what does it all mean?

Mark Jones: Can't we have our Vince Foster too?

How terrible and sad. If he has a family, I hope they can get through this.

Finally, a GOP appointee with the balls to do the honorable thing when caught. All members of the GOP, the neocons and the Bush administration are encouraged to follow the lead of this guy.

Isn't it odd that there is no other way for the current crop of GOP members to achieve honor.

Next they'll tell us Ciara Durkin shot herself in the back of the head, execution-style. It's sure getting dangerous to be in the Air Force, these days, esp. if you're around the money.

This is terribly sad. But it's also infuriating.

The money Riechers apparently received is Tinkeytoys(R) compared to so many others. Major John Cockerham and family got millions, and Lieutenant Colonel Levonda Joey Selph allegedly gained way more than Reicher could have. And KBR? Iraqi officials? Alaska lawmakers? None of them feels bad enough to come clean, let alone kill themselves. (For the record: I don't want ANYONE to commit suicide.)

Let's not forget Col. Ted Westhusing. We've now got two military-related suicides with corruption at their core. This has to be stopped. Enough people are dying.

Defense procurement and finance has got to be one of the most dangerous jobs in the military these days due to the rash of "suicides".

yea, he shot himself 10 times in the head. definetly a possible suicide

I am sorry but everyone on here making assumptions, is completely ignorant. Especially if this was your family member; as he is mine. It is amazing how fast people; reporters jump on a story with out knowing the actual facts of the story. It is amazing how reporters write things that stretch the truth. If you really think about it how many retired air force personnel work for government contractors? If you honestly took out all retired air force generals out of contracting business; the government contracting world would not be as successful as it is today. I can name numerous companies in the Midwest that have retired generals working for them. And what do they do, they do business development to them it may be referred to as really not doing anything but just getting a paycheck from them because they are doing networking..

Commonwealth Research Institute. Earmark. Johnstown, PA. Murtha.

http://blog.wired.com/defense/2007/10/worst-job-in-th.html

WPAFB:"If you honestly took out all retired air force generals out of contracting business; the government contracting world would not be as successful as it is today."

Why would this not be a good thing? And why should we care that the government contracting world is "successful"? At doing what -- fat programs that fill their pockets with our tax dollars for questionable deliverables?

WPAFB:"I can name numerous companies in the Midwest that have retired generals working for them. And what do they do, they do business development to them it may be referred to as really not doing anything but just getting a paycheck from them because they are doing networking."

What they DO is make a "good old boys network" that takes care of its own on our nickel. That "networking" or "business development," as you call it, is nothing more than what goes on in a mobbed-up industry where no one gets to haul garbage unless they take on a bunch of wise guys doing "business development."

Yep, you've just confirmed my assumptions. As corrupt as I thought it was.

A suicide isn't supicious unless there's THREE bullets in the head. Remember, Gary Webb's death (SJMN journalist that reported CIA involvement in crack trade) was ruled a suicide even though he was shot twice in the BACK of the head.

none of you know a friggin thing about it, so shut the hell up

"We've now got two military-related suicides with corruption at their core."

If Riechers really is a corruption-related suicide, that makes at least four. Col. Westhusing, Lt. Col. Marshall Gutierrez (Sept. 2006), and Maj. Gloria Davis (Dec. 2006).

This is the guy who leaked about the missing nukes flown over the 'Heartland'.

Please elaborate for us, bob @ 10:12 pm.

It's pumpkin season. Rep. Dan Burton (R-In)will solve this murder in his backyard. Shoot a couple of bullets into one and it is no longer a mystery. He is a one man CSI.

Undoubtedly, Laura killed him to cover up the fact that they'd been having an affair.

Of course nothing in the MSM on this bombshell...just more Britney, OJ and fluff...

Well this is a very strange story indeed. On this thread alone, we have:

an allegation that Riechers was involved in intel. (From someone who identifies as a family member--a blood family or an FBI/CIA type family?)

allegations of significant corruption

a note that Riechers was infolved in the refueling tanker contract.

a statement that he's the guy who leaked the "lost bomber" story

a threatening warning to leave well enough alone.

There is a lot of background information that has not yet been reported. Right now it looks as if Riechers killed himself out of shame over being found doing nothing while waiting for his big contract to come through.

But, he WAS working--just not for the company that was paying him.

Riechers was also involved in a heated battle over unmanned aircraft contracts

http://integrator.hanscom.af.mil/2007/September/09062007/09062007-15.htm

What other work did he do, previously and recently? Did he have any connection with other significant issues--intelligence gathering, Able Danger, other types of controversial acquisitions/information?

Regarding the WP story, written by WP reporter Robert O Harrow Jr., I would like to know what prompted O Harrow to write this particular story, and what prompted Riechers to seemingly casually say that he didn't do anything for the company? Was he really doing some sort of intel work and got caught short without a cover story? (This seems unlikely.)

What was Riechers' state of mind? Did he have family? Was he unhappy about something?

We are missing a lot of facts. There are really 4 possibilities, 5 if you go really off the reservation:

1. Riechers committed suicide out of shame at having his name in the paper in such a nasty context.
2. Riechers committed suicide for other reasons.
3. Riechers was murdered for revealing the obvious.
4. Riechers was murdered for other reasons.
5. Riechers is not really dead. Ok, it is off the reservation but still technically possible given what we know.

I know it must be difficult for those who were close to this person to deal with speculation about his death, but if indeed there is more to the story, teasing out what really happened is a way of paying respect.

Definitely need more background.

Hmmm. Sometimes I don't think this administration tells us everything.