Fraud, Waste, and Abuse

I managed to get myself a commendation from the Strategic Air Command while holding one of the 3 desk jobs I've ever had. I had injured my back on the flightline and was on restricted duty, attached to the supply squadron, checking out tools and supplies to the maintenenance folks and making sure they brought them back in one piece (I was stark raving nuts after a month, homicidal after 6 weeks, and returned to duty).

My commendation was for noticing and documenting serious overcharging of the Air Force for basic supplies, rivets, tools, ass wipes; back in the day of the $700 toilet seats. I was bored and started digging through files to pass the time, go figure. The contractors who were ripping us off were declared 'off-limits' (their military contracts were revoked and forbidden from doing business with the military or military personnel in the future) and I was given a thousand dollar bonus (to an E-4 in 1985, that was a nice chunk o' change) for saving Uncle Sam millions. Had I found this, they'd have made me Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, or at least Chief of Supply. Could you imagine me as a two or three star? Ha! I shudder at the thought. But do you think Blackwater, Dyncorp, Halliburton, or KBR will ever be declared 'off-limits'?

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I suppose it comes as no surprise to learn that funds distributed by the anti-Democratic Party to its largest campaign donors were abused and mismanaged, but the expanse of waste and fraud is truly amazing.

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