National Security

Men Aboard Warships Allegedly Abuse Their Crews, Too

By Mark Thompson | @MarkThompson_DC | December 6, 2010 | +

Last week’s news that a panel of admirals has recommended that Navy Capt. Holly Graf be booted from the Navy for “cruelty” to her crew aboard the cruiser USS Cowpens led some to wonder if such attention would be focused on a man accused of similar behavior.

The USS George H.W. Bush -- 80-plus combat aircraft and one stapler / Navy photo

You betcha. From a strange story in Saturday’s Norfolk Virginia-Pilot about goings-on aboard the carrier USS George H.W. Bush:

Two witnesses testified Friday, one junior to [Senior Chief Petty Officer Kevin] Curtis and one senior. Petty Officer 2nd Class Ryan Edmonds, a master-at-arms and the lead investigator on the Bush, spent more than five hours describing Curtis’ treatment. He said Curtis, his boss, routinely threw him into a set of metal lockers in the office, so much so that they curved and warped. He said Curtis used pepper spray on him and other sailors, and that Curtis regularly used an office stapler to staple into his skin, mostly on his back and upper thigh. Curtis stapled him that way more than 100 times, Edmonds testified. “He would come into the investigations office, open it up longways, and staple me in the upper thigh,” Edmonds told the court.

“Don’t Ask, Don’t Staple.”

Related Topics: crew abuse, holly graf, navy, National Security

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  • http://gum0nshoe.wordpress.com gumOnShoe

    You bring up a good point Mark, if we can’t trust these people not to abuse each other, maybe they shouldn’t get a say on DADT after all.

  • sacredh

    I accidentally stapled my thumb once at work and it hurt like hell. I had to pull it out with pliers. About 15-20 years ago a clown at work put one in my ass as a joke. I told him I’d get even. A couple of months later he had his feet up on the desk and was dozing off. He took a staple to his nuts. He was lucky he had thick jeans on.

  • deconstructiva

    Did Steve-O once also staple his ass on “Jackass”? Though maybe the gang zapping themselves with electric patches and Ryan Dunn getting his ass kicked by a girl had to be worse.

  • sacredh

    I’ve only seen one or two episodes of “Jackass” and one of the movies. It took awhile but me and the other guy got along again eventually. After the stapling incident I used to mess with him all the time. After he’d eaten his lunch I’d smile and ask him how it tasted. He started locking his lunch in his locker. I never actually did anything to it, but he thought I did.

  • formerlyjames

    I would be way more distracted by the psycho maniac with the staple gun than I would be about any gays that may or may not be present…

  • formerlyjames

    Maybe that’s why the Navy is the only service completely onboard with ending DADT…there’s so many bigger personnel problems to deal with…

  • http://therealestamerican.wordpress.com therealestamerican

    Yes, but men do it in a manly way.
    .
    BIG difference.

  • deconstructiva

    …well, maybe not all men…
    .

    .
    Now this is how the TSA should deal with bomb scares.

  • http://patricksartor.wordpress.com patricksartor

    “I accidentally stapled my thumb once at work…”
    .
    When I was child I accidentally stapled my thumb at home.
    .
    I was about sixt years old at the time and, being much smaller than I am as an adult the staple was most of the width of my thumb.
    .
    Thirty something years, two broken bones and a few cuts and bruises later, I can still remember it as one of the most painful things ever.
    .
    It may sound minor since that wouldn’t usually cause a permanent injury, but, DAMN, dose that hurt.

  • 3xfire3

    Mark,
    .
    “Last week’s news that a panel of admirals has recommended that Navy Capt. Holly Graf be booted from the Navy for “cruelty” to her crew aboard the cruiser USS Cowpens led some to wonder if such attention would be focused on a man accused of similar behavior.
    .
    Two witnesses testified Friday, one junior to [Senior Chief Petty Officer Kevin] Curtis and one senior. Petty Officer 2nd Class Ryan Edmonds, a master-at-arms and the lead investigator on the Bush, spent more than five hours describing Curtis’ treatment. He said Curtis, his boss, routinely threw him into a set of metal lockers in the office, so much so that they curved and warped. He said Curtis used pepper spray.”
    .
    Mark, You’re comparing apples and grapes. As a U.S. Navy Veteran let me explain the reasons these situations are totally different.
    .
    Captain Holly Graf was the Captain of a Navy ship. She was the absolute authority on that ship.
    .
    Curtis is not an officer. He is a senior enlisted man. He has no control over a ship. He is an Indian and not a chief.
    .
    Ryan Edmonds is not an Officer. He a mid-ranked enlisted man. He is a junior Indian with little authority on a Navy ship.
    .
    Captain Graf is in total control of her ship. She answers to no one on the ship. I am not judging Captain Graf or Chief Curtis. I am simply stating how these individuals are organized by rank and authority.
    .
    If you want any meaningful comparisons for Captain Graf, you would have to judge her against a male Captain of another ship.
    .
    If evidence shows that Curtis is guilty of the actions stated, then he should receive the proper punishment.

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