The Army is incapable of investigating the Ranger School story

By Ray Starmann

The US Army continues to deny that any special treatment was given to the first two female graduates of Ranger School, Captain Kristen Griest and First Lieutenant Shaye Haver, and Friday’s female graduate, Major Lisa Jaster, a 37 year old mother of two.

Congressman Steve Russell of Oklahoma requested the school records for Griest and Haver on September 15^th and was stalled by the Army for three weeks until they informed Russell that some of the records had been destroyed.

Meanwhile, the Army refuses to comment on the Ranger School policy for the storage and destruction of student records. They also refuse to comment on whether Major Jaster’s records have been destroyed as well.

US Defense Watch would like to know how the Army expects the media to stop asking questions, when the Army cannot answer the most basic questions asked of them.

In a heated exchange with People Magazine reporter, Susan Keating, Major-General Miller denied that any female graduates had been given special treatment. He also stated that Keating’s sources from the Ranger Training Brigade should speak with him. Keating stated her sources refuse to confront Miller and the Army because they know their careers will be terminated.

Miller told Keating that an external agency in the Army should investigate the story. How would that be possible? How is the Army capable of investigating itself, when multiple sources allege that the Army is involved in deliberately graduating females from Ranger School in order to satisfy a political agenda from the White House?

As reported by Stars and Stripes and the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer:

Maj. Gen. Scott Miller’s voice held frustration late Friday afternoon during a quickly arranged media roundtable on the fourth floor of McGinnis-Wickam Hall, headquarters of the Army’s Maneuver Center of Excellence.

“There are some people who obviously have some concerns,” Miller said. “I can’t address them if they are opaque. These guys can’t address them or fix them if they are opaque.”

Among the three reporters was Susan Keating, a People magazine correspondent who has reported that multiple unnamed sources have told her there was unfair assistance given to the women.

Miller was asked if his credibility had been damaged by the allegations.

“I have thick skin and I am a public figure, but I will tell you who doesn’t deserve this is these guys,” he said, pointing to the Ranger instructors. “They don’t deserve this. … I keep telling everybody I will put my name on anything I say or do. If they are not willing to put their name on it or come back to me. …”

That sparked an exchange between Miller and the People correspondent, prompting Keating to ask Miller, “What if one of my sources comes to me and I say, ‘You need to go tell Gen. Miller right now, you need to go knock on his door and tell him exactly what you are telling me, and give him the same specifics, dates and details that you are giving me’? What’s the push back on that? Will he get repercussions?”

“He will not get repercussions,” Miller responded.

“Will you come back and say, ‘Why did you give a go when you shouldn’t have?” Keating asked the general.

“If he says he gave a go he shouldn’t have given, then he needs to report that,” Miller said.

“So, there would be repercussions for him, right?” Keating asked. “This is part of what we are up against. I have actually asked these people, why don’t you go knock on his door? He’s been in combat. He’s been around the block a few times, right? They say, ‘No. Our careers will be over. We will be ruined.”

“There would not be repercussions?” Keating asked again.

“We would investigate them,” Miller said. “Quite frankly, I am at the point now where [Fivecoat] would not investigate himself, [Ranger instructors] would not investigate themselves. If I felt I was part of the allegation, I would go up and find someone above me to come down here and take a look at this. Part of that is you have to give up some of your anonymity.”

The US Army would like this story to go away. But, it won’t because it reeks of old-fashioned corruption, dishonesty, greed, irresponsibility and moral cowardice. The Army is in damage control mode. Their plan is to dive down to a suitable and safe depth and sit out the storm above them.

But, there are too many media outlets covering this story now. The Army didn’t have the moral fiber to make a stand against the White House. Now, the Army must bear the consequences of angering the media, conservative voters and disenfranchised veterans.