Abandoned Shipmate: The Destruction of Coast Guard Captain Ernie Blanchard

Captain Ernie Blanchard left for work January 10, 1995, a successful officer. Respected by superiors and subordinates alike, his personal and professional values seemed perfectly aligned with the institution he served, the United States Coast Guard. By day’s end his career was finished. At a speaking engagement at the Coast Guard Academy, Blanchard’s icebreaker-a series of tasteless jokes-was met with silence. Within hours, an investigation was underway into whether his remarks constituted sexual harassment. Twelve days later, threatened with court-martial, he shot himself.The author investigates Blanchard’s “death by political correctness” in context of the turmoil surrounding U.S. Armed Forces’ gender inclusion struggles from the 1980s to the present. The experiences of Private Jessica Lynch and Lieutenant Colonel Kate Germano underscore how military women who elevate martial virtues over public relations are targeted for intimidation.