Many years ago, there were TV commercials that said, “I’d walk a mile for a camel (cigarette).” When the Gulf War broke out, the sailors, soldiers and Marines had t-shirts created showing a camel in the cross-hairs of a rifle scope with the caption, “I traveled 10,000 miles to smoke a camel.” Now the folks in Burlington Vermont have a slogan that Colonel Thomas “Snatch” Jackman flew 500 miles to hump like a camel.
U.S. Air Force Colonel Thomas “Snatch” Jackman, Jr. accepts command of the 158th Fighter Wing at the change of command ceremony on Jan. 4, 2014.
Ironically, his call sign is “Snatch” Jackman of all things, and that’s what he was apparently after on a regular basis. He had a girlfriend in Washington D.C. who is an Army officer and when the taxpayers weren’t looking, he’d fly down to engage in a joint-service exercise under the sheets.
The military has circled the wagons to protect the Army officer who is/was the target of Jackman’s affections. If she knew he was using an F-16 fighter jet for their sexual liaisons, and failed to stop it… does she have any culpability? It would seem that she was derelict in her duty to report a crime of misappropriation.
They tell us the F-16 fighter jet costs about $8,000/hr. to operate, but we’re guessing it’s a hell of a lot higher than that. We are thinking that figure didn’t include the enormous cost for maintenance. We wonder if the Colonel submitted an expense report that included a 55-gallon drum of condoms.
Yes, ole Snatch Jackman had fun, fun, fun, ’til the Guard took his F-16 away. Now, the military goes into protect mode and works feverishly to quietly usher the colonel out the back door into retirement. No real investigation, no charges, no trial, no nothing… just a retirement pension for a job well done. And once again, the taxpayers get screwed but not in the same way Col Snatch was getting screwed.
Equal justice under law, we don’t think so. Tell this story to those who have been court-martialed and received a dishonorable discharge and felony conviction for fraternization. We wonder what other things jackass Jackman has been doing in his highly-decorated past?
Generally, people who play fast and loose with the law, have a track record of misbehavior. We will never know because Congress, in their infinite wisdom, allows the military to investigate itself.
The bottom line is the fact that you never know what law the military will enforce on any given day, and who they will enforce it on. Generally, the enlisted and junior officers get “beheaded,” in a general court martial while the admirals and generals get to retire to avoid prosecution. It’s different spanks for different ranks as ole Major MacDonald always says.
Is Colonel Snatch Jackman going to be quietly ushered into retirement to avoid that nasty business of equal justice under law? Every time the military allows one of these assholes to escape justice, while they ruin the lives of subordinates, it makes a mockery of all those credos they continually toss in our faces. The military judicial system is just one big fucking joke.
The colonel and everyone who knew he was flying off each weekend to get laid are culpable parties. But folks this isn’t new, this kind of crap has been going on since George Washington. In those days, officers didn’t misappropriate a fighter jet. Perhaps in those days they used a wagon paid for by the Continental Congress to go visit a girlfriend or someone’s wife.
Not that long ago, when major playoff or championship football games were being held somewhere in America, the airfields near the stadium were loaded with military aircraft from all over the world, flown there under the guise of a “training” flight. The amount of money wasted over the years so people can go party with military aircraft has to be in the trillions of dollars.
But who cares? Our government will just print some more money. It’s no big deal.
Reporter Alex Hollings had a great piece on the Jackman secret liaisons below…
By Alex Hollings
FighterSweep.com
Col. Thomas Jackman, former head of the Vermont Air National Guard’s 158th Fighter Wing, left his post after just one year in command back in 2015. Now, a new report alleges that his rapid dismissal came as a result of the combat veteran’s abuse of his rank and privileges. Namely, Jackman is accused of taking an F-16 Fighting Falcon on a thinly veiled romantic getaway to Washington D.C.
The report comes from a website called VTDigger as a part of a series they claim will shine a light on “allegations that male officials have mistreated women, have abused alcohol and have been given preferential treatment by superiors,” in the Vermont Air National Guard.
According to the report, VTDigger gained access to the retired colonel’s e-mail correspondence with the woman in question, a female U.S. Army Colonel they have opted not to identify, and were able to further substantiate their claims through sources within the command that have chosen to remain anonymous for fear of retribution. According to the website:
When Jackman’s superiors found out about his assignation with the Army colonel, they were quick to take action, according to a former Guard member with knowledge of the investigation that followed. All documents and information concerning Jackman’s excursion to Washington were personally handed to Brig. Gen. Joel Clark, the Guard’s chief of staff, while Jackman was in Washington.
Jackman was ordered to fly home on a commercial flight, three former members said. Moultroup then traveled from Burlington to Washington to pick up Jackman’s F-16 and fly it home.
There was no official Vermont Air National Guard release when Jackman was removed from his role and replaced by Col. Patrick “Pig” Guinee, who has also since retired. This would seem to substantiate VTDigger’s claims to some extent, seeing as the appointments of both Jackman and Guinee’s later replacement both received video and written coverage from the branch.
Jackman was reportedly warned of impending administrative action to be taken against him, and was able to instead submit for retirement — allowing him to keep his full retirement pay and benefits without any punitive marks on his record.
Jackman, who served three combat tours in Iraq, has denied the allegations levied against him. The female colonel that was not identified has reportedly chosen not to comment, and the Vermont Air National Guard stated only that the guard is prohibited from commenting on personal matters.
