Neptunus Lex

63 responses so far ↓

• 1 AW1 Tim // Feb 5, 2007 at 6:52 pm

  Lex,

  Man, I just read about this earlier. She’s also married, a mother, and an ‘85 graduate of the Naval Academy, not to mention a test pilot…..

  So many angles to this story…

  Respects,

• 2 Bad Cat Robot // Feb 5, 2007 at 8:53 pm

  I only hope Nowak is properly rewarded for having single-handedly set women in NASA and the military back thirty years. Even if it turns out she’s gone mental, that’s not the story that’s spilling all over the news–or will remain in people’s memory. A sordid story, a smear on NASA’s reputation, and a bloody albatross for women in command to put up with. What a grade-A idiot.

• 3 Lee // Feb 5, 2007 at 8:55 pm

  Interesting cache of weaponry. Maybe you need to ammend your edged weaponry affliction list, Lex. After all, how great would it be to see a plastic bag and rubber tubing hangin’ on the ‘ol foyer bulkhead, eh?

• 4 Nose // Feb 5, 2007 at 8:56 pm

  New callsign: “Tanya”

• 5 SJBill // Feb 5, 2007 at 9:11 pm

  Hey, she looked prety good in her earlier orange uniform: http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/space/orl-lisanowak20070205150732,0,2959343.photo?coll=orl-home-headlines

  Don’t think she;ll fare so well in her next orange jumpsuit.

  Looked like Kal-Kan on the hoof when she was booked : http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/space/orl-nowakmug0507feb05,0,1909788.photo?coll=orl-home-headlines

  Goes to show you what prolonged weightlessness and cosmic rays can do to your head, I guess.

  A real pity.

  -SJBill

• 6 Justthisguy // Feb 5, 2007 at 9:38 pm

  Dang! I just emailed you about this. Shoulda known you’d have it up before I noticed.

  The diaper does show adaptability and cold-blooded dedication, though, don’t it? I mean, the farthest I would go would be maybe trying to fit a relief tube in my truck.

• 7 Skippy-san // Feb 5, 2007 at 10:11 pm

  NASA gets the majority of their personnel from the armed forces, so it only seems natural that some of the same problems that are present in the armed forces are present in NASA as well.

  At least back in the days of “The Right Stuff” Astronaughtiness stayed off the front pages.

• 8 Bomber Guy // Feb 5, 2007 at 10:18 pm

  Fifteen yard penalty for unnecessary roughness!

  There is no totally reliable screening examination for emotional meltdowns or even calculated criminal behavior on the part of someone with a previous negligible criminal history or documented bizarre behavior.

  This will be a sad end to careers, possibly marriages, and the late-night talk-show comics will have a field day. Let’s not forget that these are real people - not actors in some production.

  The fact that Captain Nowak provided a statement to investigators, among the other circumstances cited, suggests that she has suffered a mental/emotional crash. I have investigated homicides committed by folks with similar problems; and we can all be thankful that this didn’t end up that way.

  As far as Nowak’s actions setting the Navy back..I doubt it; no more than “Duke” Cunnigham’s conviction set back the Navy or NSAWC.

  Gents, I suggest that we wipe the smirks of our faces, and put the stones back in our pockets. This is a tragedy, not a dirty joke.

• 9 Justthisguy // Feb 5, 2007 at 10:36 pm

  Oh, BG, it ain’t about the Navy, it’s about teh Cra2y Hum@nz! I know a coupla wimmin like that, and I don’t know many wimmin. Wait, that doesn’t sound good. Anyway, one of ‘em has grown out of it; I even give her ammo for Xmas sometimes. The other one, well, she complained about how bad she looked in orange after plugging hubby in the tummy…

• 10 Max Damage // Feb 5, 2007 at 10:43 pm

  While indeed a tragedy, I’d be less than human if I did not get a certain bit of satisfaction, even joy, out of reading this and thinking “There but for the Grace of God go I” as I reflect upon that opportunity, turned down, so many years ago. When I was young and full of myself and vinegar, and when she was young and love was new and it was all So Right (as Meat Loaf is wont to say), the she being a different she of course but one you just knew was destined for prison and the chances 50-50 it would be your voice or your corpse adding to her trial.

  But it seemed So Right, at the time…

  Episodes like this make one look at The Hobbit, or in my case Mrs. Damage, and give thanks for decisions well-made no matter how good the short-term aspects looked at the time. Seven year itch? Why no, honey, I scratched real fast and got rid of it immediately. Why do you ask?

  - Max

• 11 Justthisguy // Feb 5, 2007 at 10:51 pm

  I wanna know what the rubber tubing was for.

• 12 Skippy-san // Feb 6, 2007 at 12:27 am

  Bomber guy sums it up well.

  “Wars and lechery, still wars and lechery rails the frail Thursytes, a burning devil to take them”

  Besides, the great thing about astronauts? Like Doritos you can always make more. There are no shortage of applicants for this program. I think the number of applicants is like a 1000 for every 1 slot.

• 13 dc // Feb 6, 2007 at 4:18 am

  At least there weren’t any T-38’s involved. This will blow over, fast.

• 14 Kris, in New England // Feb 6, 2007 at 5:43 am

  And what no one has mentioned yet is the “man” in question was married himself, with 2 children - carrying on with TWO other women. I’ll never understand why any woman would fight over such a “man”.

• 15 SJBill // Feb 6, 2007 at 6:00 am

  I think I got it - the attraction - she was an expert with the robotic arm. This is truly one of life’s all time weird stories.

• 16 badbob // Feb 6, 2007 at 6:16 am

  Another GD Navy embarrassment- Big Time. I ain’t indicting Canoe U, but dam, this is just a bigger, juicier version of that Midshipman triad murder B.S. of just a few years ago…

  Those highly competitive, resume building suckers who happened to be pilots at one time, literally pull out all the stops to become Astronauts and then they go into free-fall from boredom as they manuever to go into space. Which seems to be a political thing, not a technical thing. No Right Stuff, the culture simply sucks.

  Leadership, accountability, paying attention to your subordinates On-Off duty….just basic friggin leadership. Somebody KNEW. WTF, O?

  Embarrassed for the Navy..again.

  b2

• 17 Byron Audler // Feb 6, 2007 at 6:35 am

  It comes down to this: On every ship I work on, you can find “CO’s Mission Statement” posted in various places. If I were the CO (being the dinosaur that I am) my Mission Statement would be thus :”Duty, Honor, Country. First, Last, Always. This command will NOT forget these tenents, and it WILL live by them”.

  Forget all the PC BS. That’s all our service people need to focus on. It’s not complicated. It doesnt’ take a genius to figure this out. Everything you do in the military falls back on those three golden words.

  But then, I’m just a dumb civilian, what do I know…

• 18 flatlander // Feb 6, 2007 at 7:22 am

  Hers is not exactly a “normal” career path for an NFO. Flying missile profiles in the back seat of an EA-7 is not a terribly demanding assignment. But maybe it’s OK for a robotic arm operator. But somehow I simply cannot imagine a fleet aviator/NFO getting into that mindset. Would never have made it that far…

• 19 MajMike // Feb 6, 2007 at 7:35 am

  tragic indeed.

  {insert gratuitous “females at Canoe U” reference here}

  {close with gratuitous squid joke}

• 20 dc // Feb 6, 2007 at 7:35 am

  I think that this astronaut was the one who had a collapse, at the end of July’s Shuttle Mission. Lack of hydration, or something like that. (I’m not being humorous)

  I just wonder if this is some sort of medical meltdown. This is certainly a tragedy. Glad no one was injured.

• 21 Snake Eater // Feb 6, 2007 at 8:05 am

  I’m with Kris. The snake in the grass in this whole sordid soap opera is Commander Oefelein…a special place in hell awaits his arrival. Best

• 22 MM2 Slug (Roland Johnson) // Feb 6, 2007 at 8:15 am

  I’m confused. While she may have come from Canoe U, i don’s see how this is a canoe U problem.

  I suspect that

  1) the phrase “Astronaughtiness” came from some where in the past. The black eye - again - goes to NASA. And

  2) it is related to the amount of time people spend together in very close quarters. Rather like on a submarine, they would have to become very close to function.

• 23 bullnav // Feb 6, 2007 at 8:39 am

  Tragedy, indeed.

  I am sure the children involved are proud of the fact that their parents are astronauts. How do you explain this one to them?

  How do you explain this to your sailors? I always believed that as an officer, you always set an example, whether you want to or not. I always believed that when promoted, it was not a fluke, and that the promotion came because bigger and better things are expected. I have always believed that the higher up you are promoted, then there is even that much more impetus to lead by example. Of course by then it is assumed that you have been doing this for a long time.

  Knowing, then, that you are not only a Naval Officer, but one of high rank and an Astronaut to boot, how does this happen? How does a CDR have an alleged affair with not one, but two fellow officers–and married at the time? How does a CAPT, also married, have an affair (of sorts, apparently) and then lose her mind?

  The whole thing saddens me deeply. I always thought astronauts were truly the best of the best (yes, I have read Space and The Right Stuff). I sincerely hope that this was an isolated incident. My prayers are with the families who are going to have a rough time.

• 24 RonF // Feb 6, 2007 at 8:41 am

  I’ve often wondered if anybody ever decide to see how weightlessness affects what are otherwise known as horizontal manuevers on the Shuttle?

• 25 SGT Jeff (USAR) // Feb 6, 2007 at 8:46 am

  I think we may be pre-convicting Cmdr. Oefelein here… it says that Cmdr. Nowak’s relationship was “less than romantic” with him, and the only evidence we have that he had a relationship with the Air Force Captain was Cmdr. Nowak’s work on it… not exactly a trustworthy source.

  Right now I’d suspect his marriage and family life is under a lot of strain. Whether it deserves to be or not is still undetermined - it might be that Cmdr. Nowak is simply a self-deluded nutcase.

• 26 Seniord // Feb 6, 2007 at 8:53 am

  Cap’n,

  The rockin’ rollickin’ days of Mercury are over. These people are supposed to be professionals yet they act like extras from Aaron Spelling soap opera.

  Enlisted men and women expect senior officers to be honorable (and discreet) in their ‘affairs’. One cannot generate much respect for those who denigrate the uniform with such actions. From my point of view, the Navy can easily weather this small squall. The individuals involved? They deserve contempt.

• 27 FbL // Feb 6, 2007 at 9:13 am

  I lean more toward SGT Jeff’s perspective on this. And I’d but money on her having some recently-developed but serious mental issues. There’s a kind of “Fatal Attraction” quality to this, though I’d bet any affair is all in her own mind.

• 28 Snake Eater // Feb 6, 2007 at 9:55 am

  FbL & SGT Jeff, Your forbearance is commendable although somewhat naive…that said, I truely hope I’m wrong about the Commander. Suggest you re-direct your concern to the families involved in this god-awful mess. They will suffer no matter how this domestic relations disaster resolves itself. Best

• 29 badbob // Feb 6, 2007 at 10:19 am

  MM2,

  I think it IS significant because they are Navy and Canoe U educated. It embarrasses me because I’m Navy.

  ———————————-

  Yeah sure, I know it’s the times and all folks, but we all get to set up our own “I’ve had enough BS” threshold detctors. Especially at my age.

  First thing I thought of when I read this was the 60’s sitcom “I Dream of Genie”, remember that? Picture Maj Nelson & Maj Healy, when Healy would try to kill Nelson over Genie. Something like that. Fantasy and USAF to boot…..

  NOT.

  b2

• 30 SGT Jeff (USAR) // Feb 6, 2007 at 10:25 am

  I have also read that Cmdr. Oefelein is currently unmarried… does anyone know about CPT Shipman?

• 31 AFSister // Feb 6, 2007 at 10:28 am

  Bomber and Kris said it for me.. but it bares repeating.
  1. She’s gone nutso- and needs help.
  2. NASA could not have anticipated nor prevented this
  3. The man involved is clearly MORE than involved with 3 women, including his wife.
  4. It’s just so very, very sad to see anyone fall prey to this sort of action.

• 32 SGT Jeff (USAR) // Feb 6, 2007 at 10:41 am

  The Orlando Sentinel article claims Cmdr. Oefelein has two children but says nothing about a wife. I still haven’t seen a thing on the marital status of the Air Force Captain (O-3 type).

  I think that Captain (O-5 type) Nowak went around the bend on a “woman scorned” trip… I wonder how much of her relationship with Cmdr. Oefelein was only in her head?

• 33 Pogue // Feb 6, 2007 at 11:57 am

  That mugshot of Capt Nowak is heartbreaking. What ever else that is clearly a shattered human being.

  Aside from that there’s a lot of jumping to conclusions over who was doing what to whom based on early newspaper reports - we all know the press never makes any mistakes.

  Maybe we ought to wait for the facts to come out prior to convicting everyone.

• 34 Byron Audler // Feb 6, 2007 at 12:10 pm

  Tell you one thing she’s already convicted of…not being an astronaut. She’ll never go on another space flight, ever again. Good bye wings, too. That, for an aviator and worse, an astronaut, is as bad as it gets.

• 35 Kris, in New England // Feb 6, 2007 at 12:15 pm

  I admit I only heard on the radio this morning that he’s married; haven’t read that yet. So perhaps, if he’s not married and was only romantically involved with one woman, that Nowak is just delusional and in need of serious professional help - and I’m not being sarcastic there.

• 36 Jim Howard // Feb 6, 2007 at 12:38 pm

  I’m pretty sure Cmdr. Oefelein is not married.

  Captain Novak was his senior, and I doubt if he reported to her, so no harm no foul there.

  The Air Force Captain wasn’t even in the same chain of command.

  Untill I see evidence to the contary it is my opinion that Cmdr. Oefelein is guilty only of dating a woman who turned into a pyscho hose-beast.

• 37 Snake Eater // Feb 6, 2007 at 1:00 pm

  Kris, You are equivocating…and its not pretty. Testicular fortitude is an admirable human trait… not limited to the male of the species. Best

  P S, I’ll be the first to fall on my sword should this guy prove to be the second comming of Christ.

• 38 dc // Feb 6, 2007 at 1:16 pm

  Now the charges are Attempted Murder.

  Someone mentioned that the Media may be stoking up the lynch torches.

  I hope that some calm rationality can enter this fray.

• 39 FbL // Feb 6, 2007 at 2:16 pm

  FbL & SGT Jeff, Your forbearance is commendable although somewhat naive?¢‚Ǩ¬¶that said, I truely hope I?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢m wrong about the Commander. Suggest you re-direct your concern to the families involved in this god-awful mess. They will suffer no matter how this domestic relations disaster resolves itself.

  Snake Eater,

  I’m not excusing her, or the Commander for perhaps giving her ideas that there could be “more” to their interactions. But she herself says they had less than a romantic relationship, but were more than just co-workers. Sounds from that like she had a crush on him.

  Just saying there’s a genuinely psycho quality to this. If she was going to such extremes with someone she saw as competition for a potential relationship, then she wasn’t quite “all there…”

• 40 FbL // Feb 6, 2007 at 2:18 pm

  And as for concern about the families, I didn’t see my comment as expressing extreme concern for ANYONE involved, though it is truly a sad situation for all.

• 41 Kris, in New England // Feb 6, 2007 at 2:58 pm

  Snake - not equivocating, just acknowledging that my information may not be 100% accurate; and if it’s not then the man in question doesn’t sound like he’s done anything wrong except date someone…and have someone else think it should be her.

• 42 Greg // Feb 6, 2007 at 3:12 pm

  What a tragedy. Today was completely bonkers at the work patch.Sheesh, where to start?

  What about the Nowak family? Teenage son and twin daughters plus a poppa.My prayers are with them all.They deserve some respect–they didn’t snap.And that is what Lisa seems to have done.Total breakdown–and a ruined life as a result.

  At least the media has had the good grace (so far) to not stalk Capt. Shipman and plaster her face across the world.

  Lastly, if Duke Cunningham didn’t disgrace the Navy, then Capt. Nowak won’t either.

• 43 Jim Howard // Feb 6, 2007 at 4:20 pm

  The most disturbing thing about this incident is that the officer who snapped was the NFO equivalent of an Air Force Electronic Warfare Officer.

  It’s well known that in the Air Force EWOs tower over all other crewmembers in raw intelligence.

  I had always supposed this established fact to be true of our siblings in the Sea Service. However when I apply Air Force logic rules (’one data point is a major trend!’) I must sadly conclude that I was mistaken about our colleagues in the Naval EW community.

• 44 Nose // Feb 6, 2007 at 4:36 pm

  Jim,

  Thought your post was serious until I read

  “when I apply Air Force logic rules”

  then I laughed.

  Nose

• 45 Skippy-san // Feb 6, 2007 at 6:46 pm

  “3. The man involved is clearly MORE than involved with 3 women, including his wife.”

  A player! Wait till his wife gets involved with her divorce attorney………….. its not going to be pretty. Alimony, house, retirement, and child support-by the time she gets done he’ll be living in a card board box.

• 46 badbob // Feb 6, 2007 at 7:11 pm

  Gee all these commnets are more entertaining than the whole diaper-sordid story!

  Snake, you’re older than me, did you get my “Dream of Genie” line?
  I thought it was pretty good.

  I reckon we gotta laugh at this one folks (although I still wish they had been USAF) because this whole story has longer legs than Paris Hilton! I’m sure Skippy concurs.

  Lex, is there any irony in this story ya think?

  b2

• 47 lex // Feb 6, 2007 at 7:18 pm

  Irony? It’s dripping with it. Somewheres.

• 48 Jason // Feb 6, 2007 at 7:29 pm

  Capt:
  Doesn’t 1500 hours aloft seem a bit “not enough” for a Navy Captain?

• 49 Brandon // Feb 6, 2007 at 7:29 pm

  1. Cdr Oefelein is NOT married. Two kids from a previous marriage but currently UNMARRIED.

  2. AF Cpt Colleen Shipman (the victim) is NOT MARRIED EITHER. Nothing released on possible children.

  3. Navy Cpt Lisa Nowak IS married, with three children. According to CNN, she and her husband recently separated (as in, a few weeks ago.) So this is not a blind shot in the dark - something has been happening.

  4. There has been NO COMMENTS from Oefelein. For all we know, Oefelein and Shipman were having a perfectly legitimate, monogamous relationship which Nowak objected to without Oefelein’s knowledge. This is doubtful but still plausible (Shipman has filed a restraining order against Nowak alleging stalking for the past two months)

  Innocent until proven guilty, guys. She’s obviously done some bad stuff, and will certainly never fly in space again and probably faces a dishonorable discharge. Still, I would think that innocent until proven guilty would be the rule for a friggin’ Navy Captain. And for another Navy Commander! We have no knowledge - zero, zip, zilch, nada - about Oefelein’s side of things.

• 50 Skippy-san // Feb 6, 2007 at 10:56 pm

  Ooops! I did not realize the guy was not married. Still seems like a lot of baggage to have to deal with. The CNN news story did not say anything about his marital status.

  Despite that, its still never a good idea to date your co-workers.

  The term Astronaughty comes from an Allen Drury novel-The Throne of Saturn. In that book one astronaut tries to kill another-in space! And at the same time the Russians are trying to kill them all.

  Ah, the classics.

• 51 Justthisguy // Feb 7, 2007 at 1:35 am

  Reminds me of what a guy told me when *I* used to work for NASA (just a co-op). I was having a juvenile infatuation with an (older) secretary there, and thought I was concealing my feelings from everyone.

  Umm, no, not so well…

  One of the astronomers took me aside and some something like, “Look, kid, let me give you some advice. Don’t get your meat, where you get your brad and butter.”

• 52 Justthisguy // Feb 7, 2007 at 1:36 am

  Dammit, *bread* and butter!

• 53 Snake Eater // Feb 7, 2007 at 6:20 am

  Justthisguy, Suggest sticking with “Brad and Butter” its a hoot and much more evocative(are there Freudian implications here?)

  B2, I did get your “I Dream of Genie” line…well done young grass-hopper.
  Best

  PS,As I recall Maj Nelson was USAF and Maj. Healey for some unknown reason was USA-Corps of Engineers…of course the foxey Genie stole every scene she was in…skimpy belly dancing/harem girl coustume and all.

• 54 sid // Feb 7, 2007 at 7:05 am

  The community in which Capt. Nowack lives is the same one in which Clara Harris ran over her orthodontist husband, and Andrea Yates drowned her five kids…

  Maybe it’s the water…

  Snark aside, this is a real tragedy by any measure.

  I wish her the best.

• 55 craig mclaughlin // Feb 7, 2007 at 8:16 am

  I blame VAQ-34.

• 56 Justthisguy // Feb 7, 2007 at 11:25 am

  I still wanna know what the rubber hose was for.

• 57 badbob // Feb 7, 2007 at 6:55 pm

  Snake,

  Maj Healy was USMC on the show! And you know, Genie still is a knockout!

  b2

• 58 Snake Eater // Feb 8, 2007 at 7:11 am

  B-2, I respectifully beg to differ…I distinctly remember( I’m not that old young pecker-wood) Maj Healey in Army Green( AG-44) uniform with the twin castle Corps of Engineers branch insigna on each lapel…as an Army-ROTC FNG I had to be up on these things. Best

• 59 Snake Eater // Feb 8, 2007 at 7:30 am

  B-2, Just confirmed Maj Healey- USA-CE. Googled, “I Dream of Genie” and saw his smiling face in UNIFORM(AG-44)dress greens.

  Groveling shall commence immediately while I contemplate your ultimate punishment for questioning this old Dog. Best

• 60 badbob // Feb 9, 2007 at 7:28 am

  Snake,

  Accept my Most Humble Apologies for questioning your 1960’s TV land wisdom. Mea Culpa, Mea Maxima Culpa.

  Anyways, Maj Healy was much too squirrely to be a Marine!That woman Astro-NUT does need to check in with “Dr. Bellows” for a little counseling though.

  Speaking of her, that Astro-nut’s best friends right now are Anna Nicole Smith and Nancy Pelosi for taking the heat off!

  It’s a bizzaro world I tells ya.

  b2

• 61 Snake Eater // Feb 9, 2007 at 8:46 am

  B-2 Apology acceped…and thank you acknowledging my 1960’s TV land wisdom.That said I’m left breathless and the speed with which you tossed the “squirrely” Maj. Healey overboard after you found out he wasn’t a Jarhead… you are indeed shameless? Best

  PS,FYI, the man paying Maj. Healey was an actor and not, I repeat not, a real USA-CE… although for this old tip of the spear guy he came awfully close to the real thing.

• 62 Michelle // Feb 9, 2007 at 6:06 pm

  If anybody is still reading, I read a few interesting comments on this story today - the first was that Nowak has ADHD. Which I found interesting because although I know a bit about it from the childhood angle, you tend not to hear too much about it in adults. “They” say thats because adults with ADHD tend to find careers where they can actually make those qualities work for them.
  The second commenet was partly in the line of a put down for NASA and its attitude - how it praises its astronauts and turns them into celebrities (yeah, so?). Then it went on to talk about those qualities you need to be an astronaut (personal aside: so is that kind of like a figher pilot hyped up on those little red pills?) which include a single minded determination to reach your goal no matter what. That’s what the culture breeds. So I was thinking - a single minded determinatino to reach your goal, as in tonight I drive from Houston to Florida, even if takes diapers to make it happen? Well, she did make it happen, you gotta give her that!

• 63 Justthisguy // Feb 10, 2007 at 11:58 pm

  Umm, Michelle, I believe I used the words “adaptability” and “cold-blooded dedication” in my comment above, #6. Yup, she seems to have been on a mission, a bad scary wrongheaded mission.

  ADHD, huh? According to the copy of “Stick and Rudder” I used to own, scatterbrained people make the best pilots, always looking in all directions at all times. Seems to me she was doing just the opposite, indulging in target fixation in a very bad way.

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