Haight Three-Grade Demotion Record

PROBLEM: Maj. Gen. David Haight, chief of operations and plans at U.S. European Command, carried on an 11-year extramarital affair (from Feb 12, 2005) with a government contractor, at times a "swinger" lifestyle, and misused government resources — 80+ calls totaling 1,400+ minutes from his government cellphone to the woman between June and November 2015. An Army Inspector General investigation (report Apr 2016) substantiated the affair and the misuse; he was fired from EUCOM in May 2016. On Dec 16, 2016 he was demoted three grades, major general to lieutenant colonel — a steep and rare downgrade — costing more than $40,000 a year in retirement pay.

SOLUTION: A three-grade demotion record: every flag-officer retirement-rank determination logged with the grade lost, the IG findings behind it, and the pension consequence — so a quiet firing followed by a steep demotion is visible as one record.

EVIDENCE BASIS: DOCUMENTED — Army IG investigation (ordered Jan 4, 2016; report Apr 2016); affair from Feb 12, 2005; 80+ calls / 1,400+ minutes on government phone; fired May 2016; demotion to lieutenant colonel Dec 16, 2016 (Army Secretary Eric Fanning, three-member board); >$40,000/year pension loss. Sources: AP; Army Times; USA TODAY.