Ex-astronaut pleads guilty in attack on rival

[Flash]

So after almost 3 years CAPT Lisa Nowak has pleaded guilty to trying to attack her romantic rival. Her punishment, a year of probation. It will be interesting to see what the Navy does now, I think they were waiting for the criminal case to come to an end before they took any action.

 

[ChunksJR]

Yeah, buddy of mine worked at BUPERs across from her...interesting stories and that's all I've got to say about that...

 

[Boomhower]

Yeah, buddy of mine worked at BUPERs across from her...interesting stories and that's all I've got to say about that...

You can't leave us hanging on that, man! C'mon, out with it!

 

[ChunksJR]

You can't leave us hanging on that, man! C'mon, out with it!

eh...she's a senior commissioned officer...I don't know any facts firsthand, therefore I will, unfortunately, leave us hanging. Let the process work sans my input.

~d

 

[Schnugg]

Felony = no retirement .....right?

 

[PR1 H]

eh...she's a senior commissioned officer

One if not both of those words could become questionable in the near future.

 

[Clux4]

It will probably end up as a force retirement and the case will close.

 

[Flash]

Felony = no retirement .....right?

That is part of what I was wondering, I don't know. Along with whatever the Navy decides to do, which is often in addition to what punishment civilian courts hand out.

 

[PR1 H]

It will probably end up as a force retirement and the case will close.

Possibly, but retired @ what paygrade? Not sure how it works for you O types, but does the CNO determine what paygrade you retire as? Case in point is the MACS involved with the Bahrain dog handler issue. Forced retired instead of CM since witness accounts will probably be too varied. However, CNO has to decide what paygrade he served satisfactorally. Could be retired with E-6 pay, or there has been rumor of E-1 pay.

 

[HAL Pilot]

Possibly, but retired @ what paygrade? Not sure how it works for you O types, but does the CNO determine what paygrade you retire as? Case in point is the MACS involved with the Bahrain dog handler issue. Forced retired instead of CM since witness accounts will probably be too varied. However, CNO has to decide what paygrade he served satisfactorally. Could be retired with E-6 pay, or there has been rumor of E-1 pay.

Once an officer serves the minimum time in their pay grade (2 to 3 years depending on the pay grade), it is permanent and can only be reduced by a courts martial. This is good for up to 2 stars. 3 & 4 stars are always temporary ranks requiring congressional approval for each duty assignment and for retirement. So a 3 or 4 star has to be nominated to retire as a 3 or 4 star, or he retires as a 2 star instead.

 

[IRfly]

I saw this article and video which are interesting because they deal more with the victim's (former Captain Shipman's) point of view than any others that I've seen to this point. Includes Shipman's own description of the crime.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/11/10/florida.astronaut.trial/index.html#cnnSTCText

Further down in the article, it quotes Capt. Nowak as being sorry for causing "misunderstanding."

 

[IRfly]

So a 3 or 4 star has to be nominated to retire as a 3 or 4 star, or he retires as a 2 star instead.

Didn't that happen with VADM (now Congressman) Sestak?

 

[Flash]

Didn't that happen with VADM (now Congressman) Sestak?

Yes, he is a retired Rear Admiral (two-star), not Vice Admiral. He did not serve the minimum time required to retire as a VADM (I think it is either two or three years) so he wasn't even put in for Congressional approval to retire at three stars.

 

[Flash]

After almost two years she is finally leaving the Navy, with an 'Other Than Honorable' and reduction in rank to Commander. I presume she is retiring but it isn't 100% clear in the article. Can you someone retire with a 'OTH'?

 

[OnTopTime]

I presume she is retiring but it isn't 100% clear in the article. Can you someone retire with a 'OTH'?

From the article: "Nowak will retire with an 'other than honorable' discharge..." and
"She will be demoted to commander when her retirement takes effect Sept. 1."

Granted, it wouldn't be unlike the press to get some facts wrong, but I think a bigger story would have been if she was denied military retirement because of this incident, and nothing like that is being reported.