Conduct Unbecoming

Is he a rapist or a pawn in a military game to discredit the Air Force Academy sex scandal? For the first time, Douglas Meester answers the charges.

The academy's new superintendent is Gen. John Rosa. A graduate of the Citadel military institute, he is the first nonacademy alum to lead the school. His outsider perspective, so goes Secretary Roche's reasoning, should finally bring change. Rosa has publicly pledged to beat the academy's current woes. He has said, "We're developing a campaign, just as we've done in Iraq." Working with Brig. Gen. Weida, who has been appointed the Commandant of Cadets, Rosa has instituted an "Agenda For Change." Together they are attempting to overhaul the culture, and specifically the academy's methods for responding to reports of sexual assault. The infamous "Bring Me Men" sign has been torn down. The first four pages of the most recent Basic Cadet Training handbook cover: "Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment," "Rape," "Carnal Knowledge," "Forcible Sodomy," "Indecent Assault," and "Indecent Acts of Liberties with a Child." Yet, since the new administration took control, 19 female cadets have reported being sexually assaulted, and the academy's 2003 Social Climate Survey, the most recent survey, revealed that one in five academy males resents having women in the cadet wing. m

Maximillian Potter is 5280's executive editor.