Ray Hrdlicka – Host – Attorneys.Media
Welcome to Part 5 of Save the Sailors Career
As you know by now, the constitutional violations committed by two Navy Commands are the central focus of this entire issue. It is no longer about the rules violations by dozens of students at the Naval Academy Preparatory School. The actions of those two Navy Commands, Naval Academy Preparatory School and the United States Naval Academy itself, changed the focus to the illegal and unjust application of punishment, not corrective disciplinary action, simply because that student attempted to exert his constitutional right to talk to an attorney. As I’ve said before, our military service members and our citizens must not have their constitutional rights trampled by persons in authority.
Let’s continue with the story.
When Grant received the denial of his appeal, he was moved out of the student barracks and moved into the enlisted Navy barracks, the facilities division that maintains the buildings for the school, which is now his assigned job until he receives a change of duty station. Ironically, by that time, Grant had taken all the finals for all three advanced courses, Math, Chemistry, and Physics. Had already taken the validation test for Physics ONE at the Academy and passed, meaning he was no longer required to take that course at the Naval Academy. He also took the validation test for Math at the Academy, but would not receive that result for a couple of months.
At about this time, NINE students were adjudicated for UA, unauthorized absence. All nine were given 30 days restriction, 30 days loss of privileges. All nine were recommended for separation from NAPS and no appointment to the Naval Academy. But wait a minute, here’s the twist. Just a few days later, without having to appeal the separation recommendation to the Superintendent, as Grant and other sailors were required to, all nine students were allowed to submit their admissions package to the Naval Academy. Remember….Grant had the same recommendation and was NOT allowed to submit his admission package to the Naval Academy. Eight of those students received their appointments to the Academy in May 2022, one did not due to failing grades.
Now a new, and very important person, comes into the story. A childhood friend of a family childhood friend, previously unknown to Grant, happened to be in Newport, Rhode Island. He knew of Grant’s admission to the Preparatory School and wanted to see Grant at the school graduation. That person is a retired Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy. A MCPON. It is the most senior enlisted member of the U.S. Navy. There is only one person in that position. The highest rank of all enlisted sailors. To give you a perspective, there are approximately 320,000 enlisted personnel in the Navy. And that person is the highest rank of all of them. That position was created in 1967, and there have only been 16 MCPONS since that time. That position is in the Pentagon, as senior advisor to the Chief of Naval Operations, the CNO and the Chief of Naval Personnel. Comparatively, with Naval officers, that position is treated equally to a three-star Admiral.
Now this retired MCPON goes to the Naval Academy Preparatory School and asks to see Grant. When Grant arrives, the MCPON sees the ribbon on Grants uniform indicating a restriction status. As you recall, Grant was punished with a longer restriction than any other student at the school, as well as the only student to receive a reduction in rank, together with the denial of admission to the Naval Academy, the only student with one disciplinary action to get denied. Upon inquiry, Grant tells the entire incident to the retired MCPON. He is, rightfully so, in disbelief that the extreme punishment was derived from the constitutional violation committed by Navy Commands to deny the right to talk to an attorney. The MCPON says he will make some telephone calls to try to figure out what happened.
Now while the MCPON inquiries are going on, the 4th violation of Navy regulation NAPS 1610.1G section 3.8 occurs. Section B states, in part:
The Company Officer shall be responsible to ensure the Candidate is advised of all rights regarding their discharge from the NAPS Battallion.
That did not occur. No one said anything about rights. No one provided any documentation about rights. Nothing occurred. Command just moved Grant from the student barracks to the enlisted facilities division barracks and he started working for that division immediately after restriction ended. Once again, Navy Command just doing whatever they want, regardless of the regulations.
Now a couple of very interesting peripheral incidents occurred about this time. Again, highlighting the fact that NAPS, the Naval Academy Preparatory School, Command does whatever they want, regardless of regulations or even their own prior orders.
The graduation ceremony and graduation ball are about to happen. Of course, Grant is not going as he has been separated from the students due to the appeal denial. However, another student, also separated from the school due to two violations was told he could attend the graduation ball. In the scope of all the violations committed by the Navy Command personnel, that fact is not that big a deal, but it does go to highlight whimsical decisions by Command, without regard to right or wrong. Without regard as to how those decisions are viewed by, and how they affect, other students. There were other students that were separated due to failed grades and multiple disciplinary actions. Why did one student get special treatment versus other students? Did a coin get flipped? Or is it something more?
Giving you a glimpse into the future, we will tell you in a later video about a current student getting very special treatment at NAPS, way outside of any existing regulation, where Command is just making up special rules and regulation at will.
Now back to Grant’s story. After the graduation ball, Grant is told by a student that the Superintendent, Admiral Sean Buck was seen with Captain James Bahr at the ball, ostensibly getting chastened. The student said it looked very awkward. Now, that observation very well simply could be a misinterpretation, except for what happened the day after the graduation ball. An email was issued by Captain James Bahr canceling all restrictions seven days hence. All restrictions are cancelled, regardless of how much time you had been in restriction or still remained. No reason given. Of course the restricted students are going to look at it as a gift, but you have to ask the question…why? What was said? Remember those nine students adjudicated for unauthorized absence and given 30 days restriction just a few days earlier? Did it have something to do with one of those students? Was special treatment being awarded? We have shown you, by now, that Grant has been receiving special treatment. But that special treatment is extreme punishment and career destruction, of course, and on the other side of the scale.
A few days go by. Grant is working with the facilities division of the school. After morning muster, Grant is approached by Chief Ashcom, the same person who voice the threat from Command that Grant will be punished harsher if he involves an attorney. Ashcom says he was contacted by an unknown Chief about the situation with Grant and wants to know what is going on. Of course Grant realizes that probably is due to the MCPON’s inquiries and says he doesn’t want to talk about it. Ashcom says “of course you don’t” and then proceeds to call Grant a “fucking piece of shit.”
I am not going to belabor this incident, but I ask you…how does this reflect on the leadership of that Command when a chief is able to verbally abuse a subordinate? To call that subordinate inappropriate names. Even setting aside the profanity, how does that promote the ideals inherent in the Navy? It simply does not.
I am going to end Part 5 with this tidbit. By now, the MCPON has made many phone calls, and found out numerous navy personnel have inaccurate information about the entire incident with Grant. However, above all of the eye-opening revelations, one outlandish response was uncovered. The MCPON was contacted by none other than Superintendent Admiral Buck, Sean Buck, himself. In Part 6, we will tell you all about that phone call, but here’s the pivotal part of that conversation. Admiral Sean Buck asked the MCPON if he, MCPON, knew that the other student involved with Grant’s violation had to be hospitalized, and that Grant’s performance on restriction was not good. The MCPON answered that he had not. The MCPON did not know those facts because those facts are a blatant LIE! They never happened! Superintendent Admiral Sean Buck was provided information outside of the appeal package. Information he used to make a decision on the appeal. Information provided by, everyone’s best guess here, because it can only be from this source, Command at NAPS. This is the second violation of Navy regulation I mentioned in Part 4. Admiral Buck made a bad decision based on bad information. False information. Lies. There is not other way to describe it. From his own words, we learn that Grant continues to be punished by illegal actions from Navy Commands.
In Part 6 we will tell you how the MCPON validates that they are lies by speaking directly to both the student involved in Grants violation and to Grants direct supervisor. And of course, we can’t forget about more examples of disparate treatment of Grant versus other students. Plus we bring legal representation into contact with Navy Command and what happens? You can probably guess, they start circling the wagons.
Go to our petition page at Attorneys.Media/SaveTheSailor. Sign your name to the appropriate petition, retired/former military, donors to the USNA, lawyers, elected officials-staff, and the general public. Show your support to correct the actions of those few people, military personnel in command authority, who not only abuse their rank, but violate the Constitution and other areas in our nations rule of law.
See you in Part 6
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