Twenty-six women have charged that they were sexually assaulted by a number of officers at last September's annual convention of the Tailhook Association, the professional organization of naval and marine aviators. If the charges turn out to be true, then those guilty should be punished to the fullest extent of the law.
Sexual misconduct represents a grave breach of professionalism and has no place in the military.
However, the uproar surrounding this incident threatens to harm the effectiveness of the Navy as a fighting force. Promotions of fleet commanders have been held up, and some in Congress, such as Representative Patricia Schroeder, the Colorado Democrat, are saying that the only way to prevent sexual misconduct in the military is to put women in combat. The result is plummeting morale and disarray in one of the finest fighting forces the world has ever seen. This is going too far. The culprits, if they are guilty, should be punished, but the Navy as a whole should not be condemned.