unbecoming. But it was made into a cause celebe by folks with axes to grind against the Navy, or the military in general, and social engineers who loved the idea of "we can order these guys to do something, and they have to do it...or they get in trouble!" Folks who knew absolutely nothing about the Navy and its culture, but still waded in with flamethrowers and quivering with righteous indignation at 1030 quiv/sec, determined to root out the heresy of Unenlightened Behavior. It was, unfortunately, a perfect storm of behavior that was, frankly, kind of embarrassing in the sober light of day (and no one's ever done that before, of course) colliding with shrill social-activist harridans and yes-men beautock-coverers at the top of the chain.
[/rant]
I was at Hook the year before the blow up. It was ugly in the third floor hallway outside the admins at night. We would not open our door to the hallway or let females exit to the hallway...too dangerous.
A bartender from Miramar stopped into our admin and asked if we could help her get to another admin...one of our biggest JOs escorted her down the hall...a woman alone was a target in the hallway.
I can only imagine what it was like the next year....
It was bound to happen.
The heavy handed NIS (not NCIS back then) investigator tactics were horrible. I saw many JO FRS instrcutors get interviewed, refuse to answer bogus questions...walk out and drop their letters to get out of the Navy. Remember the airlines were hiring then and the BS was just too much for people that did nothing wrong..so they left.
A bartender from Miramar stopped into our admin and asked if we could help her get to another admin...one of our biggest JOs escorted her down the hall...a woman alone was a target in the hallway.
I can only imagine what it was like the next year....
It was bound to happen.
The heavy handed NIS (not NCIS back then) investigator tactics were horrible. I saw many JO FRS instrcutors get interviewed, refuse to answer bogus questions...walk out and drop their letters to get out of the Navy. Remember the airlines were hiring then and the BS was just too much for people that did nothing wrong..so they left.