"No one can give him back to me. And such a thing can never be forgiven." True. Nothing anyone will or could ever do will bring Giovanni Zanier back. The circumstances and the clumsy manner in which the American military justice system will undoubtedly handle the incident will only make matters worse.
Wound, meet salt.
When I was an Army Reserve second lieutenant, I went out drinking one night with a woman. I drove back onto base at about 4am, so drunk that I have no idea how I kept my car between the lines or got past the base MPs at the gate. If they'd held a lighter up to me, the alcohol on my breath would've detonated. For some reason, they waved me past without so much as a second look.
I woke up the next morning with a raging hangover and the clarity to realize just how fucking stupid I'd been.
1. If I'd been busted for DUI, my military career would've ended on the spot.
2. I could easily have killed or injured someone.
3. I had to face my platoon formation that morning with a hangover that would've laid the Dallas Cowboys low...and all 40+ enlisted men knew it. They did their level best to make my day miserable...and I deserved every fucking minute of it.
Since that day, I don't drink and drive, especially when I'm driving my wife. She thinks I'm being overly protective, but she also doesn't know the story. I learned my lesson- fortunately, not the hard way.
Hey, at least you learned that all-too-important lesson. Many people don't. The majority of people who get picked up for DUI are first-time offenders, and from that point forward, their lives are ruined. It's a terrible thing to watch. Expensive, too. I'm convinced the whole thing is nothing more than a money making operation for local government. They don't get a damn about "public safety."
That is a tragedy, and the accident is obscene. So sorry.
Honestly, drunk driving with vehicular homicide should void immunity for military and diplomats, in my opinion. It is sometimes a problem in DC with diplomats. And look at the grotesque US response to Harry Dunn's murder by car, by a diplomat stationed in England.
The Harry Dunn murder by car still haunts me. And that diplomat's wife left the country shortly thereafter! Appalling is what it was. The issue still isn't resolved.
The claim that the US has no bases in Italy is pretty peculiar. I can only guess that it is some manner of technicality in which the bases are "really" Italy's, and the US merely "leases" them.
As for being allowed off base, that's just SOP. Unless you are actually involved in some form of assigned duty, your free time is your own, as long as you are back on duty at your next appointed shift. These aren't combat assignments, they are not in war zones, and they certainly are not prisons.
And when it comes to legal consequences, well things can change a lot in 45 years (when I was in the service), but this isn't some mid-level officer we're talking about. I doubt the Air Force is going to invest much effort in covering for an E-3 (max E-4) airman. There is no "old boys network" for low-level grunts.
That's entirely possible. It could be a courtesy or a technicality. And I bet you're right that the old boys network ain't gonna do a damn thing for Julia. But they still have the bigger problem, which is how American servicemembers are seen by the local communities and Italy itself.
"how American servicemembers are seen by the local communities" -- THAT has been a problem since Truman.
I'm reminded of a scene from Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, where Kirk and McCoy are brought before a Klingon tribunal (and Christopher Plummer is clearly having more fun than God hamming it up every time he's on screen.) With no direct evidence to convict either of them, Plummer (as the Klingon prosecutor) backs Kirk into a corner by admitting that, as the commanding officer, he is responsible for the actions of those under his command.
And THAT, right there, I believe, is how the problem is solved.
When her Lieutenant is held responsible, and that Lieutenant's Captain, and that Captain's Colonel, for the failures of their underlings. Maybe not a criminal charge, but an unexpungable black mark on their records, when the commanders are held responsible -- even if just a little -- for the conduct of those under their commands, then those commanders will finally make a real effort to lift up that behavior to be truly representative of the best we can be. (Because they'll catch shit if they don't.)
It just doesn't cross anyone's mind that the whole point is to be better than we are. One of my CO's in Germany liked to line us up and give these pretentiously self-absorbed speeches that were supposed to be inspirational. And then he casually turned a blind eye to the overt corruption of our rear area supply sergeant. Units go through these regular inspections called a "Tac-Eval" (Tactical Evaluation.) And after this clown took command, we began failing those on a regular basis. The reasons for that failure were always the same: the items of administration under his direct control in the rear area. But his response was to make us drill harder and longer up on the tac site proper (IHAWK anti-aircraft missile battery, so we were on a hill 12 kliks from what, at the time, was East Germany and the largest armored military in the world.) His punk ass was ultimately summarily relieved of command.
Point being, no one is going to rise to their best with that kind of leadership as an example. We all knew exactly what the problem was, and there wasn't fuck all we could do about it. So yeah, just those words: "I am responsible for the actions of the people under my command."
Agreed. I was in the Navy in my early 20's. I won't go into what happened with me other than to say that I lost my temper at my supervisor and went to court martial for it - they will do everything they can to make an example of her to all the other low-level enlisted. It's not going to be pretty. She will be paying for this for a long time.
Wow, I had no idea the US claimed there were no services bases in Italy - why on EARTH would they deny THAT, especially when you can simply Google them?! In one of my Italy FB pages, people from the service are all over the page, asking questions and contributing information about Italy. And the 1998 air disaster?! Holy crap! Makes me even MORE embarrassed to be an American. No wonder I rarely identify myself as American (oddly, if I say I'm from New York City - which I am - that seems to go over well). My heart goes out to Giovanni's family, and I hope Julia Bravo gets the book thrown at her.
My boyfriend is from NYC, too! He's the quintessential Manhattanite.
I feel pretty bad about U.S. servicemembers at Aviano right now. They didn't drive drunk and kill anybody, but now they are all going to pay the price for one woman's behavior. A very very young woman, let it be said. Barely older than Giovanni himself. Imagine what her parents must be going through right now.
There are no winners here. But when the military fails to prosecute its own, we've got a problem that's only going to get worse. As Americans, we must all share in Julia Bravo's shame.
My best guess about the US denial is that it is a matter of contractual agreement and the appearance of absolute sovereignty for the Italian government. So the bases are all "owned" by Italy, and the US "only" contracts their occupation, thus making the bases technically Italian.
Mind, this is only a guess, but it seems like a reasonable possibility.
"No one can give him back to me. And such a thing can never be forgiven." True. Nothing anyone will or could ever do will bring Giovanni Zanier back. The circumstances and the clumsy manner in which the American military justice system will undoubtedly handle the incident will only make matters worse.
Wound, meet salt.
When I was an Army Reserve second lieutenant, I went out drinking one night with a woman. I drove back onto base at about 4am, so drunk that I have no idea how I kept my car between the lines or got past the base MPs at the gate. If they'd held a lighter up to me, the alcohol on my breath would've detonated. For some reason, they waved me past without so much as a second look.
I woke up the next morning with a raging hangover and the clarity to realize just how fucking stupid I'd been.
1. If I'd been busted for DUI, my military career would've ended on the spot.
2. I could easily have killed or injured someone.
3. I had to face my platoon formation that morning with a hangover that would've laid the Dallas Cowboys low...and all 40+ enlisted men knew it. They did their level best to make my day miserable...and I deserved every fucking minute of it.
Since that day, I don't drink and drive, especially when I'm driving my wife. She thinks I'm being overly protective, but she also doesn't know the story. I learned my lesson- fortunately, not the hard way.
Hey, at least you learned that all-too-important lesson. Many people don't. The majority of people who get picked up for DUI are first-time offenders, and from that point forward, their lives are ruined. It's a terrible thing to watch. Expensive, too. I'm convinced the whole thing is nothing more than a money making operation for local government. They don't get a damn about "public safety."
I know, right? Here in Oregon, a first-time DUI will run you a minimum of $10k.
That is a tragedy, and the accident is obscene. So sorry.
Honestly, drunk driving with vehicular homicide should void immunity for military and diplomats, in my opinion. It is sometimes a problem in DC with diplomats. And look at the grotesque US response to Harry Dunn's murder by car, by a diplomat stationed in England.
The Harry Dunn murder by car still haunts me. And that diplomat's wife left the country shortly thereafter! Appalling is what it was. The issue still isn't resolved.
Hello? Driving on the wrong side of the road? A very sad situation.
The claim that the US has no bases in Italy is pretty peculiar. I can only guess that it is some manner of technicality in which the bases are "really" Italy's, and the US merely "leases" them.
As for being allowed off base, that's just SOP. Unless you are actually involved in some form of assigned duty, your free time is your own, as long as you are back on duty at your next appointed shift. These aren't combat assignments, they are not in war zones, and they certainly are not prisons.
And when it comes to legal consequences, well things can change a lot in 45 years (when I was in the service), but this isn't some mid-level officer we're talking about. I doubt the Air Force is going to invest much effort in covering for an E-3 (max E-4) airman. There is no "old boys network" for low-level grunts.
That's entirely possible. It could be a courtesy or a technicality. And I bet you're right that the old boys network ain't gonna do a damn thing for Julia. But they still have the bigger problem, which is how American servicemembers are seen by the local communities and Italy itself.
"how American servicemembers are seen by the local communities" -- THAT has been a problem since Truman.
I'm reminded of a scene from Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, where Kirk and McCoy are brought before a Klingon tribunal (and Christopher Plummer is clearly having more fun than God hamming it up every time he's on screen.) With no direct evidence to convict either of them, Plummer (as the Klingon prosecutor) backs Kirk into a corner by admitting that, as the commanding officer, he is responsible for the actions of those under his command.
And THAT, right there, I believe, is how the problem is solved.
When her Lieutenant is held responsible, and that Lieutenant's Captain, and that Captain's Colonel, for the failures of their underlings. Maybe not a criminal charge, but an unexpungable black mark on their records, when the commanders are held responsible -- even if just a little -- for the conduct of those under their commands, then those commanders will finally make a real effort to lift up that behavior to be truly representative of the best we can be. (Because they'll catch shit if they don't.)
It just doesn't cross anyone's mind that the whole point is to be better than we are. One of my CO's in Germany liked to line us up and give these pretentiously self-absorbed speeches that were supposed to be inspirational. And then he casually turned a blind eye to the overt corruption of our rear area supply sergeant. Units go through these regular inspections called a "Tac-Eval" (Tactical Evaluation.) And after this clown took command, we began failing those on a regular basis. The reasons for that failure were always the same: the items of administration under his direct control in the rear area. But his response was to make us drill harder and longer up on the tac site proper (IHAWK anti-aircraft missile battery, so we were on a hill 12 kliks from what, at the time, was East Germany and the largest armored military in the world.) His punk ass was ultimately summarily relieved of command.
Point being, no one is going to rise to their best with that kind of leadership as an example. We all knew exactly what the problem was, and there wasn't fuck all we could do about it. So yeah, just those words: "I am responsible for the actions of the people under my command."
Ah, fantasy!
I am certain that is true. And hey, you were there. You KNOW the dynamic.
Agreed. I was in the Navy in my early 20's. I won't go into what happened with me other than to say that I lost my temper at my supervisor and went to court martial for it - they will do everything they can to make an example of her to all the other low-level enlisted. It's not going to be pretty. She will be paying for this for a long time.
You are still a warrior in my eyes. I can't believe you got out alive.
Wow, I had no idea the US claimed there were no services bases in Italy - why on EARTH would they deny THAT, especially when you can simply Google them?! In one of my Italy FB pages, people from the service are all over the page, asking questions and contributing information about Italy. And the 1998 air disaster?! Holy crap! Makes me even MORE embarrassed to be an American. No wonder I rarely identify myself as American (oddly, if I say I'm from New York City - which I am - that seems to go over well). My heart goes out to Giovanni's family, and I hope Julia Bravo gets the book thrown at her.
My boyfriend is from NYC, too! He's the quintessential Manhattanite.
I feel pretty bad about U.S. servicemembers at Aviano right now. They didn't drive drunk and kill anybody, but now they are all going to pay the price for one woman's behavior. A very very young woman, let it be said. Barely older than Giovanni himself. Imagine what her parents must be going through right now.
There are no winners here. But when the military fails to prosecute its own, we've got a problem that's only going to get worse. As Americans, we must all share in Julia Bravo's shame.
My best guess about the US denial is that it is a matter of contractual agreement and the appearance of absolute sovereignty for the Italian government. So the bases are all "owned" by Italy, and the US "only" contracts their occupation, thus making the bases technically Italian.
Mind, this is only a guess, but it seems like a reasonable possibility.