Item 2.99: Warren Air Force Base's Inspector General Cops out on Investigating Reported Censorship (See Items 2.97 and 2.95)
"Freedom of speech is the right to tell people what they don't want to hear." - George Orwell
Well, judging from the below-quoted Feb. 28, 2011, reply to my written request of Feb. 13, 2011, for an inspector-general investigation into recent whistleblower revelations pointing to the USAF 90th Missile Wing's crackdown on Warren-based personnel's discussion of UFO-E.T. encounters, some of the "people" in this case may well be officials fearful of "full disclosure" of whatever evidence has surfaced about UFO-E.T. incursions in/around Warren.
What's more, the general public has a direct, compelling right to RECEIVE the whistleblower's proffered evidence without undue censorship, delay, threat of retaliation, or cover-up measures. Can you imagine a whistleblower's communication with a member of Congress (or, say, with a grand jury panel) being subjected to presubmission review by the very agency accused of the exposed wrongdoing? That fox-in-the-henhouse prospect as regards servicemembers'/public employees' speaking out on matters of public concern should nullify any attempted prior-restraint on their contact with a news media representative. Accordingly, if, say, a Warren-based flight surgeon were to write a letter-to-editor for publication in a Wyoming newspaper in which (s)he decries the dearth of UFO-E.T. awareness among the USAF workforce (particularly at such UFO-visitation sites as Warren AFB, RAF Bentwaters (England), and Malmstrom AFB, Mont.), then (s)he, as with any other civic-minded citizen, has every right to do so - without any prepublication review/clearance from the chain of command. If the USAF managerial hierarchy were to argue otherwise, I'd refer these arbitrary information gatekeepers to the Army's 1953 precedent-setting free-speech case of United States v. Voorhees.
Meantime, for your own edification and inspiration, here's the text of the Warren inspector general's e-sent Feb. 28, 2011, cop-out decision:
DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE
90TH MISSILE WING (AFGSC) FEB. 28, 2011MEMORANDUM FOR MR. LARRY W. BRYANTFROM: 90 MWIIGSUBJECT: IG Complaint
1. This letter is in response to your email where you allege military and civilian personnel throughout F. E. Warren AFB WY have been issued instructions to refrain from publicly discussing their own UFO-E.T. encounters and those of other citizens. 2. A complaint analysis has been completed and it is our independent determination that military and civilian personnel assigned to F. E. Warren AFB have not been issued such instructions. Additionally, Air Force Instruction 35-104 states DoD policy is always "Maximum Disclosure Minimum Delay." The purpose of media operations is essential for achieving the Public Affairs (PA) core competencies of Airman morale and readiness, public trust and support, and global influence and deterrence. Media operations expertise is also critical to an expeditionary PA force. Senior commanders are responsible for releasing information within their purview. The Secretary of the Air Force Office of Public Affairs (SAF/PA) director is the coordination authority for all Air Force media activities and issues that have national or international implications. Even though material is unclassified or has been cleared through security and policy review channels, do not give it to the public unless the commander (or the commander's authorized PA representative) approves it for that purpose. All military and civilian personnel must comply with the Secretary of Defense's (SECDEF) Principles of Information, and the Air Force's "full disclosure/minimum delay" standards, thereby assuring commanders and PA staffs of rapid, accurate, and continuous flow of information to the public. 3. The 90 MW/IG found no wrongdoing. Therefore, your allegation is dismissed lAW AFI 90-301, Table 2.9 and we consider this matter closed. You have the right to request the next higher-level IG review your complaint within 90 days of receiving the IG response. However, simply disagreeing with the action taken will not justify additional lG review. You can appeal our decision to the AFGSCIIGQ office at Barksdale, AL [sic]. They can be contacted at DSN: 781-4950 and commercial: 381-456-4950. 4. We hope we were able to assist you with all your concerns. Thank you for bringing this matter to our attention. If you have any further questions regarding this matter, please contact me at 773-4800. SANDRA D. HANWAY, GS-11
Deputy Inspector General= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
[LWB Note: In furtherance of this (eternal) pursuit of UFOIA (UFO Freedom of Information and Accountability), I'm sending the following FOIA request to Ms. Hanway - for the entire contents of the case file created by the Warren inspector general in response to my Feb. 13, 2011, request/complaint.] SUBJECT: Freedom-of-Information Request to the Inspector General of the USAF 90th Missile Wing (F. E. Warren AFB, WY)TO: Inspector General
ATTN: Ms. Sandra D. Hanway, GS-11
U. S. Air Force 90th Missile Wing
F. E. Warren Air Force Base, WY 82005FROM: Larry W. Bryant
3518 Martha Custis Drive
Alexandria, VA 22302
Well, judging from the below-quoted Feb. 28, 2011, reply to my written request of Feb. 13, 2011, for an inspector-general investigation into recent whistleblower revelations pointing to the USAF 90th Missile Wing's crackdown on Warren-based personnel's discussion of UFO-E.T. encounters, some of the "people" in this case may well be officials fearful of "full disclosure" of whatever evidence has surfaced about UFO-E.T. incursions in/around Warren.
In recent years, whistleblower reporting of such official conduct as waste/fraud/abuse and public-safety violations/endangerment has become a cottage industry, despite the whistleblowers' realization that they lack adequate protection against official retaliation. As voluminous case law shows, whistleblower rights and individual free-speech rights are inextricably intertwined. So long as a whistleblower's account of official wrongdoing has more to do with its value to the public's stakeholdership in the exposed evidence than with the whistleblower's on-the-job duty interests, then (s)he generally can prevail in a federal court challenge to any retaliation from her/his employing agency.
What's more, the general public has a direct, compelling right to RECEIVE the whistleblower's proffered evidence without undue censorship, delay, threat of retaliation, or cover-up measures. Can you imagine a whistleblower's communication with a member of Congress (or, say, with a grand jury panel) being subjected to presubmission review by the very agency accused of the exposed wrongdoing? That fox-in-the-henhouse prospect as regards servicemembers'/public employees' speaking out on matters of public concern should nullify any attempted prior-restraint on their contact with a news media representative. Accordingly, if, say, a Warren-based flight surgeon were to write a letter-to-editor for publication in a Wyoming newspaper in which (s)he decries the dearth of UFO-E.T. awareness among the USAF workforce (particularly at such UFO-visitation sites as Warren AFB, RAF Bentwaters (England), and Malmstrom AFB, Mont.), then (s)he, as with any other civic-minded citizen, has every right to do so - without any prepublication review/clearance from the chain of command. If the USAF managerial hierarchy were to argue otherwise, I'd refer these arbitrary information gatekeepers to the Army's 1953 precedent-setting free-speech case of United States v. Voorhees.
Meantime, for your own edification and inspiration, here's the text of the Warren inspector general's e-sent Feb. 28, 2011, cop-out decision:
DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE
90TH MISSILE WING (AFGSC) FEB. 28, 2011MEMORANDUM FOR MR. LARRY W. BRYANTFROM: 90 MWIIGSUBJECT: IG Complaint
1. This letter is in response to your email where you allege military and civilian personnel throughout F. E. Warren AFB WY have been issued instructions to refrain from publicly discussing their own UFO-E.T. encounters and those of other citizens. 2. A complaint analysis has been completed and it is our independent determination that military and civilian personnel assigned to F. E. Warren AFB have not been issued such instructions. Additionally, Air Force Instruction 35-104 states DoD policy is always "Maximum Disclosure Minimum Delay." The purpose of media operations is essential for achieving the Public Affairs (PA) core competencies of Airman morale and readiness, public trust and support, and global influence and deterrence. Media operations expertise is also critical to an expeditionary PA force. Senior commanders are responsible for releasing information within their purview. The Secretary of the Air Force Office of Public Affairs (SAF/PA) director is the coordination authority for all Air Force media activities and issues that have national or international implications. Even though material is unclassified or has been cleared through security and policy review channels, do not give it to the public unless the commander (or the commander's authorized PA representative) approves it for that purpose. All military and civilian personnel must comply with the Secretary of Defense's (SECDEF) Principles of Information, and the Air Force's "full disclosure/minimum delay" standards, thereby assuring commanders and PA staffs of rapid, accurate, and continuous flow of information to the public. 3. The 90 MW/IG found no wrongdoing. Therefore, your allegation is dismissed lAW AFI 90-301, Table 2.9 and we consider this matter closed. You have the right to request the next higher-level IG review your complaint within 90 days of receiving the IG response. However, simply disagreeing with the action taken will not justify additional lG review. You can appeal our decision to the AFGSCIIGQ office at Barksdale, AL [sic]. They can be contacted at DSN: 781-4950 and commercial: 381-456-4950. 4. We hope we were able to assist you with all your concerns. Thank you for bringing this matter to our attention. If you have any further questions regarding this matter, please contact me at 773-4800. SANDRA D. HANWAY, GS-11
Deputy Inspector General= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
[LWB Note: In furtherance of this (eternal) pursuit of UFOIA (UFO Freedom of Information and Accountability), I'm sending the following FOIA request to Ms. Hanway - for the entire contents of the case file created by the Warren inspector general in response to my Feb. 13, 2011, request/complaint.] SUBJECT: Freedom-of-Information Request to the Inspector General of the USAF 90th Missile Wing (F. E. Warren AFB, WY)TO: Inspector General
ATTN: Ms. Sandra D. Hanway, GS-11
U. S. Air Force 90th Missile Wing
F. E. Warren Air Force Base, WY 82005FROM: Larry W. Bryant
3518 Martha Custis Drive
Alexandria, VA 22302
DATE: March 11, 20111. Reference: Ms. Hanway's Feb. 28, 2011, e-message to me, as quoted here: "Mr. Bryant, The attached letter is in response to your allegation that military and civilian personnel have been instructed to refrain from publicly discussing their own UFO-E.T. encounters and those of other citizens. Thank you for bringing this matter to our attention. Respectfully, Sandra D. Hanway". 2. Under terms of the U. S. Freedom of Information Act (as amended by the Open Government Act of 2007), I, as a representative of the news media, hereby request that you send me a photocopy of the entire contents of your office's case file created in response to my Feb. 13, 2011, request-for-investigation (now posted as Item 2.97 of my blog at http://ufoview.posterous.com ). In your compliance with this request, please include in your fee-waived records search the following records: any and all 90th MW-IG staff/public affairs staff coordination documents; executive correspondence; briefing papers; minutes of meetings; memoranda for record; document transmittal slips; ethics-review reports; interview reports; legal opinions; anonymous tips; memoranda of telephone conversations; e-mail messages; faxed documents; action officers' processing notes; case logsheets and checksheets; and close-out reports. 3. By USPS mail, I'm sending to you a signed printout of this e-formatted request.
LARRY W. BRYANT
Columnist for the Newsstand Periodical UFO MagazineCopies furnished to: Editor, UFO Magazine Chief of Staff, U. S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence
LARRY W. BRYANT
Columnist for the Newsstand Periodical UFO MagazineCopies furnished to: Editor, UFO Magazine Chief of Staff, U. S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence
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