Within days of being interrogated by the NIS, I was transferred to a newly formed Supply Quality Assurance Team that consisted of one Officer (Lt. Betts) and three other Enlisted men. Our primary job was to search for inventory items that show quantity on hand, but was unable to be located by the S-8 Division of the Supply Department. These items did not include what was dumped in the ocean as those items were never received in to inventory. Working in QA was the ideal job for me as I had total freedom to search for the missing items. I had a 51% find rate which infuriated the Supply Officers who I was at odds with. In addition to finding mis-located items, I began to notice inventory items that seemed to be highly over-priced. The Navy had a program at the time called Buy Our Spare Parts Smartly (BOSS) where I could fill out a form with all the details that lead to my suspicion of price gouging. As part of the program, anyone who identified price gouging would receive a monetary award.
A few months after I started sending in the forms, I would be recognized for uncovering massive price gouging that would rock the Military Supply System. Remember for $400 hammers and $2000 toilet seats? That was part of the corruption I was involved in exposing and all part of the Military Industrial Complex.
A few months after I started sending in the forms, I would be recognized for uncovering massive price gouging that would rock the Military Supply System. Remember for $400 hammers and $2000 toilet seats? That was part of the corruption I was involved in exposing and all part of the Military Industrial Complex.
Lt. Betts became a Supply Officer when he was rejected from becoming a pilot. Betts had earned his ‘wings’ and just before being assigned to an A-6 Air Squadron, he went before a Final Review Board. When asked how he felt about dying, Lt. Betts responded that he had no fear of death as his life was in the hands of God and that is what got him rejected. Lt. Betts inspired me in so many ways including his faith in God and he helped me get through some very difficult times. Lt. Betts also recommended me for the Command Advancement Program where one Enlisted person from each Command can be promoted without meeting all the requirements for advancement. I was runner up for the award.
Lt. Betts wrote the following in my Cruise Book
