There is only one reporter from the Dayton area at this trial: John Nolan of the Dayton Daily News.
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SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. — The former top enlisted man of the Air Force Materiel Command at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base goes on trial today on charges he sexually harassed or had sex with Air Force women whom he outranked, and tried to have women he liked assigned to his area.
If Chief Master Sgt. William C. Gurney is convicted of all charges, he could face up to 34 years in military prison, dishonorable discharge, loss of rank and forfeiture of all military pay and retirement income. His annual base pay is $73,548. Scott Air Force Base was assigned to handle the court-martial, which is expected to last all week.
It is rare that such a high-ranking military person is put on trial, and the services would prefer to avoid such exposure, said Thaddeus Hoffmeister, a University of Dayton associate professor of law who is an Army Reserve major and judge advocate general.
“It erodes confidence in the leadership. The military is based on leadership, following the senior leaders,” Hoffmeister said. “But if the command is being court-martialed, that kind of undermines the chain of authority.”
Gurney formerly advised Gen. Donald Hoffman, the AFMC’s commander, as advocate for the 10-base command’s enlisted men and women. Gurney was removed from that job and assigned to desk duty in November 2009 after investigation of the allegations,
The Air Force Office of Special Investigations did the investigation after an airman complained that Gurney was making unwanted advances.
The charges include sexual harassment, dereliction of duty, failure to maintain professional relationships, maltreatment of subordinates, indecent conduct, attempted manipulation of the Air Force personnel system and adultery. Under military law, adultery is a crime because it undermines order and discipline and can bring discredit to the military.
The charges also accuse Gurney, a 27-year Air Force veteran, of misusing his government computer, cell phone and e-mail account. Military prosecutors allege that Gurney sent electronic communications to Air Force women including nude and seminude photos of himself, requested photos of their nude breasts, and invited the women to have sex with him and, in some cases, his wife also.
The offenses allegedly occurred between June 1, 2007, and Nov. 13, 2009.
Gurney and his Air Force lawyer didn’t respond last week to requests for comment.
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2242 or jnolan@DaytonDailyNews.com.
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