Page 32 - Flathead Beacon // 7.16.14

32 | JULY 16, 2014 OPINION
LETTERS
WALSH EXHIBITED POOR MANAGEMENT
My career spans 21 years in military intelligence, including two deployments and six overseas assignments. I served our country in Iraq, then in the Montana National Guard under John Walsh.
I recently shared part of my story in a television ad you may have seen. It wasn’t an easy decision to speak out, but I believe it was the right decision.
Since sharing what happened to me, I’ve been disappointed to see some dismissing or distorting my story for political purposes.
During my time in the Montana Guard, I served as an intelligence analyst at the GS-11 level and received three temporary promotions to the GS-12 Intelligence Operations Specialist (J2) position.
As the most qualified military intelligence specialist, I remained as the continuity for that J2 position, serving in a temporary role pending the assignment of permanent personnel into the position.
I continuously performed those GS-12 duties, due to vacancies or the inexperience of people that leadership command-directed- to serve in that position.
Despite positive reviews from my superiors and being qualified for the position, I was never given the opportunity to permanently fill the J2 role – even though I temporarily served in that role on numerous occasions.
Instead of allowing me to apply for the position, management – including John Walsh – continuously directed non- qualified males to fill the position instead.
It became obvious that I was being discriminated against on the basis of my gender and was being denied the opportunity to apply for the promotion. In April, I filed an Equal Employment Opportunity complaint with the Montana Guard.
I am proud of my service in the Montana Guard and of those with whom I served. It’s an organization filled with good people and selfless servants and my grievance is not with them.
My grievance is with the poor leadership John Walsh exhibited when he was responsible for managing the Department of Military Affairs.
While John Walsh was head of the Department of Military Affairs, he was reprimanded by the Army. The Army Inspector General determined he improperly used government resources for personal gain. Government auditors found serious problems within an agency he oversaw. Several former workers filed lawsuits claiming harassment and an employee survey conducted within one division of his agency found that employees feared retaliation and bullying
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by managers.
In my case specifically, Walsh
allowed the discrimination I personally experienced.
Gender discrimination in the workplace is not something that should be taken lightly and no Montanan should feel that they are unable to speak up about injustice or wrongdoing.
It is insulting and offensive that rather than addressing what happened to me, John Walsh and his political allies are writing off how I was treated – and accusing me of lying.
We deserve better than a Senator who looks the other way when Montanans are
So when we see the political attack ads on TV, we’re frustrated by the cheap shots money can buy. We’re disappointed that a person who sincerely fought to make the Guard better is a target of misleading and false attacks.
Some of the attack ads claim John took action for “personal gain,” but his volunteer position got results and the National Guard is getting the funding it needs to pay for the equipment we deserve.
It’s especially upsetting given that Congressman Steve Daines – the man behind the attacks – has a questionable record of supporting both veterans and women.
He voted against $44 billion in funding for VA medical services and opposed efforts to end the disability compensation backlog. He blocked a vote on the Paycheck Fairness Act, which would ensure women receive equal pay for equal work.
We agree it’s important to hear from those who want to help us strengthen the Montana National Guard, but we cannot let misleading attacks go without a response.
It’s just too difficult to stand by as the reputation of a good man, and a good soldier, whose 33 years of service to this country is being called into question.
Colonel (Ret.) Nikki DeWolf Sergeant (Ret) Kelly Gallinger
DAINES WANTS TO CHANGE MEDICARE AS WE KNOW IT
When I found out that our own congressman, who claims to care about us seniors, voted to balance the budget by cutting Medicare I was outraged.
I want everyone to know the truth before it’s too late.
Congressman Steve Daines voted for the Ryan Budget, which completely changes Medicare as we know it – cutting Medicare benefits by more than a $100 billion and taking away the guarantee of affordable health care for all seniors. If Daines had his way, out-of-pocket costs would increase by as much as $5,900 per senior, and the eligibility age would rise from 65 to 67.
The worst part of the Daines’ plan is that it cuts taxes for millionaires like himself and big corporations. We seniors shouldn’t have to suffer just so millionaires like Congressman Daines can make more money.
And Congressman Daines didn’t just vote for this ludicrous plan once, but twice. There is no question he’ll vote for it again if he has the chance.
We need to elect someone who will cut Washington spending without leaving seniors behind. We need someone like Sen. John Walsh, who has already introduced a bill to protect Medicare. And his plan to cut spending – his own bill that cracks down on wasteful government spending in the Defense Department – doesn’t include hurting seniors. That’s exactly the kind of SenatorMontananeeds.
Connie Rasky Billings
mistreated.
Major Cindy Neely Inactive Reserve
WALSH A LEADER WHO FOUGHT GENDER DISCRIMINATION
We aren’t politicians and we don’t like politics. However, we served in the Montana National Guard, and we can’t stay silent while the Guard and one of our own is attacked.
Before John Walsh became our U.S. Senator, he led the Montana National Guard as adjutant general. His decorated 33-year record includes a Bronze Star for his leadership in combat in Iraq, where he led the largest deployment of the Montana National Guard since World War II.
We both worked closely with John, and he was an important force for change when we experienced the discrimination women in the military face. He promoted me, Nikki DeWolf, to colonel, only the second woman in the history of the Montana Army National Guard to hold that position.
While the Armed Forces have a lot of progress to make when it comes to making sure women are treated equally, John was one of the leaders in that fight. John stood up to make sure women received the same opportunities given to men.
We know better than anyone that there is still work to be done when it comes to promoting and treating women equally in the military – but John was one of the leaders who fought gender discrimination.
He stood up to senior male officers who broke the rules. In one of his first acts as head of the Guard, John fired an assistant adjutant general for engaging in an inappropriate relationship with a subordinate.
John also led from the front and put the wellbeing of the women and men in the Guard above all else. When he returned from a year in Iraq, John volunteered for a position with the National Guard Association of the United States – the oldest military association in the country that fights for better equipment for the National Guard.
You see, in Iraq, the active duty Army got the best of what’s out there and the Montana National Guard was left with substandard vehicles. One Montana guardsman was paralyzed. Four others were killed.
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CORRECTIONS
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