Air Force Reprimands General for Numerous Sexual AffairsNew York Times, December 23, 2004By REUTERS
WASHINGTON, Dec. 22 (Reuters) - The former chief military lawyer for the Air Force has been formally reprimanded for conduct unbecoming an officer because of improper relationships with more than a dozen women, the Air Force said on Wednesday. The officer, Maj. Gen. Thomas Fiscus, was given a formal reprimand and ordered to forfeit pay for unbecoming conduct, fraternization, obstruction of justice and violating a lawful general regulation, the Air Force said. In violation of military rules, General Fiscus had sexual affairs over the last decade with more than a dozen female officers, enlisted women and civilians, an investigation found. These affairs were generally consensual, and any other incidents were minor cases of inappropriate touching, investigators found. Gen. Donald Cook, commander of the Air Education and Training Command, decided the punishment in the case and also recommended that General Fiscus be compelled to retire at a lower rank, officials said. General Fiscus, who oversaw 1,300 military lawyers and 300 civilian lawyers, as well as 1,000 military paralegals and 600 other civilian workers, could face additional action, including being disbarred, officials said. General Fiscus was judge advocate general of the Air Force, providing legal advice to Air Force leaders, from February 2002 until stepping aside in September in the face of the investigation. He did not face military criminal charges, and his punishment came in an administrative procedure. "The Air Force takes any misconduct by its officer and enlisted airmen very seriously," an Air Force statement said. "The swift and strong actions of Air Force leadership make it clear that such misconduct will not be tolerated, regardless of the rank of the offender." General Fiscus was among the senior military lawyers who raised questions about the nation's policy toward military detainees, which has been under scrutiny since prisoner abuse scandals arose this year. He opposed a series of harsh interrogation techniques approved and later rescinded by Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld for use on prisoners at the naval base at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba. General Cook urged the Air Force to consider further action against General Fiscus under professional rules of conduct and certification rules for lawyers.
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