The secretary of the Air Force might be willing to allow the nation's first female B-52 pilot, facing a court-martial on adultery charges, to resign with an honorable discharge, Air Force officials said Thursday.
But the officials stressed that Air Force Secretary Sheila Widnall was barred from offering 1st Lt. Kelly Flinn a chance to leave to avoid a trial in the high-profile case set for next Tuesday at Minot Air Force Base, N.D.They also noted that it would be up to Widnall to set any conditions for a resignation if Flinn sought to leave the service.
"There are multiple conditions. It could be honorable or otherwise," Maj. Ed Worley, an Air Force spokesman, told Reuters.
The New York Times, quoting Air Force officials, reported Thursday that Widnall was looking for a way to avoid a high-profile military trial of Flinn.
The case, which has drawn national attention, puts Widnall in an uncomfortable position because, under military rules, she is barred from formally offering leniency in exchange for avoiding a trial.
But under Air Force rules, individuals facing court-martial are also allowed to ask to be given the chance to resign, a procedure known as resignation in lieu of a court-martial, or RILO, the Times reported.
Service rules establish adultery as a criminal offense. Conviction in a military trial could result in a dishonorable discharge and even a fine and prison sentence.
Flinn, who is not married, faced charges of adultery, fraternization, disobeying a direct order and making a false sworn statement.
The charges stemmed from an affair she has acknowledged she had with a married civilian. She also was accused of having sex with a lower-ranking enlisted man.
Flinn, a St. Louis native, became a B-52 bomber pilot in 1995 as the service began allowing women to fly warplanes. She is now one of only a few women in the Air Force qualified to fly bombers such as the B-52 and the swing-wing B-1.