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AF vice commander relieved after sending 'unprofessional' emails
Stars and Stripes ^ | April 5, 2014 | By Sig Christenson

Posted on 04/05/2014 8:22:57 PM PDT by Jet Jaguar

The vice commander of the Air Force's 12th Flying Training Wing at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph has been relieved after investigators learned he exchanged emails with the wife of a subordinate officer.

The messages were sent in 2007 while Col. James Gifford Jr. served at Vance AFB in Oklahoma, where he was director of operations with the 8th Flying Training Squadron. A major at the time, he rose to lieutenant colonel in October of that year and was the squadron's commander from 2009 to 2010.

He left the base to become military assistant to Defense Secretary Robert Gates.

“The internal investigation found no evidence of a sexual relationship between the two people involved,” the Air Education and Training Command said in a statement. “However, the correspondence sent between them was determined to be unprofessional and Colonel Gifford showed poor judgment as an Air Force member, leading to his commander's decision to remove him from his post.”

The Air Force said the 12th Flying Training Wing's commander, Col. Gerald Goodfellow, relieved Gifford, a fighter and tanker pilot with more than 3,500 hours in the air, on March 24.

The action was taken because of a “loss of confidence in his ability to lead” the wing, but the statement did not explain how the emails were unprofessional. The Air Force did not elaborate after the San Antonio Express-News sent a list of questions asking about the nature of the messages, citing “privacy rights and concerns.”

The Air Force also wouldn't say how many messages were exchanged and said it has not been determined why the email relationship ended. An AETC spokeswoman, Amy Bartholomew, did say that Gifford did not review the officer's performance evaluations.

Gifford was reassigned to AETC's headquarters. His abrupt exit apparently marks the first time a vice commander at the wing has been relieved. Bartholomew said she did not know of an incident like it.

A relationship involving commanders and the wives of their subordinates - even by electronic mail — would be highly unusual and strictly prohibited.

“Unprofessional relationships, particularly by Air Force leaders, stand to undermine our entire team, damage good order and discipline, and threaten the trust people have in us,” the AETC statement said. “They simply aren't tolerated.”

A graduate of Rutgers University, Gifford came to the 12th Flying Training Wing in June 2012 after graduating from the Marine Corps War College, where he was honored for submitting the best thesis.

The Randolph-based wing, with 1,456 military and civilian workers, trains instructor pilots, combat systems officers and those who will fly drone aircraft. It also screens Air Force officers who enter pilot, combat systems and drone aircraft training, and has an average of 745 students a day.


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs
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To: Jet Jaguar

7 year old e-mails, I would be curious to know,as a non-AF guy, what is his command and what is its most important function in the USAF . Thanks Jet just trying to get context.


41 posted on 04/05/2014 9:29:18 PM PDT by crosslink (Moderates should play in the middle of a busy street)
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To: Vermont Lt
When they are cutting staff, the littlest thing will be used to getcha.

yep... same thing happening in the army...

42 posted on 04/05/2014 9:32:41 PM PDT by latina4dubya (when i have money i buy books... if i have anything left, i buy 6-inch heels and a bottle of wine...)
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To: Theoria

Clowns. One would think after all that has happened around JBSA ‘they’ would get squared away.

//////////////
The putative (electronic) fraternizing offenses occurred at Vance — some seven years ago.

Possibly the only “clowns” in this story are the ones doing the purging (perhaps, with a little help from friends in the NSA).


43 posted on 04/05/2014 9:32:46 PM PDT by man_in_tx (Blowback (Faithfully farting towards Mecca five times daily).)
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To: crosslink

A vice commander at wing level handles the day to day operations for the the Base Commander. He is responsible for the Group Commanders, then the Squadron Commanders.

If this happened seven years ago, the guy was probably a Major.

The responsiblities he has currently are considerable.


44 posted on 04/05/2014 9:40:07 PM PDT by Jet Jaguar
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To: Jet Jaguar

Not any more.

He’s quite responsibility free now.


45 posted on 04/05/2014 10:32:23 PM PDT by Jonty30 (What Islam and secularism have in common is that they are both death cults)
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To: vaudine

In totalitarian regimes, moral reasons are always the reasons given for eliminating somebody.


46 posted on 04/05/2014 10:33:25 PM PDT by Jonty30 (What Islam and secularism have in common is that they are both death cults)
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To: Jet Jaguar

7 years ago? That’s absurd. That’s just an excuse.


47 posted on 04/05/2014 10:42:13 PM PDT by andyk (I have sworn...eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man.)
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To: Jonty30

Commanders have been being relieved since the dawn of the Republic. Given the size of the military bureaucracy, a few dozen isn’t that large a number. I remember during my time in the Air Force commanders being relieved, and that was nearly 30 years ago.

Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.


48 posted on 04/05/2014 10:51:16 PM PDT by bigdaddy45
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To: Jet Jaguar

The Coup D’e Tat continues. Never seen this kind of a purge. Get more freaks and sub humans in charge.


49 posted on 04/05/2014 10:55:00 PM PDT by Busko (The only thing that is certain is that nothing is certain.)
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To: Jet Jaguar

With the Air Force official and explicit hatred for Christianity, it would not surprise me if these Emails related to prayer.


50 posted on 04/05/2014 10:55:27 PM PDT by Prospero (Si Deus trucido mihi, ego etiam fides Deus.)
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To: Jet Jaguar

I get OFA emails all the time. Does this mean Obama will resign?


51 posted on 04/06/2014 2:15:35 AM PDT by Organic Panic
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To: Jet Jaguar; ExTexasRedhead

This is his Private Life!! Everyone lies about sex! His detractors are obsessed with private sex between adults! This has NO BEARING on his professional life! HOW DARE THESE PEOPLE even bring this up!

___________________________________________________________________

Destroy that officer.....that's an order.....find something.....even a 7 year old e-mail....or whatever.....I don't care if he never even had an affair......get rid of him....


52 posted on 04/06/2014 2:44:03 AM PDT by SkyPilot
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To: Squantos
At first blush, everyone thinks the guy's a horn dog who broke the rules....and yes he did. But what we don't know whether he's a really good hard line officer, that the weasels, pencil necks and political correct types started to dig into in order to find something wrong. Hell, even Ike had his dalliances.

I don't post here much any more and I recognize your name from way back....this place is a little nuts once in a while when it comes to never liking anyone who isn't Ted Cruz. Yet this stuff....this purge is real and it's dangerous to America.

Cheers

irish guard

53 posted on 04/06/2014 5:06:04 AM PDT by irish guard
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To: Squantos

Yep. The years of the long knives!


54 posted on 04/06/2014 5:16:13 AM PDT by Redleg Duke ("Madison, Wisconsin is 30 square miles surrounded by reality.", L. S. Dryfusbutcher)
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To: irish guard
I was dating a really good looking Sgt. while I was in the USAF. A went over to her apartment one night and caught the married Vice Commander in a compromising position with her on the her couch. I just laughed as I was reared in the USAF and had seen this behaviour all of my life. I didn't say a thing and until right now never mentioned it to anyone. The man was a good pilot, a good commander, and nothing was said again. Ironic that homosexuality and transgendered is accepted but adultery or Christianity is immoral in today's USAF.

The Commander and I met several times after this incident. I served with some pretty hard core officers that were hard drinking high testosterone types but knew they wouldn't do anything to sell out our Country. They would not make Major in today's USAF.

55 posted on 04/06/2014 5:19:39 AM PDT by vetvetdoug
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To: man_in_tx
(perhaps, with a little help from friends in the NSA)

Good guess as any. Seven year old e-mail. Cyber sex, I gather it wasn't actually physical. Yeah, something weird going on here. Someone, somewhere said, "get this guy".

56 posted on 04/06/2014 5:28:34 AM PDT by csvset
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To: Jet Jaguar

Take a close look. These guys,the regime, are doubling down on everything anticipating a huge loss in Nov. And,a big question mark two years after that. They are taking out and challenging everyone they can while they still have power.
IRS intimidation has not stopped,Yellen still printing money,budget deficits still there,march towards socialism /communism accelerated if anything. They know they are about over and are trying to kill everyone and everything they possibly can before they are gone.


57 posted on 04/06/2014 5:37:34 AM PDT by rodguy911 (FreeRepublic:Land of the Free because of the Brave--Sarah Palin our secret weapon)
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To: csvset; Jet Jaguar; maggief

After digging a bit I can’t find anything on the net that explains what he did as assistant to Gates but my guess is while there he pissed someone off in the regime, then the Gates book comes out, investigation starts on all connected to Gates still in the service, NSA help, and you are gone.

Crosslink


58 posted on 04/06/2014 5:53:51 AM PDT by crosslink (Moderates should play in the middle of a busy street)
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To: crosslink

bio:

http://www.militarycityusaradio.org/2013/01/12/colonel-james-m-gifford/

http://ajkai.com/?page_id=4


59 posted on 04/06/2014 6:40:17 AM PDT by maggief
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To: Vermont Lt

Another one bites the dust. His email prolly said “sorry the missus and I can’t make it to your barbeque on Sat Hon.”

It was the “Hon” that got him. :-)


60 posted on 04/06/2014 8:40:28 AM PDT by Georgia Girl 2 (The only purpose o f a pistol is to fight your way back to the rifle you should never have dropped.)
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