Letter of revenge II

Below is a letter to the Secretary of Navy that detail my case and why he decided incorrectly in my case.  This goes to my shame and guilt and why my career ended early.  I would like feedback to see if I am not crazy.

Hon. Secretary of the Navy,

This letter is in response to your decision to remove my name from the Captain promotion list that was approved by congress.   This letter and this decision is an absolute travesty of justice and fairness.  I WAS INNOCENT OF ALL WRONGDOING. I was scapegoated by this process in an effort to destroy enough careers to fulfill some quota.  The acquisitions against me are all false, baseless, and deny actual events.  You are receiving bad and false investigation data, and you making a bad decision based on that data.   The decision you made is wrong.  Right, this wrong by ignoring the report and restoring my good name.  I earned this promotion and should be allowed to continue my career and continue to support the Navy.

While it is true that I attended a brunch, I tried to pay and made several inquiries of who what hosting the brunch.  I acted in a reasonable matter.   It was not until over ten years later that I was told the brunch was paid for by the husbanding agent.   This is beyond any influence on the part of the husbanding agent.  Ten years until knowing who paid for this brunch is not reasonable to hold someone accountable for attending a brunch

It did receive a bottle of wine from the husbanding agent.  It was a cheap bottle (less than $25).  This is allowed under ethics rules.  At the same time and in the same port, I instituted several procedures that exactly counted water, and CHT (black waste) the ship received.  This was not normal procedures.  Typically, water and CHT are paid for based on the amount received in a tank.  I used my data to personally reduce the payment to the husbanding agent by over $200,000.  I received a Navy Commendation Medal for my innovative thinking.  There is no reason, and the investigation proved this, that I was not trying to be bribed or coerced.   This charge against me is so insignificant compared to other events of the time.  Accepting this bottle of wine is something I regret in hindsight, but it was not for a bribe and I was holding the husbanding agent responsible for generated corrected bills showing massive savings for the Navy.  Your investigation is wrong, and it is going after something that happened ten years ago.   You are punishing an officer for hold accountable the husbanding agent with innovation monitoring procedures.   Would many officers have gone to such lengths to ensure the CHT barge is empty?  I was dedicated to the job and the husbanding knew he could get nothing past me on our port visits.

I made hotel reservations for senior officers under the orders of the Executive Officer.  I made these reservations through the husbanding agent.  This is the process that I was taught and what expect of me as the readiness officer.  No special accommodations requested and I only made reservations.  Payment and any upgrades were not under my purview.   I told those under my command to follow the same instructions passed down to me from my Supply Officer and Executive Officer.  At not time was any ethical law broken in making these requests. 

This investigation of me has been a travesty.  I have been required to prove my innocence without the benefit of witnesses on my behalf and any evidence.  The investigations hold all the information but do not disclose any of that information with me, making it nearly impossible to answer charges brought against me.  The judicial system of innocent till proven guilty has been turned on its head and I find myself in a drumhead court.  Your ruling ignores my actions on the NIMITZ to reduce port charges and to hold the husbanding agent accountable to, and to bill for only what was issued or removed from the ship.  My procedures should be made standard practice onboard all ships.  The savings per year would be in the millions.  These procedures were part of a Logistical Team of the Year submission for the Admiral Stan Arthur Award.  This all navy award is the pinnacle of most logistics officers’ careers. 

You have ignored my unblemished record.  I have delivered 27 years of service to this organization and country.  I have deployed 7 times to combat zones.  I have deployed with the special forces to an active combat zone.  I have placed my life in jeopardy dozens of times for the Navy.  I have performed outstandingly as a leader.  I have competed exceptionally well against my peers.  My postings have been in increasing complexity and managerial expertise.  The bottom line my career is outstanding, unblemished, and an example for others to follow, my work and performance show that I deserve the rank of Captain.

Violations of minor ethical procedures judged against the totality of my career are not enough to warrant my termination from the Officer Corps.  The Navy has spent nearly three decades grooming and nurturing a young officer to take responsibility at the CAPTAIN level.  This decision destroys all those years of service.  Is this the best use of resources the Navy has laid to destroy that investment?  Your report is absolutely wrong and is based on faulty and incomplete information.  You are making a mistake in this decision and should look more closely at the conditions that were present at the time of these events.  Training did not include any thing that dealt with husbanding against.  You should look at the common practices that I followed at the time and not punish the individual that was doing the right and honorable thing at the time. 

Bottom Line: This report is in error.  My promotion should not be removed for minor procedural violations, the investment in my education and experience should not be destroyed.