The description doesn't sound like Another Kiwi either:
Stephen Wilce, head of the Defence Technology Agency (DTA) and New Zealand's chief defence scientist for the past five years, made extravagant claims about his background, including that he had a distinguished combat career, it was reported on 60 minutes.The guy was put forward for the chief-scientist job by a headhunting agency called Momentum, which is largely a featherbed promotion path for side-lining ex-members of the National Party when they become too much of an embarrassment in politics, so no-one is too surprised that they did nothing to check the claims made in his CV. Nor, indeed, is there any amazement that he stayed on as a top scientist for five years despite a lack of competence outside of his active fantasy life, for sacking him would require the Military to admit making a mistake. Nasturtiums are being cast at the Security Intelligence Service, however, who were supposed to check his background and ask around with friends and ex-employers before bestowing his security clearance. Or so I hear from a friend.
Wilce told a reporter posing as a recruitment consultant he was a member of the British Olympic bobsleigh team in the 1980s. The programme's investigations alleged that many of his claims were false.*
Wilce's job meant he held the highest levels of security clearance. The DTA provides important advice to the military on technology and scientific matters, such as electronic surveillance and defence systems for navy ships, as well as classified advice to the Government on threats to air force aircraft in Afghanistan.
Pro tip: Do not tell recruitment consultants that you have a “top secret plus” security clearance, for there is no such thing.
UPDATE: I wish I was making this stuff up. If I could do that, I could apply for his job.
* Including, sadly, his claim to have designed the guidance system for the Polaris missile, to have worked for MI5 and MI6, and to be experienced in supercomputing and telescope systems as well as weapons research.
8 comments:
Nor, indeed, is there any amazement that he stayed on as a top scientist for five years despite a lack of competence outside of his active fantasy life, for that would require the Military to admit making a mistake.
Maybe they could make the case that he was brought on to deal with fantasy threats. What about THAT, Mr. Verisimilitude?
We spend billions on fantasy threats right here in the USA.
The return on the investment is incalculable.
~
There are no fantasists but there is Fantasyland.
disse, fancy put down from Franch.
Sir, I may be deranged and a fabulist but I am no deranged fabulist. Sir.
Perhaps fabulously deranged?
W.V. localer - It was only a matter of time before Riddled cashed in and sold out to The Man.
~
We won't forget the little people that made it all possible, Thunder. Every year, on this day, we will have prayers said in the 1st Wiccan church of Lower Bad Godesberg
No freakin' way, or Milo eats all the little people.
beran, life's not all...
I think I will not be picking up those stones in my glass house.
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