WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican JR Majewski is at the center of his campaign for a competitive Ohio legislative seat. Biography as an Air Force VeteranBut one of the major issues that surfaced was why Majewski was told he couldn’t re-enlist in the Air Force after his first four-year term expired.
Majewski’s campaign said last week that he had been punished and demoted after being involved in a “brawl” in an Air Force dormitory in 2001. Military records obtained since then According to the Associated Press, however, military legal experts offer a different explanation for the circumstances that would have played a significant role in the decision to bar his readmission. The demotion indicated that he was arrested in September 2001 for driving under the influence of alcohol at a U.S. Air Force base in Japan.
Documents provided to the AP and independently authenticated show that Majewski’s recorded history of service differs from what he told voters when campaigning while using his veteran status as a strong credential. It shows an example.
In a statement, Majewski acknowledged being punished for driving under the influence, but did not mention why his campaign had previously said his demotion was the result of a fight.
“This mistake is now more than 20 years old. I’m confident. I think our parents and grandparents feel the same way,” he says Majewski.
Since launching a campaign to remove longtime Democratic congressman Mercy Kaptor, Majewski has repeatedly said he is a combat veteran who has taken a tour of duty in Afghanistan under “tough” conditions. rice field. By his own account, he once went to the countryside for over 40 days without taking a shower because the running water was running low.
His story last week, citing military documents obtained through a public records request, indicated that the AP would not deploy to Afghanistan as he claimed, but would instead be based in Qatar, a longtime U.S. ally. So when he reported his support, it came under intense scrutiny. Aircraft loading and unloading.
The latest revelation that Majewski was demoted for DUI adds another wrinkle. Last week, the AP asked Majewski’s campaign why his military service record indicated he wasn’t allowed to re-enlist in the Air Force, saying he’s a notch more than he started four years later. Retired at a higher rank.
At the time, his campaign said in an email that Majewski “was getting into a fight with another soldier in the dormitory,” which “degraded him.” His campaign added that he later regained some of that rank.
Personnel records obtained by AP make no mention of the fight. Instead, they say Majewski was demoted for DUI on September 8, 2001 at Kadena Air Force Base in Japan. Rather than regain his rank, as Majewski’s campaign said, records showed he continued to retain his rank of E-2. , one notch above entry level, where he was demoted for the remainder of his active duty.
“You discredited yourself, the 733rd Air Mobile Squadron, and the Air Force when you decided to indulge in drunkenness and get behind the wheel of a car,” a disciplinary record was assigned by Majewski at the time. It states, referring to the troops that had been “Misconduct of any kind by you will not be tolerated.”
The three-page document details Majewski’s punishment, which includes a reprimand and 30 days of extra duty, in addition to his demotion. It has his Majewski signature, indicating that he consulted his lawyer and waived his right to court-martial. He also waived his right to appeal the punishment and requested that the documents not be made public, records show.
AP was unable to obtain a “written presentation” from Majewski, which was mentioned in the disciplinary document. The campaign did not respond to requests from her AP to provide the documents.
Eric Meyer, a former West Point alumnus, army infantry officer and later military attorney, reviewed Majewski’s documents at the AP’s request. , the mere fact that he came out as E-2 four years later could be seriously questioned.”
“Basically, his commanding officer told him they weren’t going to demote him to airman basic as long as he behaved himself for the next six months,” Mayer said. he was even more embarrassed. Mayer also noted that Majewski was given additional duties in the punishment. It generally includes ‘community beautification’ and cleaning services.
In some cases, DUI can be a career-ending offense in the military. But three days after Majewski was handed over, the United States suddenly went to war following his 9/11 terrorist attacks. Within months, Majewski was redeployed and deployed to Qatar. Qatar served as a staging point for operations in Afghanistan. the record shows.
According to military records, Mayevsky’s only deployment was to Qatar. At a defiant press conference last Friday, He actually claimed to have served in AfghanistanHowever, he declined to provide details as he said the details were “confidential.”
But there is a difference between sending to a country and landing there. Majewski has previously described himself as a “veteran” deployed to Afghanistan, meaning he has received orders to be posted to specific bases in Afghanistan.
Majewski previously said he could not discuss the flight he said went to Afghanistan because it was “classified.”
In a statement Wednesday, he said he was on “outbound transport flights to frontline bases and combat areas throughout the Middle East, including Afghanistan,” but confirmed he was stationed in Qatar.
He also said the experience of joining the Air Force at age 20 was both challenging and fulfilling.
“It’s been a difficult time and a personal challenge, like being a young military man in a foreign land, away from family and with a constantly moving assignment schedule,” Majewski said. I lost my grandmother, it was hard work, and while I am proud of my service and the experiences that made me who I am today, I am proud to say that I have undergone a “harsh combat tour” in Afghanistan, and that I have been through aggressive shootings. I never once suggested that I was engaged in combat.
Majewski’s campaign had previously advertised him as a “veteran”.inside August 2021 interview On One American Podcast, Majewski said that he “had a hard time in life” while on a mission in Afghanistan.he made the claim unearthed interview By the liberal group Media Matters.
Majewski’s claim that he could not discuss his foray into Afghanistan because the details were kept “classified” was a red flag for those investigating the “Stolen Courage” case.
“The number one analogy that comes up when people are faking military records, or in this case embellishing records, is that they say, ‘It’s classified,'” said former Air Force Sergeant Major Ed. Caffrey said. He currently investigates the “Stolen Courage” case and teaches journalism at the University of Eastern New Mexico. He added: “Even after 20 years, no non-commissioned air transport expert has ever done anything so secretive that it needed to be kept secret.
Majewksi’s campaign declined requests to AP to contact those who could vouch that he had been to Afghanistan. However, he has posted several pages of records on social media that back up his claims.Military experts consulted by the AP said the records do not prove any such thing. says.
“The AP said I was only sent to Qatar. My records show the deployment location as classified. I forgot my dispatch of ,” Majewski said in one tweet, which contained two separate documents.
One of the documents contained in the tweet was “assigned to a temporary assignment” in South Korea in early 2001, not a deployment order, as Majewski claimed. The photo posted by Majewski also blurred important details such as the purpose and duration of the trip. Additionally, the words “classified” and “classified” contained in the document are references to security clearances held by Majewski and the noncommissioned officer he accompanied, Air Force experts say. The officer, whose name has been redacted, had a “Top Secret” clearance. Majewski had “secret” permission. Members of the armed forces typically require security clearance to perform their duties.
Another document contained in the undated tweet showed that Majewski was medically cleared to go on another temporary mission to a “classified” location.
According to experts, such forms often list the destinations of military personnel classified as routine operations.
“It doesn’t say ‘Top Secret’ because he’s going to a top secret Black Ops location,” Caffrey said. “It says classified because it is an unsecured form. Security may not have his clearance to check.”
“It’s[operational security]. They don’t want everyone and their brothers to know where he’s going. That’s not what you want for the general public,” Caffrey added.
Even amid intensifying scrutiny for Majewski, he has shown no indication that he intends to drop out of the race and continues his campaign.
“We have nothing to hide,” Majewski said at the end of Friday’s brief press conference.
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LaPorta reported from Wilmington, North Carolina.
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