Probe of AZ Guard apparently ignored 2 whistle-blowers

A Guard spokesman said Maj. Gen. Ricky Adams and his team returned to National Guard Bureau headquarters in late December and are expected to produce a report by the end of this month.

The investigation was launched in the aftermath of Arizona Republic reports exposing years of misconduct by Arizona military personnel and raising questions about the Guard's leadership and culture. Allegations of wrongdoing included sexual abuse, drunken driving, narcotics trafficking, fraud, embezzlement, retaliation against whistle-blowers and abuses of power.

In the Air Guard, allegations of graft, sexual harassment and abuse of authority led to the dismissal of three top commanders. Aftershocks from that controversy erupted in late October into a violent incident within the 214th Reconnaissance Squadron at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, where Guard pilots remotely operate Predator drones flying over Afghanistan, Pakistan and other locations. Officials on Friday confirmed the filing of military charges against a pilot accused of attacking a superior officer and biting his ear.

After the Republic's October series, Brewer called on Adams to conduct "a full, fair and independent review of Arizona National Guard operations, including personnel, disciplinary procedures and the handling of recent cases and allegations of misconduct."

Adams serves as National Guard Bureau liaison for policy issues. He also is deputy commanding general for the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command in Virginia, which educates officers, soldiers and civilians. As a civilian, he's spent 27 years in law enforcement and is assistant commissioner of the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety.

Lt. Col. Rob White, an outspoken advocate for reform in the Arizona Guard, confirmed that Adams interviewed him extensively. So did Michael Colangelo, former commander of the Air Guard, who was fired by Maj. Gen. Hugo Salazar, the state's top officer, in a dispute over leadership.

However, the investigative team apparently bypassed other key whistle-blowers. Sgt. Chad Wille, who exposed corruption among recruiters and was the target of a documented harassment campaign by fellow soldiers, said he had not been contacted. Staff Sgt. Carrie Armstrong, who was subjected to reprisal after complaining about sexual harassment, said she also was overlooked by investigators. Adams could not be reached for comment, and the governor did not respond to an interview request.

Salazar has acknowledged that a rogue atmosphere permeated the Recruiting and Retention Command for several years. However, he said reforms were enacted, and the wrongdoing has been eliminated. He argued that behavior uncovered by the the Republic after a thorough review of military records reflected "a couple of bad apples" among 8,000 soldiers and airmen, rather than a systemic failure.

At the same time, Salazar issued a new disciplinary directive for the Guard to ensure top-level oversight and responsibility. That policy requires the filing of "serious incident reports" within 72 hours of allegations of sexual abuse, harassment or drunken driving by any military personnel.

Amid the turmoil, Maj. Rob Turner, a veteran pilot, angrily confronted his commander, Col. Randall Inman, screaming obscenities as he put him in a bear hug and bit his ear, according to Air Force charging papers.

Details of the events leading up to the outburst were not disclosed, and Arizona Guard officials did not respond to inquiries. Turner could not be reached, and the military police report was not immediately available.

Capt. Jonathan Simmons, an Air Force spokesman with the 355th Fighter Wing, said Turner faces four charges under the Uniform Code of Military Justice: assault of a superior officer, disrespect of a superior officer, and two counts of conduct unbecoming. Simmons said the charges are analogous to misdemeanors and will be prosecuted in a special court-martial proceeding scheduled for Jan. 29.

The U.S. Air Force held jurisdiction, rather than the National Guard, because Turner's alleged outburst occurred during a federal military operation. Simmons did not respond to a question about national-security implications of the incident, which occurred moments after Turner completed his last flight mission with an unmanned Predator aircraft that is typically armed with Hellfire missiles.

The Arizona Guard has more than 9,100 personnel, including about 5,200 soldiers and 2,500 airmen who joined to serve their state and country. Not one complained of exaggeration or systemic flaws in the Republic articles. However, more than 50 called or wrote to offer additional testimony about a contaminated military culture.