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Return to Article: Procurement scandal cuts short Air Force general's quest for command

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  Oh no, another incompetent four-star general is called out on his incompetence. I hope the posters below me don't seriously think that reaching the three and four-star positions has anything to do with anything but who you know and how good you look on paper. By the way, the Air Force has a long history of producing general officers who aren't exactly epitomes of integrity and professional conviction. Anyone remember Fiscus? Or the former three-star commander of the AFA who was in charge when his cadets were sexually molesting each other? Or how about the JAG colonel who finally got caught practicing law IN THE MILITARY without a law license FOR OVER TWENTY YEARS. The Air Force is the biggest good-ol'-boys club on the planet and you're naive if you think otherwise. Martin knew full well what Druyun was doing and I'm really just flabbergasted that the commenters here didn't catch the "I don't have a lot of contracting experience" comment from the four-star commander of the Air Force's acquisition command. Preposterous.

  Ah, to be years late.

  Mailbag Posted June 7, 2007 9:13 AM
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  Despite the protests of a number of contributors to this mailbag, I fully support the actions of Senator McCain in questioning the ability to command. Comments that General Martin gave 35 years of service do not address the issue. If he had only given 35 days of service it should have been obvious to him, when you are in a job and see corruption, it is your duty to report it, and see that it is stopped. Perhaps if he had noted that corruption he would not have received the coveted fourth star, as he was rocking the boat. One of the tough choices of leadership, retain your integrity and take the consequences, or swallow any hope of being a person of integrity and be promoted.

  Maybe it was that he was just incompetent in that job as Principle Deputy for the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force, and could not fathom what Ms Druyun was doing. After all, that was his first assignment in acquisition. Oh, and then he went into a job as the top person in the United States Air Force acquisition and logistics where the only experience in acquisition was the 18 months supervising Ms Druyun, and with no experience in logistics.

  Perhaps the real answer here is for the Air Force to cease putting leaders who have no background, and no education into technical jobs. It is well and good that he was the 1969 National Collegiate Parachuting Champion, and could fly various airplanes. But he was evidently lost on the job when contracting, acquisition, and technology was involved. It would be instructive to know how long he studied for his masters degree in business management at Central Michigan University. At that time it was known as a place where you pay your money, get credit for life experience, and pick up the sheepskin. Yup, a diploma mill.

  GovExec.com reader Posted November 17, 2004 3:28 PM
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  It is so very unfortunate that the esteemed Senator from Arizona has gotten so full of rage for the antics of Ms Druyun that he wants to belittle anyone who had to work with her. The Senator's last act of questioning General Martin into the absurd, was disgraceful! I was in PACOM as we waited for the POWs to be released; rumor was that Pres Nixon was keeping the elder Admiral McCain on as CINCPACOM until his son was released and returned home. The Senator's antics with General Martin disgust me, and take away from what Pres Nixon was trying to do. Shame on you Senator! And I have another bone to pick with you; PACOM has never had an Air Force General as CINC. General Martin would have been the ideal first. With his strong knowledge of logistics, and the fact that we now have a large Air Force presence in PACOM...F-16s in Korean and Japan, B-52s and hopefully B-1Bs and B-2s in Guam, and a "trash hauler" (my favorite folks) unit going into Hickam, the time was right for an Air Force CINCPACOM. I asked Senator Hatch to "respectfully" "smack Senator McCain up side of the head" and make him realize he messed up more than he helped when he insulted General Martin. Now the rest of you good Air Force folk out there need to ask YOUR home state Senators to provide Senator McCain some much needed tongue lashings and "guidance" before he ruins any more officers who have given their entire lives, and sacrificed the needs of their families to the "good of the Air Force and country". Ms Druyun? I hope she STAYS in jail...I may buy "her book"; Sears Roebuck no longer makes catalogs for my "little house out back". Jungle Jon

  GovExec.com reader Posted November 13, 2004 7:36 PM
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  After her release from prison and the publishing of her book about a U S Attorney that threatened her famiy with jail time to make his career, most of you will have a more informed opinion of Darleen Druyun.

  In regards to General Martin, you don't suppose that a guy that has given more than 35 years of his life to the defense of his country might have had just a slight problem with a grandstanding Senator from Airzona and his politically motivated line of questioning. Questioning Martins ability to command was probably the last straw, being questioned by a Senator with an agenda to embarass the Administration and help his friends at EADS (the Airbus tanker people) was probably just too much for General Martin, one of the best and brightest in the Air Force. The Senator from Arizona needs to take a breath, along with Senator Spector by the way, and remember who they work for. Personal agenda's serve no purpose in strenghtening our security, it's too bad that these guys have let their ego's get in the way of their oath to their country.

  GovExec.com reader Posted November 9, 2004 10:20 AM
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  What! I can't believe she only received a slap on the hand with the millions of taxpayers' dollars involved, not mentioning the lawsuits that will have to be settled at the cost of the American citizens. This was a perfect opportunity to make her a perfect example for those who wish to cheat America. If an ordinary Joe had even come close to same deceit as Druyun, they would be locked up in a maximum security prison for many, many years and thousands of dollars of fines.

  Once again the hard-working, honest taxpayer gets the real brunt of punishment instead of the guilty.

  David Posted November 8, 2004 1:40 PM
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  Personally, but more importantly professionally, those whom Ms Druyun "duped" have suffered the greatest loss. I'm sure there is no question that at a time, she was the epitome of ethics and integrity, and all those around her strongly felt and "believed" that as well. However, greed is a mighty force and the one real truth in ethics and integrity reveals itself during those most tempting times. For General Martin, who is and has been recognized as one of the greatest Air Force leaders in present and past times, I salute him! Unfortunately, for General Martin and those who clung to Ms Druyun's "coat tail" of convincing deceit, they have become the scapegoats in her scheme of greed. Rest assured though, I doubt that Boeing is the only guilty defense contractor with which Ms Druyun "catered" in some sort of an unethical fashion: Lockheed Martin immediately comes to mind as well. My closing comments are but few. For having "taken down" so many people in the prime of their careers, she got off light!

  Respectfully...........

  GovExec.com reader Posted November 8, 2004 10:32 AM
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  There has got to be more to this than McCain's sharp tongue. Hope you will put the transcript up for folks to read.

  GovExec.com reader Posted November 7, 2004 11:03 PM