'Fat Leonard'

Those who follow partisan media have probably heard that the president is gutting the armed forces by getting rid of senior officers.

If you are one of these believers, you will have more ammunition with the decision of the Navy to take action against three admirals. Rear Adms. Michael Miller, Terry Kraft and David Pimpo have all been issued letters of censure by Navy Secretary Ray Mabus. These reprimands effectively end an officer's career. Your information that this was a political action ignores that the admirals and others were involved in a bribery scandal that cost the U.S. government at least $20 million in overbilling.

This information came out during an ongoing investigation into bribery and fraud involving Navy contracts for port services in Southeast Asia and into the involvement of a Malaysian businessman named Leonard Glenn Francis.

Called "Fat Leonard" because of his size, Francis owned Singapore based Glenn Defense Marine Asia and has admitted bribing Navy civilian and military officials with $500 million as well as travel, prostitutes, spa treatments, high-priced alcohol, designer handbags, furniture, watches, ornamental swords and handmade ship models.

Fat Leonard's company was provided with classified information about U.S. Navy ships were then rerouted to ports owned by Fat Leonard's company. GDMA next overbilled the Navy at least $20 million for port services such as food, fuel and garbage disposal.

The corruption did not end with the three admirals. Several Navy officers and officials including a captain, a lieutenant commander and civilians have pleaded guilty while others are waiting for trials.

Almost all of those in military service are honorable people who try to live up to their oaths. Unfortunately, there are a very few of all ranks who have committed crimes of all types.

The actions of these people should reflect only on them and not on the millions who are or have served honorably in the military. At the same time, it is disgraceful to claim that removing criminals and unethical people from the military is a conspiracy or a political act.

Military.com was the primary source for this column.

Jack Dragoni attended Boston College and served in the U.S. Army in Berlin and Vietnam. He resides in Chaffee, Missouri.