Navy kicks out at least 34 sailors for nuke cheating

[unhappycamper]

http://hamptonroads.com/2014/08/navy-kicks-out-least-34-sailors-nuke-cheating

Navy kicks out at least 34 sailors for nuke cheating
By Robert Burns
The Associated Press
© August 21, 2014

WASHINGTON

At least 34 sailors are being kicked out of the Navy for their roles in a cheating ring that operated undetected for at least seven years at a nuclear power training site, and 10 others are under criminal investigation, the admiral in charge of the Navy's nuclear reactors program told The Associated Press.

The number of accused and the duration of cheating are greater than was known when the Navy announced in February that it had discovered cheating on qualification exams by an estimated 20 to 30 sailors seeking to be certified as instructors at the nuclear training unit at Charleston, South Carolina. Students there are trained in nuclear reactor operations to prepare for service on any of the Navy's 83 nuclear-powered submarines and aircraft carriers.

Neither the instructors nor the students are involved in handling nuclear weapons.

After further investigation the Navy determined that 78 enlisted sailors were implicated. Although the cheating is believed to have been confined to a single unit at Charleston and apparently was not known to commanding officers, the misconduct had been happening since at least 2007, according to Adm. John M. Richardson, director of naval reactors. The exact start of the cheating was not pinpointed.

[dixiegrrrrl]

1. So nuke ships are in the hands of unqualified people

for the last 7 years?

I had no idea we had 83 nuke powered ships.

[MADem]

2. This is just not cool--this is stuff they need to actually learn....

Richardson said the accused at Charleston fell into two main categories:

—Sailors who cheated on the tests.

—Sailors who enabled the cheating by providing answers in advance to others taking the test and tipping them off about what test they would be given.

Richardson called the latter group of 10 sailors the ringleaders and said their offenses are considered more serious because they had facilitated the illicit transfer of classified test answers.

http://hamptonroads.com/2014/08/navy-kicks-out-least-34-sailors-nuke-cheating