Tailhook '91

[plc67]

I believe one of the Marine "pilots" identified as being there, being picked out of a picture line up, was actually a Corporal stationed at Quantico. Don't know if that's the gospel or not.
I do know the Lead Blue Angel was relieved early in the season and hounded for a year before being cleared and allowed to finish the second season. He was denied promotion to Captain, which he eventually received
well after he retired.
One of our airline's pilots was on active duty at Cherry Point in the timeframe of Tailhook and tried to take an ATP checkride at the appropriate FSDO. The FAA rep told him naval aviators did not meet the morals clause and she would not give the checkride. He went to the manager who profusely apologized and saw to it he was administered the ride. Even though I watched Tailhook from the sidelines it was definitely painful.

 

[Flash]

I believe one of the Marine "pilots" identified as being there, being picked out of a picture line up, was actually a Corporal stationed at Quantico. Don't know if that's the gospel or not.
I do know the Lead Blue Angel was relieved early in the season and hounded for a year before being cleared and allowed to finish the second season. He was denied promotion to Captain, which he eventually received
well after he retired.
One of our airline's pilots was on active duty at Cherry Point in the timeframe of Tailhook and tried to take an ATP checkride at the appropriate FSDO. The FAA rep told him naval aviators did not meet the morals clause and she would not give the checkride. He went to the manager who profusely apologized and saw to it he was administered the ride. Even though I watched Tailhook from the sidelines it was definitely painful.

CDR Robert E Stumpf, he was CO of a regular VFA squadron and former CO. He finally got his promotion in 2005. Flew for FedEx after the Navy.

http://www.military.com/Opinions/0,,Goss_032505,00.html

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/navy/oldnew/

 

[Flash]

The AF/ANG felt the fallout of Tailhook 91 with the Jackie Parker incident that followed a couple years later. It's the reason the "Boys from Syracuse" were forced to change their name and a lot of good guys ended up loosing their careers.

Just curious, what incident? I looked her up and did not see anything about it. Very nice photos of her though, I wish I was that cool........

http://www.wingsoverkansas.com/profiles/article.asp?id=675

http://www.ctie.monash.edu.au/hargrave/parker.html

 

[wink]

'91 was one of the few Hooks I missed back then. The comments about the value in Tailhook are worth mentioning. The unfiltered dialog between JOs and seniors, industry and the user, was very valuable. My father in law was living in Vegas at the time. He was a retired 26 year Army O-6 then teaching at UNLV. I took him to Tailhook one year. He was simply astounded by it all. He loved it. He grinned from ear to ear when some JO stood up at the Flag panel to bitch about the fouled up re-winging of the A-6. The LT swore and demanded to know who was responsible for him flying a 3 g bomber and the "f*cker" should be fired. Don't remember who it was, but some one star sheepishly admitted it was his responsiblity. My father in law was certain the Army would have been a better institution if they had a Tailhook event of their own. Another year I was drinking by the pool outside the Viking admin when some old guy came up and started asking us about replacing the Viking with the Osprey. We all went off on him about how stupid it was. After he walked away somebody came over and asked what ADM Dunlevey (then DCNO Air) was talking to us about. We had no idea, but he got a barely respectful ear full. I am still convinced those honest 20 minutes with us torpedoed all thought of the V-22 flying VS. There was far more good coming from Tailhook then bad.

 

[Flash]

^ Some guys were idiots and were over the top (as always) ... it was not a capital crime nor a lynching offense, however ...

But LT "X" ??? She was a P.O.S. before, during, and especially after the sad saga of Tailhook '91 .... I trust she's miserable and rotting somewhere now, a complete outcast, with or without her "settlement" blood $$$ ....

What do/did you know about her? Just curious.

 

[Pugs]

We're still feeling the impacts of Tailhook '91 today -- 16 years later, for God's sake. That's proof positive that the "persecutors" (sic) have not rested in this case. It's become a bogeyman like Watergate is .... and that's just not right.

Not much I can add to this. We had returned from our Desert Storm cruise in July. I was there as were 28 of the 30 O's in my squadron. Had a great time, saw folks I hadn't seen since AOCS and flight school. Won some money, lost some money, met some legends of Naval Air, got drunk. Basically, a great weekend in Vegas.

The next two years basically destroyed the Esprit de corps of Naval Air. The PC police and their ilk tried to destroy the O'Clubs, guys who were up for promotion had to wait until the board the next year was meeting to find out if they made grade or not. If they didn't there was no chance to make them well for the next. Sometime I'll relate my IG interview but it was a soft-cell good-cop bad cop that had no clue they were dealing with folks who knew their game.

The whole affair destroyed the career of many and it hit the Prowler community hard. FWIW there was a female LT (USNA class of 85 IIRC) from NUW that stood up for many of us during the inquisition.

 

[bunk22]

I was a NROTC midshipman in 91, commissioned in March of 93. Back then, us scholarship mids were commissioned USN but because of Tailhook, we were USNR until cleared....meaning, we weren't there. So it took a year to go from USNR to USN. Not a big deal for us, compared to what those who were there and not there had to go through. My first time at the Miramar O'Club was Jul of 90, a Wed night. Never seen anything like that, it was crazy. Next time, Jul 93, post Tailhook. I've seen stuff like that, church outings, bingo nites. Night and day and a shame. BTW, the XO of our NROTC unit was a Marine who was the XO of a RF-4 squadron and was at Tailhook. He was reassigned until the investigation was over. Never knew what came of it.

 

[HeyJoe]

I have a USNA classmate whose promotion to O-7 was held up for over four years because of Tailhook. He finally pinned it on a few months ago.

I think he managed the airlift as I recall and I just saw him wearing it in DC.

 

[Swanee]

Just curious, what incident? I looked her up and did not see anything about it. Very nice photos of her though, I wish I was that cool........

http://www.wingsoverkansas.com/profiles/article.asp?id=675

http://www.ctie.monash.edu.au/hargrave/parker.html

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=990CE7DE1531F931A15753C1A963958260


attached is another article from an archive of mine (and my old mans). My old man came back to his squadron after a tour at the Guard Bureau HQ. He was delayed O-5 for almost 4 years after this happened.

Basically Parker was having trouble getting mission qualed. If you ask the other pilots, she just couldn't cut it. The AF had her as one of their Golden Girls and told the unit that she had to make it. When the unit finally flunked her (no one would want her on their wing) she cried sexual harassment. But it turns out she was diong things that were as bad if not worse than most of the other guys in the unit. As a result 12 guys lost their careers, and not much happened to her (though she never did become a fighter pilot).

 

[Flash]

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=990CE7DE1531F931A15753C1A963958260


attached is another article from an archive of mine (and my old mans). My old man came back to his squadron after a tour at the Guard Bureau HQ. He was delayed O-5 for almost 4 years after this happened.

Basically Parker was having trouble getting mission qualed. If you ask the other pilots, she just couldn't cut it. The AF had her as one of their Golden Girls and told the unit that she had to make it. When the unit finally flunked her (no one would want her on their wing) she cried sexual harassment. But it turns out she was diong things that were as bad if not worse than most of the other guys in the unit. As a result 12 guys lost their careers, and not much happened to her (though she never did become a fighter pilot).

Thanks for the info, looks like it stank from the beginning. They won't have that problem in the future though, since they will be flying MQ-9's. I found this too, interesting read so far.

http://www.nysl.nysed.gov/scandoclinks/ocm42956782.htm

 

[A4sForever]

What do/did you know about her? Just curious.

PM sent ...

 

[A4sForever]

One GOOD thing to come out of Tailhook '91:

Right on & rock on, guys .... :thumbup_1

 

[Mumbles]

My dad always told me that the shriners were by far the wildest bunch to hold their convention in Vegas. At least that's what the Hilton employees thought.

 

[Swanee]

It did some pretty serious damage, and yes it did stink from the beginning. Everyone was afraid of what would happen. I was young when this was all going on (13 or so), but my dad (and mom for that matter) have told me first hand accounts of what she was like. My old man got lucky, he was the FOL and Range commander at Ft Drum (a 174th Det) so he wasn't at the squadron every day, but as I said earlier, he felt the effects.

threadjack/

Reapers... In the old mans words" Its going to be a sad day when the last real pilot leaves Syracuse." It's why I am not pledging that unit...

/end threadjack

 

[jollygreen07]

Based on the horror stories from the Carter and Clinton eras, I don't like how things are looking for us in the service if what's her name gets elected..

Seriously.. I lose sleep at night. Well.. not really, but I still don't like to think about it.