Air Force Times: Lawmakers lambaste ‘old boy’s network’ in email exchange
Protect Our Defenders President Nancy Parrish and Honorary Chair Rep. Jackie Speier are featured in this Air Force Times article:
Rep. Jackie Speier, D-Calif., called the Wilkerson case “everything that’s wrong with the blind protection of the Uniform Code of Military Justice.”
“The military says taking cases like these out of the chain of command will negatively impact morale,” Speier said in a statement. “I think it’s clear that the chain of command chose the future of one soldier over the integrity of the entire Air Force. Against any measure of better judgment, they thumbed their noses at the victim, her family and justice in general. This closed system of power is truly amazing in its arrogance.”
Parrish, of Protect Our Defenders, said Franklin’s involvement was startling. “We can see what goes into this type of case, and it’s very disturbing,” she said. “We just saw the extreme lengths the military brass goes to protect each other’s backs. You see senior officers valuing their friends and senior officers. They believe the people they know and trust versus those they don’t. This is an old boy’s network rather than an independent, impartial and professional justice system.”
