Im not happy....

LineInTheSand said:
I think CGA lost 14 cadets to something similar (can't remember the drug involved) a few years ago.
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In 2009, my cadre class (2012) had 9 members kicked out of the Academy for cocaine use during their freshman year. One member was accused of using it on campus. They less than affectionately became known as the "Cocaine Class." Fortunately, the class worked hard to get rid of that reputation and succeeded. http://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/...demy-Kicks-Out-9-for-Drug-Use---53952032.html

In 2012, 14 cadets from 2013 and 2014 (my class) were kicked out for using Spice or synthetic marijuana. I vividly remember the next Formal Room and Wing Inspection involving drug dogs walking up and down the passageways of Chase Hall. http://www.theday.com/article/20120110/NWS09/301109912

The public needs to realize that, while Service Academies are hailed for accepting the "Best and the Brightest," cadets and midshipman are not perfect and make mistakes. It would be foolish to say that this incident, whatever it is, won't garner negative attention from the media but that attention will only last so long. But it would be just as foolish for potential candidates and their parents to judge the entire Corps and institution of West Point for the lack of judgment portrayed by a few cadets.

On the bright side, at least West Point isn't charged with training future officers who will engage in counter-narcotics missions. Oh, the irony. ;)
 
Sydney C. said:
Wow...what a great read. If you tried to make a movie out of this, no one would believe it....you just can't make stuff like this up.
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This is how you know the story is real as an officer! When your Soldiers/Marines/Sailor/etc tell you a story and you think, "Yeap, no way someone made that up, it has to be real!"

We only had one drug scandal when I was at USNA. My classmate somehow became a dealer and NCIS has an investigation going on him. At MOS school we had a base wide drug test after a large drug ring was broken up in one of the Battalions. They had over 200 pop positive on that test, over 50% of them in one unit. The unit I first reported to had a scandal for steroids coming through the Battalion mailroom. My second unit had two drug scandals... the first was for drugs being hidden in equipment coming back from counter-narco (the irony) ops in South America and the last being a Marine being a rather large drug and weapons dealer. Heck these are just drug the stories... I could go for hours and hours on the other stuff. USNA had a spice issue a few years ago. Agree with LITS, Mids and Cadets are not perfect by any means. A few bad apples with for the most part are rather bright, driven and think they are invincible, it can lead to a hot mess. Of course it put a negative light on a SA when this happens, but the incidents are usually dealt with rather quickly, harshly and contained to a small number. The operating forces run into some of the same issues.
 
[QUOTE="Almost 20 years ago, in 1996, USNA had just emerged from its 1992 double E cheating scandal, only to have the 1996 car theft ring explode across headlines. With common players! As always, just a handful of boneheads.[/QUOTE]

Ugh, can't believe it's the 20 year anniversary. And about 40 years since USMA's mass cheating scandal. While the car theft ring involved "a handful of boneheads" (a generous term), the EE scandal and USMA scandal involved a depressingly large percentage of the respective USNA and USMA classes. The car theft scandal hit about the same time as the LSD drug scandal and the sexual assault scandal - it was a tough year for USNA.
 
So what’s the hold up with the story? I figured the media was working with USMA to hold the story and release it over the weekend as a courtesy. It’s been a week now. Did these events really happen or is it just cadet rumor?
 
parentalunit2 said:
So what’s the hold up with the story? I figured the media was working with USMA to hold the story and release it over the weekend as a courtesy. It’s been a week now. Did these events really happen or is it just cadet rumor?
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In what fantasy world would this happen in?

"I'd like to write a story and then help you bury it."
 
LineInTheSand said:
In what fantasy world would this happen in?
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I saw it happen a lot while living at USMA over the years. It was also terribly interesting to know what really happened and then see the version of the story that appeared in the media. Let’s just say that the PAO is extremely skilled.

I hate to sound like a conspiracy theorist, which I’m not, but I’ve seen what I’ve seen and I know what I know.
 
parentalunit2 said:
I saw it happen a lot while living at USMA over the years. It was also terribly interesting to know what really happened and then see the version of the story that appeared in the media. Let’s just say that the PAO is extremely skilled.

I hate to sound like a conspiracy theorist, which I’m not, but I’ve seen what I’ve seen and I know what I know.
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I've not seen this happen for reason of burying a story (and I can't imagine a reporter legitimately sitting in a story to make it nicer). It's not their jobs to white wash a story.... It's their job to report the facts.

Now some reporters will sit on something if 1. They're expecting a more complete picture (although they risk being scooped, but maybe we don't have the full story here), 2. They're working on a bigger piece, or 3. The story is embargoed. A week wouldn't really be a reasonable embargo period (and you always risk someone breaking the embargo).
 
I think we are looking at #1 here. Are charges pending? Right now it could just be in the investigation stage, but once charges are filed, it’s going to be out there. It’s funny how the scandalous stuff goes around the academies. Each academy seems to get a few years off and then its like, “Tag. You’re it.”
 
I heard all about this during Plebe Parents Weekend. All of the cadets know about it, and it made the Yak over the weekend ("Duty, Honor, Coca... er Country"). The media is slow.
 
parentalunit2 said:
I think we are looking at #1 here. Are charges pending? Right now it could just be in the investigation stage, but once charges are filed, it’s going to be out there. It’s funny how the scandalous stuff goes around the academies. Each academy seems to get a few years off and then its like, “Tag. You’re it.”
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Could be #1, but then the story would be there's an investigation. And then eventually there'd be a story on what happened and the results of the investigation.
 
Im rather surprised nothing has been reported thus far. I think the media is overwhelmed with the crazy politics and presidential issues taking place at this time. This is a good thing to keep WP off the radar.

Push Hard, Press Forward
 
It would start with a local reporter (I would think) anyway.

Are people here sure something has happened?
 
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