I would hope there was more to this story because if his leadership actually thought not wearing a helmet on a hoverboard was worthy of an investigation then something is really wrong in today’s Air Force ROTC:
Chris Delzell (right) was commissioned Friday. (Photo by John Carroll)
A Baylor graduate whose Air Force career was in jeopardy after he was seen riding a hoverboard without a helmet received his commission as a second lieutenant after all on Friday.
Chris Delzell, 23, of China Spring, passed a physical fitness test on Friday and then was commissioned as a second lieutenant.
“I hope to help the Air Force get ready for the war that we’re fighting and the next war or any threat down the line to our country’s freedom,” he said.
The commissioning ceremony almost didn’t happen.
Delzell graduated in May from Baylor University with a degree in computer engineering,
The four-and-a-half year Air Force ROTC student says he was expecting to report on June 30 to Eglin Air Force Base in Florida to “start building weapons for our country to fight the enemy.”
But a week before finals last month an AFROTC captain spotted him riding his hoverboard to and from school without a helmet and wrote him up.
The report says Delzell used “poor judgment” and that while riding the hoverboard in the department’s offices, he damaged Baylor property.
Delzell says he nicked a wall, leaving a one-inch gash that he immediately offered to pay to repair.
Delzell said that was informed of the investigation, he was stunned. [KWTX]
You can read the rest at the link, but the Army would never have conducted an investigation like this. That is unless he wasn’t wearing his reflective belt then all bets are off. 😉
I have been to a lot of different retirement ceremonies involving personnel from all branches of the military. I have never seen anything even close to what happened at this airmen’s retirement ceremony:
Retired SMSgt. Oscar Rodriguez is known for his moving and patriotic renditions of a specialized script during the folding of Old Glory at various ceremonies and tributes around the Travis Air Force Base community. He’s been performing the script for years at the invitation of honorees and friends.
But when he showed up to provide his famed rendition at the retirement tribute for MSgt. Chuck Roberson, things went terribly wrong. What should have been a dignified moment creating a lasting memory for Roberson, his family, and the Air Force teammates he was bidding farewell turned into a shameful spectacle. When Rodriguez arose to make his remarks, he was approached by uniformed NCOs who demanded that he shut up and sit down. When he refused, three of the men proceeded to lay hands on on Rodriguez and remove him from the ceremony — and indeed the building — through physical force. [John Q. Public Blog]
You can read more and see the video of the altercation at the link.
Apparently the squadron commander did not want the retired NCO to take part in the flag ceremony because he uses the word “God” in his script. When retiree stepped up to take part in the flag ceremony that is when the squadron commander sent personnel to physically remove him from the ceremony. This whole thing is pretty odd because just about every retirement ceremony has the chaplain give an invocation that uses the word “God” so the ceremony already has religious connotations which the squadron was apparently trying to stamp out by denying the retiree from participating in the flag ceremony.
It seems this whole thing could have been better handled all around, but it does make me wonder if the retirement ceremony was taking place in a venue that the retiree paid for, if the commander can unilaterally make a decision on what guests they can kick out?
Police and the FBI are hunting for a bank robber disguised as an airman who can’t pass the tape test.
Kansas City authorities say what appears to be “a heavy-set woman” wearing an Air Force PT jacket and pants combo is the suspect behind a bank robbery and an attempted bank robbery on Monday in Missouri, Fox4KC reports. The suspect was also seen wearing a winter-style Skull cap, dark sunglasses, black gloves and carried a laptop-style black bag.
The suspect reportedly walked up to a teller at a Capitol Federal Savings inside of a Price Chopper supermarket in the Northland area at approximately 11:41 a.m. and presented a note demanding money, Fox4KC said. The suspect escaped with an unknown amount of cash into what police believe is a blue, four-door Nissan Altima.
About 30 minutes later, a person matching suspect’s description targeted a Community America Bank inside another supermarket, Hy-Vee, approximately five miles away. The suspect walked up to the teller station, presented a note, but fled without any cash.
No one was injured in both instances. Authorities believe the suspect is acting alone.
It is unclear if the suspect’s uniform makes a “swish-swish” sound. [Flight Lines]
