This past week’s news brings word of the young, mid-career, and the not-so-wet-behind-the-ears military members finding themselves in trouble, plus another seasoned veteran getting his conviction wiped out.

It turns out that one of the midshipmen accused of kicking in a door at a private residence is the son of the admiral who commands the carrier group that includes the USS Abraham Lincoln. How awkward must that have been to learn of your son’s arrest as you’re preparing to host the Secretary of Defense?

While news of drunken follies and “buzzing” a stadium isn’t entirely unique, they pale in comparison to the testimony of the senior chief stapling his subordinates. Then there is this week’s court-martial of the guy charged with being a serial rapist in the Ft. Bragg area. This case initially garnered attention several months ago because the base had a policy that media organizations weren’t allowed to publish the names of the victims of break-ins that were also attributed to Aaron Pernell.

Trying to find additional information about the newly pardoned, now-retired MSgt Edgar Leopold Kranz, Jr., has proved elusive. Anyone have info on what made Kranz’s case stand out from the hundreds of other pardon applications on the President’s desk? By the way, when is the last time you saw a specification for writing rubber checks charged?

As always, send comments/queries to nimj@wcl.american.edu.