# Plagiarized War College Thesis



## Scotth (Jul 24, 2014)

Newly appointed (D) Senator from Montana John Walsh plagiarized about 1/3 of his final War College Thesis without citation.  The other 2/3 was mostly copied from other sources but at lease he had foot notes attributing the source even if he didn't use quotations to designate what was directly copied from other source.

Basically, he cut-n-pasted his final thesis and now the War College will investigate and hopefully rescind his Master Degree they awarded him.

That should ruin his military career but who knows about his political career.  He should drop out of the race out of pride but I'm not counting on that.


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## Grunt (Jul 24, 2014)

In my opinion, most people with pride and honor wouldn't plagiarize.


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## racing_kitty (Jul 24, 2014)

Don't forget he blamed his plagiarism on PTSD.  

PTSD... Is there anything it can't do?  Looks like the devil is going to be out of a job in the coerced actions department before long.


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## AWP (Jul 24, 2014)

They should dress him in a school girl outfit and leave him in a room with Sgt. Maj. Sixta...


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## Viper1 (Jul 24, 2014)

http://www.slate.com/blogs/weigel/2...ably_just_ended_a_senate_race_in_montana.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/24/us/politics/montana-senator-john-walsh-plagiarized-thesis.html
http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slat...hints_ptsd_influenced_plagiarism_of_work.html

I recommend these three articles, in order of precedence.  The New York Times article is most damaging.  It has a graphic showing the paper, highlighting the portions that had no documentation or improper documentation.  The Reader's Digest version: the only portions not highlighted is the title page and the reference page.  

Another unfortunate example that leaders can use as a teaching point to younger soldiers.  Tragic.  I'm writing a letter to one of my grad school professors right now.  I'll post a redacted version later.


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## Scotth (Jul 24, 2014)

That New York Times graphic is damning in the most concise way possible.

Montana's Democrats are fools if they don't demand that he step down immediately.

The War College is a major career milestone for an officer and that is the kind of work you offer.  Unbelievable.


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## Viper1 (Jul 24, 2014)

Here is my e-mail to my Professor.



> Dr. _{name- redacted}_,
> The points that you and _{name- redacted} _University make about plagiarism ring true.  Sadly, those points are backed by unfortunate examples.  This is tragic on so many levels.  A former Adjutant General from the Montana state National Guard and current serving US Senator plagiarized his Army War College paper.  Here are links to various articles about it. The links are in order of precedence.
> 
> http://www.slate.com/blogs/weigel/2...ably_just_ended_a_senate_race_in_montana.html
> ...


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## Grunt (Jul 24, 2014)

Well said. Outstanding points made.

Well said indeed!


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## Blizzard (Jul 25, 2014)

Geez.  The entire paper was written nearly verbatim?!  Academic integrity at it's finest right there...

Interesting coincidence on the timing of this story as I just happened to read through policies last night as part of a SOS DL course.  Academic integrity is described at length in at least _3_ separate policy docs; you're clearly put on notice.  As an example, AUI36-2609, one of the governing docs, states very clearly that such integrity issues are a violation of Articles 92 and/or 134, UCMJ and describes potential outcomes for violations.  If a violation is discovered after completion of the course, the diploma can be redacted; virtually a given in this case, I presume.

SOC uses a tool called SafeAssign to review student submissions and identify potential problems with citations.   I guess when he submitted his paper in 2007 a similar tool wasn't available or in use by the Army?  If so, how did they miss this one - the links posted by Viper1 are pretty damning.  What's more is that it seems like we hear about similar high profile cases like this every couple years.  Are there no lessons being learned?


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## Viper1 (Jul 25, 2014)

In her reply, my professor cautioned that plagiarism allegations are serious and investigations must "go deep." A paper written in 2007 but put through an electronic search engine might bring up false positives. Someone should actually pull the references cited and go through line by line.  An arduous task indeed. Still, the initial evidence is pretty damning, and the Army War College is investigating according to military.com


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## DA SWO (Jul 25, 2014)

I believe there have been 4-6 diploma's revoked in the last 10 years, so it's not as common as some will say.

I can tell ya as the spouse of a War College grad that I can't believe he didn't have anyone check his work.  I read every paper she submitted for clarity, and I looked up all here referenced sources to ensure they were properly used.
K's classmates had the same safety net (spouse, family member, co-worker, friend, etc).

They are also taking a hard look at his original degree.

I LOL at everyone tossing his BSM out as proof of his Military Skills, he was what; LTC? COL? when he was awarded his BSM?  I'd be impressed if he was a CPT or LT.


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## LibraryLady (Jul 25, 2014)

Will be contacting a connected veteran in MT this weeken to see how the locals are reacting.

LL


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## DA SWO (Jul 25, 2014)

LibraryLady said:


> Will be contacting a connected veteran in MT this weeken to see how the locals are reacting.
> 
> LL


He was 7 points behind before the scandal hit.  

I hate that he is blaming PTSD for his lack of morals.


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## LibraryLady (Jul 25, 2014)

Well, reading comments on the MT newspapers sites on this topic indicates the Montanans in general are not happy.  The state may run blue but barely and it's the rather rare conservative blue.  This may just be the tipping point for their future. 

The previous Dem governor could only manage a win by splitting the ticket and utilizing a Republican for Lieutenant Governor.

LL


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## Kraut783 (Jul 25, 2014)

lol...one of the posts said "*P*lagrism *T*heft And *S*tealing *D*isorder?"


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## Marauder06 (Jul 25, 2014)

I read his thesis, and it looks like complete crap.  A master's thesis... for the War College... and it's only 14 double-spaced pages?  Seriously?

For purposes of comparison, one of the classes I teach at West Point, the introductory to International Relations class that EVERY cadet has to take to graduate, has a requirement of *15 *pages.  That's a core course in an* undergrad* program.  My first master's thesis was at least 40 pages, the one I did at NDIC was more than 100 pages (IIRC), and at Yale we didn't even have a thesis requirement but we still had to do at least one paper of at least 25 pages.

The only reason this clown even got 14 pages was through the gratuitous use of lengthy and useless quotes.  Combine that with the rampant plagiarism and this is something that took, at most, one night and a pint of Jim Beam to knock out.

I'm embarrassed for the War College that this is what they think passes for graduate-level scholarship.



Kraut783 said:


> lol...one of the posts said "*P*lagrism *T*heft And *S*tealing *D*isorder?"



hmmmm....


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## Grunt (Jul 25, 2014)

KNOW honor -- NO cheating....

NO honor -- KNOW cheating....

It's truly sad that he didn't have enough honor and integrity to do what was right and do his own work. Cheat your way through one thing and you become prone to cheating your way through everything. 

Those are things you don't do when you are in positions of leadership.

Truly sad!


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## racing_kitty (Jul 25, 2014)

And people wonder how come the upper echelons of leadership have begun to openly display the symptoms of institutional rot.


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## x SF med (Jul 25, 2014)

Viper1 said:


> Here is my e-mail to my Professor.



Brother... the boy scouts on the Hudson taught you well...  you write like an educated NCO.


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## Scotth (Jul 25, 2014)

Marauder06 said:


> I'm embarrassed for the War College that this is what they think passes for graduate-level scholarship.



While I obviously whole heartily agree with everything else you said, I believe your final point is worth mentioning again.

Hopefully, if the War College takes this black eye in the right way, it will be a wake up call and a teaching moment for them as well.


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## Viper1 (Jul 26, 2014)

Marauder06 said:


> I read his thesis, and it looks like complete crap.  A master's thesis... for the War College... and it's only 14 double-spaced pages?  Seriously?
> 
> For purposes of comparison, one of the classes I teach at West Point, the introductory to International Relations class that EVERY cadet has to take to graduate, has a requirement of *15 *pages.  That's a core course in an* undergrad* program.  My first master's thesis was at least 40 pages, the one I did at NDIC was more than 100 pages (IIRC), and at Yale we didn't even have a thesis requirement but we still had to do at least one paper of at least 25 pages.
> 
> I'm embarrassed for the War College that this is what they think passes for graduate-level scholarship.



This is my professor agreeing with peers who've told me to pursue civilian education.  This persona has worked with many of the foremost minds in International Relations and Diplomacy (e.g. Kissinger, John Mearsheimer, David Lake, etc): "I do agree with the assessment of taking a higher degree in a civilian discipline. The Army is everything now but you will eventually retire and want to take your efforts elsewhere without having to redo them."

This is why, as stated in my earlier e-mail, Military Master's degrees are not taken seriously with civilian academia.


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## DA SWO (Jul 26, 2014)

I'll have to ask the boss how long her final paper was.

Don't recall it being a thesis, just a lot of short papers.

They (IIRC) were keen on brevity, and that was always the challenge, getting a complicated issue presented in a short paper.

He may have gotten a pass on the paper because he was deployed.

Which means the AWC should look at changing how the Distance Learning Program gets conducted again.


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## Viper1 (Jul 26, 2014)

http://www.pennlive.com/nation-world/2014/07/veterans_response_to_us_army_w.html


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## AWP (Jul 27, 2014)

BuzzFeed of all places cans an editor.

http://money.cnn.com/2014/07/26/media/buzzfeed-plagiarism/index.html?hpt=hp_t4



> BuzzFeed editor in chief Ben Smith said he and his colleagues had identified "41 instances of sentences or phrases copied, word for word, from other sites, many of them inappropriate sources in the first place," during a review of about 500 posts by Johnson.


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## Viper1 (Jul 27, 2014)

Freefalling said:


> BuzzFeed of all places cans an editor.
> 
> http://money.cnn.com/2014/07/26/media/buzzfeed-plagiarism/index.html?hpt=hp_t4



What's worse is that he plagiarized from Wikipedia and Answers.com.  Taken down by the consumer: the ultimate check and balance.  Wow.


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## RetPara (Jul 28, 2014)

Marauder06 said:


> the one I did at NDIC was more than 100 pages (IIRC)


   NDIC is the fine educational establishment formerly known as DIC, JMIC, and Lord only knows how many other names over the years?


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## Marauder06 (Jul 28, 2014)

RetPara said:


> NDIC is the fine educational establishment formerly known as DIC, JMIC, and Lord only knows how many other names over the years?



It's had lots of names in the past... after I graduated it stopped being NDIC and is now NIU, National Intelligence University.


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## Rapid (Aug 5, 2014)

How do people think they can get away with this in today's age? Plagiarism is so easy to detect these days, especially if you just fucking copy/paste! That's the most basic and easiest shit to detect.

And now, some universities are using today's technology to go back and check work which was done before the anti-plagiarism software existed (when people thought they were safe).


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## TLDR20 (Aug 5, 2014)

Rapid said:


> How do people think they can get away with this in today's age? Plagiarism is so easy to detect these days, especially if you just fucking copy/paste! That's the most basic and easiest shit to detect.
> 
> And now, some universities are using today's technology to go back and check work which was done before the anti-plagiarism software existed (when people thought they were safe).



Even at community colleges students must submit their work to online anti-plagiarism sites. Ugh.


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## Crusader74 (Aug 5, 2014)

Viper1 said:


> What's worse is that he plagiarized from Wikipedia and Answers.com.  Taken down by the consumer: the ultimate check and balance.  Wow.



Sweet divine !! WTF!! Has this guy got no integrity?? Anything he has ever done good is overshadowed by his shire lack of integrity ...


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## Centermass (Aug 7, 2014)

Evidently, the outcome...as it should be.

*Sen. John Walsh quits Montana Senate race*

Link


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## LibraryLady (Aug 8, 2014)

Good for him.  

LL


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## DA SWO (Aug 8, 2014)

They told him to quit so they could try and salvage the seat. Nothing honorable about this. Let's see how the voter's respond.


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## ThunderHorse (Aug 8, 2014)

I think it coming out now is rather political.  Blackboard was like the only game in town then, and I had a lot of profs that had us submit papers to blackboard in 2009.  So if the War College didn't do that, shame on them.  Yeah he cheated, shame on him.  Awarding a master's degree and taking seven years to bring this shit up: shame on the War College.


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## Marine0311 (Aug 8, 2014)

Centermass said:


> Evidently, the outcome...as it should be.
> 
> *Sen. John Walsh quits Montana Senate race*
> 
> Link



I want to punch a wall. It reads to me like he indirectly claimed PTSD.


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## BloodStripe (Oct 10, 2014)

http://onpolitics.usatoday.com/2014/10/10/john-walsh-plagiarism-war-college-degree/


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## Salt USMC (Oct 10, 2014)

Holy shit!  Accountability!


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## AWP (Oct 10, 2014)

Deathy McDeath said:


> Holy shit!  Accountability!


 
Don't get used to it, this is America.


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## Salt USMC (Oct 10, 2014)

Freefalling said:


> Don't get used to it, this is America.


It's refreshing every once in a while.


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## DA SWO (Oct 10, 2014)

FWIW- They will send a guy with a grinder to grind his name off the brass plaque that hangs on the main building.  They will do it (if they haven't already done it) when students are present.

It's a big deal.


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