Va. Guard chief paid by firm of subordinate

[unhappycamper]

Va. Guard chief paid by firm of subordinate
The Associated Press
Posted : Saturday May 15, 2010 14:21:23 EDT

NORFOLK, Va. — For years the head of the Virginia National Guard has been paid as much as $100,000 per year for serving on an advisory board for a company owned by one of his subordinate officers, according to a report in Saturday’s Virginian-Pilot.

Air Force Maj. Gen. Robert Newman, adjutant general of the Virginia Guard, has been paid between $50,000 and $100,000 yearly since 2003 for his role on the board of Total Immersion Software Inc., which markets virtual-reality training software to the military and other customers.

The company is owned by Air Force Brig. Gen. Peter Bonanni, who Newman promoted to assistant adjutant general for the Virginia Air National Guard in 2008. On its website, Total Immersion lists the Air National Guard among its clients, but Bonanni said the company does not do business with the Virginia Guard.

Newman and his boss, Secretary of Public Safety Marla Decker, declined to comment.

Bonanni said he put Newman on the board when both of them were colonels. He defended his promotion as a natural progression. Bonanni recently retired from the post.



unhappycamper comment: Am I reading this correctly? ". . . the head of the Virginia National Guard has been paid as much as $100,000 per year for serving on an advisory board for a company owned by one of his subordinate officers" Damn, they're really getting blatant about this post military consulting.