AF Pilot Gets Support in Senate as Trial Is Delayed

MINOT, N.D. — After a build-up that lasted for weeks and featured dueling public relations campaigns, the court-martial of 1st Lt. Kelly J. Flinn stalled at the start Tuesday. But in the political sideshow that ultimately may decide her fate, the Air Force’s first female B-52 pilot picked up a strong endorsement from the majority leader in the U.S. Senate.

Flinn arrived on time for the scheduled opening of the trial but the proceedings were delayed all day while the Air Force’s judge advocate general in the Pentagon weighed the postponement request filed by Flinn’s civilian lawyer, Frank Spinner.

Air Force prosecutors at Minot Air Force Base said that they want to begin the trial as soon as possible but Spinner predicted that there will be no action until next week at the earliest.

In Washington, however, the pace picked up. Sen. Trent Lott of Mississippi, the Senate’s top Republican, told reporters that Flinn had been “badly abused” by the Air Force and said that he is considering a protest to Defense Secretary William S. Cohen.

“I think, at a minimum, she ought to get an honorable discharge,” Lott said.

An honorable discharge is what Flinn is now seeking. On Monday, she asked for permission to resign her commission and leave the service with an honorable discharge instead of standing trial on charges of adultery, fraternization, lying to superiors and disobeying the order of her commander.

Flinn has said that she wants that kind of separation so she will be able to continue flying in the Air Force reserve or Air National Guard.

Air Force Secretary Sheila Widnall will make the ultimate decision on whether Flinn will be allowed to leave the service on her own terms. Air Force officials have implied that Widnall is unlikely to approve an honorable discharge but they cautioned that the secretary has not yet made a final decision.

But Lott’s comments may make it more difficult for Widnall to reject Flinn’s request. The lawmaker complained that Flinn was being “singled out” for punishment for the same sort of sexual transgressions common among military personnel, most of whom do not face courts-martial.

“The Pentagon is not in touch with reality on this so-called question of fraternization,” Lott said. “I mean, get real. You’re still dealing with human beings.”

Sen. Slade Gorton (R-Wash.), long a supporter of Flinn, added on the NBC-TV program “Today” that “this is a case of the punishment being greatly disproportionate to the crime. She should be transferred to another base.”

Nevertheless, she has admitted an affair with a married civilian, Marc Zigo, who she allowed to move into her house off the base. She also has admitted telling superiors that the relationship was not sexual and she has admitted ignoring the order of her commander “not to go within 100 feet” of Zigo.

While adultery is a crime in the military, lying to superiors and disobeying orders are offenses considered even more serious.

In media interviews, Flinn has said Zigo had told her that he was separated from his wife and getting a divorce. She has also said repeatedly that her offense was that she “fell in love with the wrong man.” She now describes Zigo as a “con man,” and says she has discovered that he was on probation for wife-beating. She says he has since disappeared.

Zigo did divorce his wife, an enlisted woman assigned to the Minot base, after charges were filed against Flinn. And he resurfaced Tuesday, telephoning a CNN call-in show to present his side of the story.

“She was well aware that I was married,” Zigo said of Flinn. “She had dinner with my wife and my friends.”

“The truth needs to be told,” Zigo said. “However, only one side is talking. When you call someone a con artist and say he’s on probation for assault, and it’s not true, who’s telling the truth?”