March Air Force Madness

I'm excited to fill out my brackets on my Facebook via CBS sports killer app. The tourney is probably the best sporting event going, and maintaining brackets only enhances the experience.

With that in mind, this story is simply too good/typical not to share:

JAG warns against March Madness office pools
Staff report
Posted : Sunday Mar 15, 2009 8:26:54 EDT
Airman, step away from the March Madness tournament pool bracket.

Air Combat Command is warning airmen that they will be breaking military regulations if they start filling out NCAA basketball tournament office pool brackets — even if they are off duty.

Capt. Jeremy Cameron, a judge advocate at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, cited Defense Department rules in his warning to airmen: “According to the Joint Ethics Regulation, DoD employees shall neither participate in gambling activities while on base nor while on duty; this includes both military and civilian personnel.”

Breaking that rule could lead to other crimes.

Officers need to remember that gambling with a subordinate may constitute a violation of the Uniform Code of Military Justice rules on conduct unbecoming an officer, Cameron warned.

“It is not worth risking your career,” the captain wrote.

And even if you’re willing to endanger your career, gambling doesn’t pay.

“For example, some Air National Guard members ran a fantasy football league on their government computers,” Cameron wrote. “Each member paid $10 to play, and the winner was obligated to buy pizza for the rest of the members. The winner actually spent more buying the pizzas than he even won.” (link)

Gambling on government time should obviously be a no-no, but I hate the scare tactics that the big blue brother likes to shove down airmen's throats. "Risking your career?" Come on now--fussing over a $10/head pool. Shouldn't the Air Force legal arm focus every bit of energy on stemming sexual assault and halting drunk driving? This reminds me of a little story I had a chance to cover a couple years back:

Kirtland Airman hits jackpot
by Capt. Morgan O’Brien
377th Air Base Wing Public Affairs

8/23/2005 - KIRTLAND AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. (AFPN) -- A master sergeant here got a whole lot more than milk during a recent trip to the supermarket.

In fact, Master Sgt. John San Cartier, a special operations loadmaster instructor with the 58th Training Squadron, “got” a lottery ticket that ended up winning the $93.4 million jackpot.

Good thing he gambled--all you need is a dollar and a dream, right?

In reading this warning, I'm also hoping that this anti-gambling ban is not retroactive, otherwise a lot of people should be in trouble if that's case.

Air Force 60th Anniversary planning begins
4/16/2007 - KIRTLAND AIR FORCE BASE, New Mexico -- On Sept. 14, three New Mexico bases will come together for an all-day celebration of the Air Force's 60th Anniversary.

The celebration, titled "Heritage to Horizons" and hosted by Kirtland AFB, will be held at the Sandia Resort and Casino (emphasis mine), in the foothills of Albuquerque's Sandia Mountains. (link)

A celebration filled with airmen in uniform held at the local casino. Yet another great moment in service hypocracy. I bet no military personnel placed a wager that night...

While we're at it, March is women's history month. Maybe the base planning committed can hold a celebration of females at TD's Showclub???