According to data compiled by GAO analysts for the new report on recruiting irregularities (see above), Air Force recruiters in 2004 and 2005 evidenced a higher rate of wrongdoing than their counterparts in the other branches. Data from Fiscal 2004 show the Air Force with far fewer allegations of irregularities but a markedly higher percentage of those complaints proved true. In Fiscal 2005, the number of allegations of wrongdoing by Air Force recruiters climbed dramatically—probably due to a new tracking system, says GAO—and, although the rate of substantiation decreased, it was still higher than that for the other services. Caution: The data table shows number of events not the number of recruiters alleged to have committed wrongdoing. Also, it’s useful to know that the total number of substantiated allegations represents less than one percent of the number of accessions. Still, in this case, it’s not good to be No. 1.
Billy Mitchell: Lessons a Hundred Years Hence
Dec. 16, 2025
Exactly 100 years ago, on Dec. 17, 1925, Brig. Gen. Billy Mitchell was convicted by court-martial for violating an order that required approval before he could engage with the media. Mitchell’s provocative thoughts and unorthodox methods sought attention for a cause that he saw as uniquely American.
