Two U.S. Air Force captains have resigned instead of standing courts-martial on charges of stealing classified items when stationed at Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota, the Associated Press reported Wednesday (see GSN, Nov. 2, 1009).
Capt. Paul Borowiecki, now discharged from military duty, and Capt. Javed Abbas, who is finishing his service
at a base in Wyoming, were missile launch personnel for the 91st Missile Wing when accused of the thefts in 2005.
The two officers failed to follow regulations calling on them to destroy material that was no longer being used for identifying intentional alterations to equipment in the underground launch site in which they were posted. One supervisor said in a 2008 hearing that Borowiecki believed the item would be "a cool thing to have."
Borowiecki confessed to the crime and returned the stolen item in May 2008. Abbas apparently said he had destroyed his item, though Borowiecki said that was not the case. The Air Force declined to clarify the status of that device.
Both officers had faced multiple charges, which are not being pursued. The Air Force said it determined that "acceptance of these officers' requests for resignation and directing their administrative discharge from the Air Force was an appropriate resolution for this matter" (James MacPherson, Associated Press/Houston Chronicle, Jan. 13).