MAG 13 CO Cited for DUI

[MotivatorOfTheGuard]

Commanding officer of MAG-13 cited for DUI <br />
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<br />
BY JEFFREY GAUTREAUX, SUN STAFF WRITER <br />
February 26, 2007 - 11:12PM <br />
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<br />
The commanding officer who oversees four Harrier squadrons at Marine Corps Air...

[BobTate]

A Marine with a blood alcohol content greater than .08?? OMG...that has never happened before... and doing 55 in a 55mph zone?? What is the Corps coming too???

[deppen]

If you drive under the influence and get caught you pay the price.

[SkilletsUSMC]

.08% aint no big thing until he hits a car with you and your family in it.

Greater than .08% BAC could be .081-.30% for all we know. And if you are swerving all over the cops WILL pull you over even if you are going the speed limit. Who knows maybe they watched him drive out of a bar. Drinking and Driving is inexcusable no matter who you are, not to mention for a Marine AND an officer. I dont know the details so I wont say I hope they Max him out, but you know he has knocked some Lance Corporals down a rung or two for this very same thing. The law and the UCMJ applies to all Marines, so I hope he gets the same treatment as a junior Marine would.

[yellowwing]

I don't see a General Robert E. Claypool in the future.

[STA0311]

I love it when CO's step on their own dicks! And as far as .08 being nothing...well Captain, how many death notifications have you done due to drunk driving?

[devildog4life30]

our co commander got 2 in 1 year. he went to work in the legal office. he was also the only co ive seen that fell out of his own hump.

[SkilletsUSMC]

our co commander got 2 in 1 year. he went to work in the legal office. he was also the only co ive seen that fell out of his own hump.

Had that been an Enlisted Marine, his ass would have rightfully been in the brigg, and then out with a BCD or DD. But I Guess "Rank has its privlages" like drinking and driving.

[ZSKI]

.08 i have challenged myself and passed the sobriety test. I gues i just have a tolerance. But we always select DD.

[STA0311]

.08 i have challenged myself and passed the sobriety test. I gues i just have a tolerance. But we always select DD.

Yeah, I get that on the road when I stop people...they "pass" the field sobriety tests, then I ask them to take a PBT. Now they can refuse, get a ticket and go to jail and have their license suspended, or blow. They blow a .08 and guess what...still go to jail for impaired driving. You can go to jail for even a .02 in some cases. Just a little FYI.

[FistFu68]

:evilgrin: THIS CAN BE A VERY GOOD THING,OR A WAKE UP CALL;SO TO SAY! THIS MARINE OFFICER MAY LIVE,TOO FLY ANOTHER DAY!BY THE SEAT OF HIS PANT'S???:evilgrin: :iwo:

[FistFu68]

:evilgrin: SPEED ON BROTHER~HELL~ AIN'T HALF FULL YET :evilgrin: :thumbdown

[Quinbo]

I hope he pays for his crime, misdemeanor those it was and a civilian offense. I hope it is not the end of his career. I know this guy that ended his career in a similar way. I look at him in the mirror every day.

[jinelson]

He may beat the charge because it appears that there wasent any reason to pull him over. But ya'll know the Corps the fact that he was .08 BAC says that he is not fit to lead. Its sad but this...

[Zulu 36]

A conviction for DUI can have serious affects on a pilot's license or authority to fly. I have seen airline pilots lose their six-figure jobs over drunk driving convictions because the FAA yanked...

[FistFu68]

:evilgrin: BUT THEN INSTEAD OF BEING A PRICK,IN BLUE;HE COULD OF CUT THE MARINE A HUSS!GIVEN HIM A RIDE,HAD SOMEONE PIC;HIM UP OR WHATEVER?I HAVE ALOT OF BOY'S IN BLUE,IN MY FAMILY TREE;CITY;STATE;FEDERAL90% ARE BAC' STABBING PRIC'S!!!:evilgrin: :iwo:

[ggyoung]

Fist++++++You are right about that. Now days we don't have any PEACE OFFICERS all we have is police officers. A big differnce between the 2.

[Quinbo]

Cops have disgression .... judges don't.

[Zulu 36]

Fist,

Yeah, the cop could have tried giving the colonel a break. However, many agencies do not allow that. They've taken the discretion away from the street officer for several reasons:

1) MADD (and the news media) goes CRAZY when they find out someone in authority got a break for drunk driving. The bad publicity isn't worth the aggravation.

2) If the colonel was driven home, and as soon as the trooper was out of sight, the colonel got back into a car and drove into an accident. Especially an injury or fatal accident. Guess whose fault that is? Not the colonel's according to the deep pocket theory of civil liability. He doesn't have as much money as the State of Arizona, so it can't be HIS fault. And if the trooper violated policy to give the colonel that break, guess who is getting hung out to dry and quite possibly lose his job? Right! The trooper.

Soooo, if it comes down to the colonel taking it in the shorts, or the trooper, guess again who gets it? Right! And he got it.

The colonel will probably pay a hefty fine, spend some community service time, lose his driver's license for a little while, and be forced into a full retirement. No one died.

I arrested, convicted, and saw off to two-years in prison, a police officer friend (another department) for a fatal off-duty DUI accident (hit a pedestrian). So I'm not too sorry for the colonel, or for you having police officer relatives who enforce the law.

My friend lost his job, retirement, drivers license, and his freedom, plus lives with the knowledge he unlawfully killed someone (who, ironically, was a wanted drug selling dirtbag holding three-ounces of weed packaged for sale at the time he got whacked).

The only good thing out of that incident is it cause me to stop drinking. 15-years now.

[FistFu68]

:evilgrin: SEE IF THE FUZZ,HAS ENOUGH BALL'S TO PULL THE JUDGE OVER;AND HOOK HIS AZZ UP???:evilgrin: FOR DOING 55-10/4:iwo:

[Zulu 36]

Yes, that has happened. There are a lot of cops out there with the balls to do that. I have not had the chance, but I know cops that did. Nothing happened to the cops either. <br />
<br />
Also senior elected...

[FistFu68]

:evilgrin: THAT'S GOOD TO KNOW MARINE,I BURIED A GREAT POLICE OFFICER YEAR'S AGO! NOW ALL I DO IS WORRY ABOUT MY YOUNGEST,BROTHER; WHO IS A FED!NOT HIS INTEGRITY,BUT HIM GETTING HURT;YES THERE ARE ALOT OF GOOD LAW MEN OUT THERE,OR AT LEAST I HOPE SO? S/F MARINE-PUT THAT VEST ON!!!10/4:usmc: :iwo:

[Quinbo]

Having walked in them shoes. My thoughts are that the good colonel probably got several breaks and thought his green ID would gain him another. I personally will not salute anyone with alcohol on their breath.

[Old Marine]

Many good Marines have had their careers shortened by booze. Since I have not touched anything stronger than tea since 1990 and 5 by-passes, I have found that it is easy to say no to booze. Prior to that I drank most anything that was liquid.:evilgrin:

[ggyoung]

Here is a good one that a old wise man told me years ago. Want more crime, just hire more cops.

[hump_drop]

Too many of you are blaming the cop for not covering for this dickweed. He was driving DRUNK, not driving with a bad haircut or something harmless.

[ggyoung]

hump drop++++++You have to remember that you are talking mostly to a bunch of old salts that have been around for a long time and still remember how it WAS used-to-be. when Marines and the cops looked out for each other never knowing when you might need a hus.

[hump_drop]

hump drop++++++You have to remember that you are talking mostly to a bunch of old salts that have been around for a long time and still remember how it WAS used-to-be. when Marines and the cops looked out for each other never knowing when you might need a hus.

There is no excuse for this. Drunk is drunk. Old salt or not, this Marine ****ed up, he needs to be put through the same wringer that I'm sure he's put many junior Marines through. Corps Values know no rank, or does that not apply to the old salts?

[ggyoung]

Thats just one more thing good about the old Corps. You did not have to be political correct. This Marine officer is a very good Marine. His troops really like him. He is a leader of Marines. Now he will probley lose his comand and his troops will end up with a political correct officer who can't lead a boy scout across the streat. and his troops will suffer(sp). You ask how I know this? My youngst son is with MALS13. MAG13.

[ggyoung]

This Marine was driving like there was nothing wrong with him and he was doing 55mph in a 55mph zone. What gives here? My good greff while I was at MBS Hawthorne,Nev. I was cought on radar doing 135mph. in a 35mph. The last I remember was the Mineral County tell if I ever come in town it's off to jail. I did not lose my drivers permit. What was the Corps going to do to me? Cut off my hair and send me back to Vietnam? That what they did and I was happy. It was the only way I could back to Vietnam.

[FistFu68]

:evilgrin: SGT./HUMPER~ARE YOU THAT FRIGGING SQUEAKY CLEAN?THAT YOU WOULD WISH,ANOTHER MARINE;TO GET STUCK WITH THE GREEN-WEENIE!I GUESS THIS WORLD HAS TURNED INTO A BUNCH OF 'BAC STABBING PRIC'S,EXCEPT FOR(A FEW-MARINE'S)!!!YOU MADE YOU'R RACK,NOW GO CRASH IN IT.ALWAY'S FAITHFUL???REMEMBER,WHAT GOE'S AROUND;COME'S AROUND!:beer: :iwo:

[STA0311]

Working the road, I am all about helping not only a Marine out, but any Military personnel...on a simple charge, or Civil Infraction. Drunk Driving on the other hand is just as much a career ender...

[yellowwing]

Some may have heard this one before...out the one of the gates of MCLB Albany, my Bro driving zig-zags around a Rail Crossing with guard arms down and light and bells waring of a train a'comin. In a flash a county mountie is right behind us and pulls us over.

As he was checking license and registration the train starts across the road we just violated. He give a second once over to us and anything else inside. Then he changes into his Back Yard BBQ voice talking about his time in the Corps.

He keeps talking and spinning yarns that run way past being entertaining to us young devil dogs. The train keeps running on endlessly behind us and so does his Sea Tales. We politely listen.

Just when the train is gone and cars start passing us, he switches back to his Command Voice, "Ya'll be more patient next time."

And we did! :evilgrin:

[SkilletsUSMC]

This Marine was driving like there was nothing wrong with him and he was doing 55mph in a 55mph zone. What gives here? My good greff while I was at MBS Hawthorne,Nev. I was cought on radar doing 135mph. in a 35mph. The last I remember was the Mineral County tell if I ever come in town it's off to jail. I did not lose my drivers permit. What was the Corps going to do to me? Cut off my hair and send me back to Vietnam? That what they did and I was happy. It was the only way I could back to Vietnam.

It never said he wasnt doing anything wrong. It said he was going the speed limit, but it didnt say weather or not he was swerving or he just left a bar stumbling or even just had a tail light out. It also says his BAC was OVER .08%. That can mean it was .081% to .30%+

As a HIGH ranking officer he should have a plan. This officer of Marines may have made it home that night fine and then had LCPL schmuckatelli standing tall in his chucks getting ready to take it in the shorts.

Was he so hammered he was a real threat on the road? NONE of us know for sure. But think of this. That cop sees innocent motorists turned into road pizza regularly. He may have even had a mother or daughter killed by a drunk.

Some of you guys are acting like he is gonna spend the rest of his days in the brigg. Nope... he got off easy. His carreer is now f*cked, but how hard was it to call a buddy? I know for god-damn sure he has enough money to get a cab. He is supposed to be the example of what a Marine should aspire to be, a role modle for his troops. Now what is he?

[ggyoung]

skilletsUSMC and others. You have been judge and jury all at the sametime. You are beliving that this cop is always right. One of the big problems we face these days is that every thing has to be by the book. There is no common cents used any more. It is a sad day in hell when everything is done by the damn book.

[fmoyer]

GGYOUNG after carring a badge for almost 30 years I can say that there is very little common scence used on the job. But the reason is not because of the officers it is because of the demands put on him. We as a people have allowed lawyers and politics to change all the rules of common scence so don"t blame the street officer look in the mirror and all around you as we have allowed it to happen.

[FistFu68]

:evilgrin: AFTER ALL YOU'R ONLY HUMAN TOO,THE BOY'S IN BLUE PUT THEIR TROUSER'S ON, LIKE THE REST OF US;TOO BAD THE YOUNG ONE'S ARE 99% OF THE PRIC'S!!!YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE? EVERYONE IN YOU'R JURIS DICTION DOES? :usmc:

[ggyoung]

fmoyer You are right on on some of your post. What is not said here is+++++ Laws are made by lawyers for lawyers to make money for lawyers. The way our system is made up there is no way to vote all of them out at one time. The most you can hope for is 50% of them. By the time the next round comes around the one that were voted in last are all corruped by this time. There is no way we can change this. Don't get me wrong here I have a lot of respect for law officers. Having came from a cop familey on both sids. But more and more are being "police officers" by the book and not being a "peace officer" who know how to treat people. They have that badge and that gun on there hip and they think they are the best thing sinces penut butter. I have have seen this to be the case more in the last 20 years than the other 43 I have lived. Most cops now days are not looked up on as good people.

[USMCBOXER]

This CO f'd up and he needs to pay the price, however "unfortunate" it may seem to others. The bottom line is that he is clearly guilty of conduct unbecoming (at a minimum), and, more importantly, he was a threat to not only himself but to others.

Still, don't let it go unnoticed that, from what we know now, this officer seems to have had no reason for stopping the CO. Maybe he was swerving, maybe not. I don't know. But it shouldn't be assumed that all of officers are in the right. The f'ck up too and do it all the time. I fully support officers, sheriffs and patrolmen, but I don't blindly trust them.

On this note, check out this which I saw today....

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070305/ap_on_re_us/untrained_police

[fmoyer]

Good read Boxer, I am afraid that it says alot about our young people today not having any brains. The people that were picked out for this article should never have been given a badge. For a lot of years it was excepted practice to have a man work for 6-12 months before making the investment to send him to school, this should be a training cycle with a experinced officer. I have a lot of faith the the boot camp training we as Marines finished, but I still remember a lot of people who should not have been allowed to finish, and a lot who were sent packing so yes you are right, they like Marines are to be respected but not blindly. Sadly there are many badge heavy officers out there today but the sad part about it is that is what they are being tought in the police training setting. Very few teach human relations that is not mocho enough.

[fmoyer]

FistFu68 A pric is a pric no matter what uniform. For such a young Marine I like how you think. You are 100% right thank you for putting it all in perspective. Semper Fi !!

[SkilletsUSMC]

Lets change the sennario. what if he had a BAC of .081 and were discharging a pistol on the side of the road? Drinking and driving is literally the most dangerous thing out there. Someone HAS to put a stop to this someday. looks like he will take the hit for the rest of the Corps so that Junior Marines know that the rule is NO BS.

Cops still hook up Marines in a pinch. I know i got into a knockdown dragout fight and the cop let me split because he was a former Marine. There nothing wrong with common sense, but when My Highschool buddy died at the hands of a drunk driver, My tolerance went down considerably. What your saying is that This Marine Should NOT be held up to the same standards as every other Marine in the zero tolerance policy. By letting him go with just a warning, they are telling him he can push his limits, maybe have a few more next time. It NEXT time hes gonna slam his car into the oncomming lane... or maybe not.

As far doing things by the book, thats not me at all. But the difference is that drinking and driving, is dangerous to OTHERS... you want to take your own life, that is your perogative. But once you get behind the wheel your like a missile.
I dont HATE drunk drivers... But I, have sworn and have held true to a promise to never drive under the influence myself.

Im a Corporal, he is a Colonel. I love to drink, and Im guessing so does he. I think before I act, and have a plan, just like they tell us in our saftey briefs. All he had to do was call a cab.

[hump_drop]

:evilgrin: SGT./HUMPER~ARE YOU THAT FRIGGING SQUEAKY CLEAN?THAT YOU WOULD WISH,ANOTHER MARINE;TO GET STUCK WITH THE GREEN-WEENIE!I GUESS THIS WORLD HAS TURNED INTO A BUNCH OF 'BAC STABBING PRIC'S,EXCEPT FOR(A FEW-MARINE'S)!!!YOU MADE YOU'R RACK,NOW GO CRASH IN IT.ALWAY'S FAITHFUL???REMEMBER,WHAT GOE'S AROUND;COME'S AROUND!:beer: :iwo:

I think this is aimed at me, unless I am incorrectly translating the jumble of symbols and run-on sentences.

I never said I am holier than thou. I have done my share of stupid things, but drinking and then climbing into a car and driving is not one of them. Even fresh from SOI Privates get it drilled into their heads (most of them, by looking at the number of new enlisted men compared to the number of new enlisted men who get a DUI) that drinking and driving is stupid. This man is not a new enlistee, not a salty "I don't give a ****" Lance Corporal, or even a Corporal at the end of his enlistment. This is a career Marine, a MAG commander, someone who is supposed to be a model of how to act for all Marines junior to him (from his XO on down to the newest boot) to emulate.

I am all about hooking Marines up and letting them slide out of trouble when they are doing something that everyone does such as a little bar scrape with some mouthy college prix, or turning a blind eye when they are late for libo curfew, those are all small potatoes. This guy endangered countless people by his reckless, stupid actions. I hope they hang him out to dry.

[10thzodiac]

Back in 1964 in 12th Marines we had a Captain miss his ship with almost half of his Battery while they were on a BLT (float). They relieved him of his command. My Commo (Captain) was laughing his ass off, that Captain was just promoted to Major before it happened.

Half of that Battery was lined up outside the Lt.Colonels office for Battalion office hours, if you didn't have a stripe to loose, you went to the brig. I seen E-6's down to E-1's in that line. Must of been some good liberty wherever they pulled in. I wish I could remember where it was. I believe the Philippines ?

I worked in Battalion Comm for the Commo, right down the hall from the Battalion Commanders office.

While were at it, ROFLMO someone stole the Colonels short wave radio right off his desk during working hours that he checked out from special services, talking about a shakedown !!!

I made friends in '65 with a E-7 that was just busted in Lejeune to E-6 for missing his ship on a Med cruise. We both got out of the Corps the same day, he didn't finish his twenty years. A Navy Captain busted him and he was pi ssed !!!

Oki was allot of crazy fun, you name we did it, everybody had the clap, officers too !!! I never got it and I'm not getting it again.

[FistFu68]

:evilgrin: GOOD FOR YOU MARINE,DRINKING AND DRIVING IS REAL BAD CHIT!FIRST TIME OFFENSE,FOR A MAN WHO HAS WRITTEN HOME TO THE PARENT'S OF ALOT OF MARINES;WHO WERE K.I.A!!!SOMETHING YOU WILL NEVER FATHOM,HE WILL STAND TALL;AND TAKE IT LIKE A MAN!HE'S A WAR HERO!!!BUT WANTING REVENGE ON ANOTHER MARINE IS CHICKEN-CHIT!!!:evilgrin: :iwo:

[hump_drop]

I myself just came back from Iraq, and luckily I didn't lose any of my guys, I don't think the fact that he might have written a dreaded letter home to a Marine's family justifies the DUI.

It's not revenge, it's his reward for his behavior. I am finished with this conversation. I appreciate your stance on this, I hope you respect mine. I am afraid if we keep discussing this, it will become a personal battle.

[FistFu68]

:evilgrin: OF COARSE I DO SGT! I RESPECT THAT YOU DID YOU'R DUTY,CAME HOME IN ONE PIECE;AND ARE ABLE TO SAY YOU'R OPINION!THAT'S WHAT IT IS ALL ABOUT,MARINE!!!SEMPER-FIDELIS :usmc: :iwo: I'M MORE EDUCATED, TO LET ANYTHING SUCH AS OPINION'S BECOME PERSONAL~10/4

[Old Marine]

fmoyer You are right on on some of your post. What is not said here is+++++ Laws are made by lawyers for lawyers to make money for lawyers. The way our system is made up there is no way to vote all of them out at one time. The most you can hope for is 50% of them. By the time the next round comes around the one that were voted in last are all corruped by this time. There is no way we can change this. Don't get me wrong here I have a lot of respect for law officers. Having came from a cop familey on both sids. But more and more are being "police officers" by the book and not being a "peace officer" who know how to treat people. They have that badge and that gun on there hip and they think they are the best thing sinces penut butter. I have have seen this to be the case more in the last 20 years than the other 43 I have lived. Most cops now days are not looked up on as good people.

Seems that a lot of people these days only want law enforcement when it is effecting them. I would rather have law enforcement be law enforcement all the time in the same manner. Drive drunk, Go directly to jail.

[10thzodiac]

Most of my working career was problem solving. Electro-mechanical problems from pencil sharpners to 1000 Horse Power, 4,160 Volt, 3 phase, centrifugal air conditioning compress, R-11 Refrigerant (which is 100 times worse than R-12 for ozone), not to mention fixing up my old house.

Well that being said, I saw something on the news last night that caught my interest, maybe old news to some but in Illinois they're giving real stiff speeding tickets for construction zones, $375.00.

If I had my say so, anyone caught speeding anywhere, would pay $1000 for speeding. Sure you'll still have speeders, but less of them. Yeah, that will cause some to try to out run the law and the deep pockets won't care. But I bet it will cut down on over-all highway deaths by the thousands.

We should also ban people permanently from ever driving again if caught at certain levels of intoxication driving, but of course money talks and bull-sh it walks. The liquor lobby telling our politicians what bills to sign into law and which ones not to would have a p issy fit if that ever happened ! So when then next drunken ******* runs into you and/or your family you might know what needs to be done. Ever have a drunk run into you head on ? I have twice, the last time 2003, totaled my car.

Who runs this country anyways, we the people or the lobbyist for special interests or a bunch of morons that say they care, but do nothing ?

Hell, I had a nasty drunk at a stop light swerve to miss rear-ending me at a stop light hitting the car next to me while we were stopped. I had my little 7 year old granddaughter in the back seat. He knocked the other car into the middle of the intersection. I could smell alcohol all over this nasty looking drunk. I told the cop this slob was drinking, the cop didn't want to hear it, not in my squad car.

Society gets what we deserve !