By This was brought up in the comments section recently, but here is the Army Times story about the battalion commander that committed adultery with the wife of one of his NCO’s:
Sgt. Mitchell Streeter was overwhelmed. Twice deployed, he was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, unable to sleep, stressed out by his job as a recruiter, and now he was being forced out of the Army after a drunken-driving arrest.
To top it off, his wife was acting suspiciously.
Late on the night of his 37th birthday, April 27, Streeter paged through his sleeping wife’s cellphone. There, among the messages he might have expected, were some shocking extras: graphically sexual messages between her and another man.
He woke up his wife to confront her. She confessed. The other man was his married battalion commander, and the two of them had carried on an affair for 10 months. It had ended a month earlier. [Army Times]
You can read the rest at the link, but one of the guys I worked with used to serve in the same unit as the battalion commander in question Lt. Col. Lonnie McNair who told me that he is actually a really good guy that he liked serving with and was surprised to see his name in the Army Times like this. However, no matter how good of a guy you are there are some lines you don’t cross and having an affair with the wife of one of your NCO’s is definitely one of them. Considering what we have seen with other recent adultery scandals in the Army LTC McNair will probably just be relieved and retired out of the Army. What a disgraceful way to end you military career.
SGT Streeter on the other hand definitely has a problem with alcohol that probably warrants him being chaptered from the Army judging by what is mentioned in the article, but LTC McNair is definitely not someone who has any creditability to do so.
She hasn’t seen...
7:25 am on July 14th, 2011 1
He is a cheater with no doubt! But his family should not be punished and he earned his benefit. Therefore, his pension and benefit should not be taken away from him. How many of the high rank officers who have judge him cheated on their spouses and hoave never gotten caught. He needs to be punished and i agree. But it does not mean that taking his entire lifehood from him and disregard the fact that he fought for this country.
7:52 am on July 14th, 2011 2
That LTC is toast. An affair is one thing, but he was also pushing to have the husband chapter-ed at the same time. If the SGT wants to stay in he can make a very good case about the commanding officer being biased. He played this one smart, if he had just let it lay the LTC would of ruined him, or if he would of just put in an IG complaint, he would of been booted before the IG complain could be finished. But because he want to the media and the story made the stars and stripes, every General Officer will read about it and nothing can be swept under the rug.
As for the SGT, he needs help now. He obviously has a record of alcoholism and apparently he was never forced to seek assistance. He should never of been put on recruiting duty, an extremely stressful assignment, right after a deployment, especially while suffering from PTSD. Jesus I’d say a DUI is one of the better possibilities in this situation, he could of got out a knife and killed the wife / kids / LTC or worse. Did the Army learn nothing from vets killing their family upon arriving back from the sandbox.
8:05 am on July 14th, 2011 3
I agree completely with Someotherguy on this issue.
9:06 am on July 14th, 2011 4
I completely agree with Retired GI.
12:27 pm on July 14th, 2011 5
I know some people who would have handled the situation differently. Their description of what they would do would included words and terms like zero % illumination, shovel and impact area. Personally I wouldn’t know what he would be talking about.
Others would turn out with the wife severing a body part and tossing it in a garbage disposal..
1:49 pm on July 14th, 2011 6
Never underestimate the power of human stupidity!
6:55 pm on July 14th, 2011 7
The last commander we had that did something similar was not only forced to retire, but his rank downgraded to “the last time he served honorably”. He went from ) an 06 to an 05. That’s the least he deserved.
9:12 pm on July 14th, 2011 8
i wonder if it was some gay affair if they would be getting rid of anyone at this time in history?
my question is if the affair ended a month prior why would the wife keep all those pics and texts?
10:00 pm on July 14th, 2011 9
So who does the wife blame when her NCO husband has a gay affair with the gay battalion commander?
11:43 pm on July 14th, 2011 10
#9. That’s called “celebrating diversity.”
12:12 am on July 15th, 2011 11
Leon LaPorte #10, It’s not celebrating diversity, it’s celebrating perversity.
2:45 pm on July 15th, 2011 12
That all? I’ve seen guys get Art. 15s for less!
Whole thing reminds me of when King David sent Uriah (Bathsheeba’s husband) to the frontlines to get him out of the way so he could get unimpeded access to that hottie Bathsheeba…
Anyone into the Old Testament?
3:47 pm on July 15th, 2011 13
As I think I saw on another blog, this is like an episode of “The Unit”…
12:30 pm on August 10th, 2011 14
People are so quick to judge! I used to work for LTC McNair and HE NEVER approached me unprofessionally. I am acquainted with his wife. Both are very upstanding people. This sounds like a situation of poor judgement. However, the very people who will want to impose severe punishment on him have probably cheat or have cheated on their spouses, live down-low lives, molest their children, etc. This is an issue between he and his wife. Yes, he should be punished for conduct unbecoming, but not lose his benefits and retirement. Being relieved and the Army Times making him ‘guilty until proven innocent’ is more than enough in my opinion. Furthermore, if that woman had gotten a permanent job I don’t believe this would have come to light and her husband only came out to gain sympathy for his DUIs. She was a consenting adult. She should get in trouble too. All parties in this scenario are guilty of something and should suffer accordingly. In the Army you are only as good as your last good deed. Do something wrong and it negates all of your good. He is not scum. He is a human who made a poor choice. Don’t be so quick to judge people. This was one of the few officers I worked with that did his job, counseled, wrote efficiency reports himself and not once said one thing out of line! People should have this much energy towards the proposed changes to military retirement, pay rasies for military personnel, back-to-back deployments, hate crimes, etc.
1:06 pm on August 10th, 2011 15
#14
I have no sympathy for people in positions of authority who think they can get away with things they likely have punished others for doing.
As a LTC, he may have issues numerous article 15s and sent some people to court martials resulting in their loss of benefits, retirements and future careers too. He probably didn’t lose any sleep over it either.
In my opinion, the higher the position or rank the more severe the punishment. More rank, more responsibility, more accountability. Lead by example or be the example as a consequence.
If he is found guilty, he should lose it all.
5:57 pm on August 10th, 2011 16
Dammit JoeC, you’re right on all points… Stop making me agree with you…
7:30 pm on August 10th, 2011 17
JOEC you are spot on. He should be held to the same standards he has enforced on others during his lengthy career. If not held to a higher standard.
Former Subordinate: I used to work for LTC McNair and HE NEVER approached me unprofessionally.
Perhaps he did not find you attractive or you didn’t present yourself as a valid target. Did you try buying him small erotic gifts? I can feel your disappointment but better luck next time. There are plenty more (field grade) fish in the sea. Good hunting! Tally-ho!
7:55 pm on August 10th, 2011 18
The battalion commander should be setting the example, not seeing what he can get away with. I’m sure there are plenty of soldiers under his command who got court-martialed or non-judicial punishment for offenses less than what he did. He should have known better so tough $h!+.
8:12 pm on August 10th, 2011 19
He’ll be allowed to retire quietly. Had it been an NCO below the rank of SGM on the other hand…
5:16 pm on August 22nd, 2011 20
I too worked with LTC NcNair at Ft. Bliss in 06-07. He was a POS then and the chickens have come home to roost. I would love to see this man do time in Leavenworth. I have been married for over 20 years and have NEVER cheated on my wife.
7:16 pm on August 22nd, 2011 21
20. Maybe only in your heart but that’s beside the point.
How many soldiers did he had out punishment to for adultery?
11:53 am on September 23rd, 2011 22
To the “Former Subordinate”, it was a matter of time that he got caught. This was not the first time that he had done this. He is a habitual adulterer that has finally come to meet his justice. You obviously didn’t know him well enough to know the cheating that he had done while at Fort Bliss. I don’t give a crap about him writing efficiency reports! He was in a position of authority and used that position to get something that he wanted. HE IS SCUM!
And yes, I KNOW THIS BECAUSE HE ALMOST COST ME MY MARRIAGE!!
GUILTY!!!
12:35 am on September 26th, 2011 23
i am currently seperated waiting for divorce because my wife was cheating on me with another NCO. i am an NCO and we are neighbors. both married. no kids, both sides. what does the unit do to resolve this? no contact order….then they ask me what i want to be done and i say shoot the bastard…not likely going to happen but we had 6 years of marriage all thrown into the garbage. this ltc is a piece of shit and this nco is no better.
1:24 am on September 26th, 2011 24
I would think cheating with another soldier’s spouse wouldn’t sound like a very good idea given the number of weapons and training with those weapons there is hanging around…
8:43 am on September 26th, 2011 25
Tom Kski, #23. While shooting the SOB is not likely going to happen at least you should press to have the NCO prosecuted for adultery which as far as I known is still a crime under the UCMJ. I know it wont bring your marriage back but hopefully a prosecution might deter some other military member from ruining another marriage.
8:44 am on September 26th, 2011 26
I meant to say “as far as I know.”
2:55 pm on January 16th, 2012 27
I agree with others, LTC McNair, should be held accountable for his actions. Someone has stated that his family shouldn’t be punished by LTC McNair losing his benefits, retirement, etc., well, put that in the hands where they belong and that is with LTC McNair. It is obviously that he was more concerned with himself than his family. My spouse has/is serving his country, but he too, is committing adultery and I think that he should lose his benefits, his retirement, etc. Soldiers are held to high standards, especially when they have come up in the rank. I look at it this way, how can the Army trust you, if your own spouse can’t trust you? As far as, the former subordinate is concerned, she is judging him by the time that she has served with him and the fact that he did not act unprofessionally with her, is that to say that he is not a cheater? She knows his wife, but she doesn’t have a clue as to what was going on in that household. LTC McNair’s spouse may have been aware of his cheating, but kept quiet, because she too was thinking about the benefits that she would lose. How a Soldier act at the office can be totally different how he act at home, and I speak from experience. I have endured spousal abuse and a cheating Soldier, but three strikes and I had had enough of the cheating, so I reported him to his CSM. I kept quiet for years about the abuse, the cheating, because I was thinking of my spouse career, and didn’t want to hurt him. AND, no, I did not report him because I am a bitter spouse, but I felt it was the correct thing to do. I too, have served my country, and Once a Soldier, Always a Soldier.
8:38 am on February 17th, 2012 28
OK…
8:52 am on February 17th, 2012 29
TEST…TEST..Is everyone listening?ok…..I too used with LTC McNair – in Korea to be honest – POS – lets just say – he is not derserving of LTC – not to mention – he has done this all alone – I know it for a fact I seen it – all I have to say is this – what goes around comes around – and when it comes – it comes full circle – he should loose more than 1 rank – had it been an NCO we would be toast! Yes I am a SNCO – VERY Senior – so do I have pity – “NOT SO MUCH” he should’ve just let the Soldier be – his hands were not clean – so why ruin someone else’s life – by any means am I agreeing with a Soldier driving while drunk – but come on – again he was doing dirt – but got caught up – I just hope he can “xplain” all of this to his wife – who is not deserving of all of this, so “GUILTY” as charged. Kudos’s to the young NCO – smart brother – however “dumb” for gettting a DUI – I think I would’ve handled it a little differently – lets just say – an eye for an eye. Yep mailed a copy to the wife and him prior to contacting the chain………let the chips fall where the may…