Medal Of Honor Marine Under fire

[SoonerTerry]

http://news.yahoo.com/marine-won-medal-honor-fights-allegations-mentally-unstable-171346866.html

In September, President Obama awarded the Medal of Honor, the nation's most prestigious military award, to Sgt. Dakota Meyer, the marine who saved 36 of his comrades during an ambush in Afghanistan.

Obama called Meyer one of the most "down-to-earth guys that you will ever meet."

But today Meyer, 23, is having trouble getting a job because of allegations by defense contractor BAE Systems that he has a drinking problem and is mentally unstable. Meyer filed legal papers Monday claiming the allegations were in retaliation for objections he raised about BAE's alleged decision to sell high-tech sniper scopes to the Pakistani military.

After leaving active duty in May 2010, Meyer worked at Ausgar Technologies, a service-disabled veteran-owned small business in California, until April 2011.

"He exhibited a maturity for his age and an insightful capability to get the job done and provide recommendations to improve on what we are doing. I was very impressed while he was working for us. He was an outstanding employee," Tom Grant, a retired military naval officer and a senior program manager at Ausgar Technologies, told ABC News.

When asked about the allegations of mental instability and a drinking problem, Grant said, "While Meyer was working for me, I never saw evidence of either of those issues."

In March 2011, Meyer began working at BAE Systems, a British military contracting company, where he learned the company was trying to sell advanced thermal optic scopes to the Pakistani military.

"We are taking the best gear, the best technology on the market to date and giving it to guys known to stab us in the back," Meyer wrote to BAE Systems manager Bobby McCreight, his former co-worker, according to the lawsuit. "These are the same people killing our guys."

But BAE Systems is claiming that that decision is not up to them.

"The U.S. Department of State, not BAE Systems, makes the decision on what defense-related products can be exported. In recent years, the U.S. Government has approved the export of defense-related goods from numerous defense companies to Pakistan as part of the United States' bilateral relationship with that country," said Brian J. Roehrkasse, the vice president of public relations at BAE, in a statement.

In May 2011, Meyer gave his two weeks notice to BAE Systems and applied to return to Ausgar Technologies. He was approved by the U.S. government for the job, but the Ausgar hiring manager informed Meyer that he would not be hired because of allegations made by former marine McCreight.

Meyer is now suing McCreight for telling "the government program manager that Mr. Meyer should not be hired for reasons that are false and defamatory," according to Meyer's original petition.

According to Roehrkasse, BAE Systems strongly disagrees with Meyer's claims and intends to "vigorously defend [themselves] through the appropriate legal process."

[Ton Loc]

McCreight is a dick.

[KantoSooner]

It must be a real buzz-kill to come back from combat to the workaday world, and VERY frustrating to come back from making the most critical decisions possible to being one more worker-bee.
Hell, even in business, employees who are sent overseas are expected to perform many, many levels above their job grades .... and then are shipped home to be glorified clerks. That first year back is a major period of attrition due to resignation or general apathy.

This certainly looks like the BAE supervisor got tired of being questioned by the war hero (who probably needed someone to have a quiet conversation with him about running for public office if he wanted to make policy). He certainly appears to be a guy on whom a second chance would not be wasted.

[SoonerTerry]

One thing is certain, That marine knows how to react in a tight spot. It would take a heelova lot of guts to stand up to a company of that size.

[NormanPride]

Gotta admire someone for sticking to their beliefs, but that was a poor move on his part if he wanted a job there. Just stating the obvious. I really don't think we should be selling ANY of our military equipment to other nations, unless it is really basic stuff.

[cccasooner2]

Looks like McCreight's *** is in a sling. I'm sure he has no evidence to back up his claim that Meyer was unstable (two months). Meyer will win the suit. Then we will read a new boo-hoo story about McCreight sueing BAE for wrongful termination and not training him properly on the legalities of dealing with job references.

[KantoSooner]

Gotta admire someone for sticking to their beliefs, but that was a poor move on his part if he wanted a job there. Just stating the obvious. I really don't think we should be selling ANY of our military equipment to other nations, unless it is really basic stuff.

It's always a judgment call, but here are some contra-considerations:

1. Forces using our stuff can work more effectively with our forces. (common ammo, common supplies, compatible communications, etc)
2. Forces who use our stuff generally train with our staff...and that, in any number of cases tends to influence people in our favor. Not perfectly, of course and you get constant embarassments, but what you don't hear about are the numerous cases of officers who tend to be quietly pro-American and either exert themselves in our behalf or pass information on to our intelligence folk. It's not a perfect world, but we're doing better than anyone else at this game at present.
3. Forces who use our stuff tend to be vulnerable to our willingness to supply spares, ammo, upgrades, etc.
4. In many nations, the military is one of, if not the, stablest institution; and supplying them tends to tighten relations between the countries over time.

Pakistan is a special case due to the character of the national self definition and of the military. (It is my judgement to rank the following as THE major cause of strife between the countries. I dont think I'd be far off the mark, however).

Pakistan was defined from day one after partition as an Islamic nation and the military as being, quite literally, Jihadi's. Thus, different from most national militaries, the Pakistani soldier takes an oath to defend Islam rather than his country. It's no wonder under those circumstances, that the idea of fighting the Taliban to help the US is not a terribly palatable exercise.

That being said, the Pakistani's were an excellent ally throughout the cold war, providing a useful bulwark to protect the SE flank of the mideast from Russian interests. (at that point served by India). (to some degree, we're playing the same old 'Great Game' of the Russians and the Brits circa 1850).

We don't really have a choice in being engaged with Pakistan. Their location alone means we must be involved with them, as annoying as they might be. If that involves military aid, so be it.

[NormanPride]

Good points, Kanto.

[StoopTroup]

Kanto's quote:


the Pakistani soldier takes an oath to defend Islam rather than his country.

It seems odd that we would do business with Countries that have those beliefs. I am sure there is some sort of messed up reason for it but I'd be better if we just figured out a better way to deal with it all. Let's face it...

Pakistan was hiding Bin laden.

They aren't our friends and they aren't our allies. They are someone that sits on the fence. They have always been that way. I do understand the Military Advantages you talk about but they do not work with us unless it benefits them to a great degree. I surely hope we are getting our bang for our buck from it all.

[SoonerTerry]

And BAE is not an american company

[TheHumanAlphabet]

Kanto...Good points. I however am tired of the Paki's burning the candle at both ends, playing both sides of the coin, etc. They are not to be trusted and I wouldn't want them to have any good tech from US. Perhaps their psyche is designed because of where they reside, but I would sooner distrust a paki than trust 'em...

That being said, Meyer should have waited until he had his new job to make his comments to his boss rather than before...Black listing can take many forms and is hard as hell to prove.

[SoonerTerry]

That being said, Meyer should have waited until he had his new job to make his comments to his boss rather than before...Black listing can take many forms and is hard as hell to prove.

CYOA doesn't appear to be in Meyer's DNA

[KantoSooner]

I don't for one minute pretend that we have some sort of commonality of belief with the Paki's. I've had okay working relations there (and am proudly registered with the government as a 'Hopeless Alcoholic' (which registration I had to sign in order to get a beer with my burger)), but I think most Americans would feel much more fellowship with the Indians or even most Iranians than with the Paki's.

That being said, we simply have to work with them. The only question is how much and in what way. I'll trust our military, diplomats and intelligence folk to make those judgements and I'll be very forgiving of disasters. It's a slimy, vicious, alien part of the world and I'm glad I don't have to go there anymore.

(for good background, read Rushdie's 'Shame')

[Tulsa_Fireman]

One of my engineers I used to tech for was a Paki.

He smelled funny.

[SoonerTerry]

Thanks for your insights Kanto.



BTW, This is not in the sarcasm font. You have made some great points.

[StoopTroup]

It's a slimy, vicious, alien part of the world and I'm glad I don't have to go there anymore.




I've never been there but I have gone to School with some folks that were from Pakistan and Iran back in Jr. HS.

That's how they even felt about their own Country. I never trusted any of them for 1 minute but I also had nothing against them as long as they stayed to themselves. I felt sorry for them too though as their parents had basically left them at School to be raised by Augustinian Priests. The Iranian Kids Parent's were Loyal to the Shah of Iran and I have absolutely no idea what happened to them after they left the School with their Parents after the Fall of the Shah.