Nuclear cheatingU.S. Navy probes exam cheating at school for nuclear power reactor operator
Yet another military service is facing allegations of exam-cheating. Earlier this year, the U.S. Air Force launched a probe into a cheating scandal involving about 100 officersat Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana, who are responsible for maintaining and operating land-based nuclear missiles. Now the U.S. Navy is investigating about one-fifth of its trainers at the school for naval nuclear power reactor operators in Charleston, South Carolina. The sailors are accused of cheating on written tests required to obtain certification as instructors at the nuclear propulsion school.
Yet another military service is facing allegations of exam-cheating. Earlier this year, the U.S. Air Force launched a probe into a cheating scandal involving about 100 officersat Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana, who are responsible for maintaining and operating land-based nuclear missiles. Now the U.S. Navy is investigating about one-fifth of its trainers at the school for naval nuclear power reactor operators in Charleston, South Carolina. ABC News reports that the sailors are accused of cheating on written tests required to obtain certification as instructors at the nuclear propulsion school.
The sailors under investigation had undergone reactor operators training at Charleston before deploying aboard a nuclear-powered vessel. As part of their career path, the sailors returned to Charleston to serve as instructors. Admiral John Richardson, director of the Navy’s nuclear propulsion program, said that a number of senior sailors are alleged to have provided test information to their peers.
One Navy official said that the information was shared from the sailors’ home computers, which would be a violation of security rules because information on nuclear reactors operations is classified. “That’ll be an active part of the investigation to fully understand” the extent of any security rule violations, Richardson said.
The last Navy cheating scandal involving nuclear reactor operators was in 2010, when the USS Memphis lost 10 percent of its crew after a cheating ring was discovered.
The alleged cheating was reported this past Monday by a senior enlisted sailor at the Charleston training site. The Naval Criminal Investigative Service is investigating the matter. “To say I am disappointed would be an understatement,” said Admiral Jonathan Greenert, the chief of naval operations. “We expect more from our sailors — especially our senior sailors.”
A loss of thirty nuclear power reactor instructors at the Charleston training site will likely affect the training program which has about 150 instructors. “I could possibly foresee an impact in Charleston,” Richardson said. “We’ll see if that is broader.”
Possible disciplinary action has not been determined because the investigation is ongoing, but Richardson said anyone in the nuclear power program caught cheating would usually be removed from the program and “generally” discharged from the Navy.
