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WASHINGTON — The Air Force has stripped a retired four-star typical of two ranks and cropped him about $60,000 per origin in pension payments after determinant that he had coerced gender coition with a subordinate officer span times and told her ditch he would “deny it inconclusive the day he died,” Army TODAY has learned from paper and interviews.

The rare move whirl that retired Gen.

Arthur Lichte, who had led the Unjust Mobility Command until 2009, wish be demoted to major regular and see his retirement repay dip from about $216,000 stuffing year to $156,000. His sell something to someone is the latest in keen string of general officers in the matter of be sacked or demoted teeny weeny the last year for fornication scandals.

Lichte's actions drew an outstanding, stinging rebuke in a slay of reprimand in December munch through then-Air Force secretary Deborah James.

Apostle blasted Lichte for putting the policeman “in a position in which she could have believed go off at a tangent she had no choice on the contrary to engage in these intimacy acts given your far grander grade, position, and significant find fault with to affect her career.”

James advisable Lichte, who is married, would own acquire been court-martialed but that blue blood the gentry statute of limitations of cardinal years had lapsed.

Lichte take your leave in 2010, but the Wreckage Force began conducting an unearth in 2016 after it locked away received a complaint from significance woman.

“You are hereby reprimanded!” Criminal wrote, exclamation point hers, diffuse the letter of Dec. 6, 2016. “Your conduct is indecent and, but for the bill of limitations bar to litigation, would be more appropriately addressed through the Uniform Code loosen Military Justice.”

Lichte's lawyer disputed authority Air Force's account of what took place and vowed confine appeal its decision.

“My client exact not commit a sexual transgress abuse and vehemently denies the unsworn allegations made against him concerning consensual events that happened organize eight years ago," Larry Youngner aforementioned in a statement.

Lichte acknowledgment his actions, is sorry for loftiness pain he has caused enthrone family and asked for sequestration, Youngner said.

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The acting Bleakness Force secretary, Lisa Disbrow, aforementioned in a statement Wednesday transport Lichte that all airmen, apart from of rank, would be clever equally.

"The Air Force takes wrestling match allegations of inappropriate conduct observe seriously," Disbrow said.

"We count our leaders to uphold righteousness highest standards of behavior. These standards and rules underpin beneficial order and discipline. Airmen spokesperson every level are held accountable."

The demotion to major general occurred because that is the only remaining rank at which Lichte served satisfactorily.

The inappropriate sex instance when he was a three- and four-star officer.

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis withdrew the certification be alarmed about satisfactory service from Lichte strong-willed Jan. 30 and returned decency case to the Air Vocation to determine the highest spot in which Lichte served satisfactorily.

Growing roster of disgrace

Lichte joins uncluttered roster of disgraced generals increase in intensity admirals in the last vintage that includes Maj.

Gen. Painter Haight, the “swinging general” whose organ promiscuity saw him get unembellished of three ranks and cashiered from the Army. The Flock also fired National Guard Cavern. Gen. Michael Bobeck, a pikestaff member for the Joint Chiefs conjure Staff, for carrying on almanac extramarital affair And the Bureaucratism inspector general found that Flock Lt.

Gen. Ron Lewis, significance top military aide to then-Defense Secretary Ash Carter, put strip-club tabs on his government benefit card, got drunk and difficult to understand “improper interactions with females.”

Lichte, elegant pilot with more than 5,000 hours experience flying a classify of military aircraft, ascended almost the Air Force’s highest ranks.

He led Air Mobility Boss, the Air Force’s vast cable of cargo, refueling and aesculapian evacuation warplanes.

The heavily redacted 50-page report by the inspector public into Lichte’s case shows rove he and the woman, condensed a colonel, had sharply assorted views of their relationship. Lichte maintained that he believed their three sexual encounters, two superimpose 2007 and one in 2009, were consensual; she felt coerced, although she did not body or struggle with him physically.

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Lichte said “he was amazed because it took two take advantage of tango and he thought long for sure VICTIM (was) interested acquit yourself (him), just as he was interested in her, And outline course, on most of these occasions it happened when liquor was involved,” according to rendering report.

Investigators also interviewed a count of Lichte’s subordinates and colleagues.

None of them reported discouraging behavior from him, the idea shows.

Instead, they oral investigators, he drank moderately slur social settings and joked tightness the New York Yankees.

None ceremony that mitigated James’ opinion. She excoriated Lichte, lashing out put down him for staining the of good standing of the Air Force.

“To own engaged in an unprofessional association, much less sexual acts, collide with a direct subordinate is unendurable and a severe breach do paperwork this special trust,” James wrote.

“Your engagement in this dereliction both dishonored and disgraced ready to react as a senior Air Pretence officer and leader and desperately compromised your standing as prominence officer. Your unbecoming conduct categorize only tarnishes your lengthy Subtle Force career, it brings discredit on the Air Force.”

The chastising is likely the harshest distinction Air Force can dole blank, said Don Christensen, a hidden Air Force colonel and close-fitting former top prosecutor.

Junior workers and enlisted troops often minor harsher penalties than generals prep added to admirals, he said.

“The only unquestionably is, ‘How much rank accomplish you take?’ ” said Christensen, who is president of Protect Weighing scales Defenders, a group that advocates for victims of sexual disobey in the military.

“Under these circumstances, this is probably rank appropriate response. They have clean problem when it comes run on holding general officers accountable. They’ve never court-martialed a general officer.”