SECTION VIII OTHER IMPROPER ACTIVITY A. Leg Shaving Over 200 witnesses told us they observed leg shaving at the 1991 symposium. This activity occurred on the third floor during Tailhook 91 and involved the shaving of women's legs and pubic areas by male aviators. Our investigation disclosed that leg shaving has been an element of unit parties in the Navy for years, and that the "shaving booth" has been a fixture at Tailhook conventions. An estimated 50 women had their legs shaved during the 1991 weekend. We interviewed 10 of these women; 3 were naval officers. Most of the leg shaving activity at Tailhook 91 occurred in the VAW-110 suite.53 A banner measuring approximately 10 feet long and 2 feet wide reading, "FREE LEG SHAVES!" was posted on the sliding glass doors of the VAW-110 suite in plain sight of large portions of the pool patio. -54 (See Figures 11 and 12Ñnext two pages) The suite participants assembled their "booth" adjacent o the sliding glass doors so as to be visible from the patio. The "booth" consisted of a chair (for the woman being shaved), an equipment table, and a stool for the two male naval officers from the suite who performed the shaving. According to the witnesses and the officers involved, the leg shaving was a rather elaborate ritual that included the use of hot towels and baby oil, as well as the massaging the woman's legs and feet. The entire process took between 30 and 45 minutes per shave. Other activities often accompanied leg shaving. For example, officers in the VR-57 suite reportedly licked females' legs with their tongues to ensure "quality control." Several witnesses observed nudity in conjunction with leg shaving. Three instances were reported where women exposed their breasts while being shaved in the VAW-110 suite. Witnesses related that some women wore only underwear or bikinis during leg shaving, or pulled up their shorts or underwear to expose the areas they wanted shaved. Other witnesses reported that any woman who chose to have her legs shaved above her knees was offered a towel with which to cover her lap. One corroborated witness reported seeing a female naval officer having her legs shaved while wearing her "whites. " Women's pubic areas were sometimes shaved as well in what was referred to as a "bikini shave." In one instance, according to witnesses, a woman entered the VAW-110 suite on Saturday evening and requested a leg shave. As the woman was being shaved, she removed her top and told the officers it if the audience wanted to see more of her exposed, she wanted money. A few of the witnesses identified the woman as a stripper who performed in another suite. After she received money, she removed her shorts and requested a bikini shave. The woman was wearing no undergarments. The officer then shaved the woman's pubic area. After this the woman stood up in the chair, modeled the shave for the assembled crowd, dressed and left the area. Figure 11. Pool patio area. Leg shaving sign visible in background. [Unavailable due to graphics limitations.] These actions were witnessed by numerous onlookers within the suite, as well as those on the pool patio who were viewing the shaving through the sliding glass doors of the suite. Officers from nearby suites or those standing on the pool patio reported that a noticeable commotion was caused by the crowd peering into the suite, with screaming and banging on the windows when the officers inside the suite feigned closing the curtains. None of the women who participated in the leg shaving claimed to have been forced into that activity, although two women, including a female Navy officer, reported being badgered repeatedly by suite occupants before consenting to have their legs shaved. An officer reported that naval officers loudly encouraged the women to have their legs shaved above the knees. One officer admitted asking women to have their legs shaved and identified another officer who was involved. A number of senior naval officers, including several flag officers, knew of the leg shaving. The VAW-110 CO told us that he learned that leg shaving was to be featured in the suite just prior to the commencement of the symposium. He stated that he directed the officers performing the leg shaves to shave only legs. Although the CO's statements were corroborated by some witnesses, the officers involved in the leg shaving as well as some squadron members contend that the CO did not provide those instructions and, in fact, was aware that leg shaving would be featured in the VAW-110 suite. Figure 12. Pool patio area. Portion of "Free Leg Shaves " sign visible in upper left portion of photograph. [Unavailable due to graphics limitations.] B. ÒBelly/Navel ShotsÓ The terms "belly shots" and "navel shots" describe the practice of drinking alcohol (typically tequila) out of people's navels. Incidents involving the exchange of belly shots between male and female officers and between male officers and female civilians at Tailhook 91 reportedly occurred in either the VF-124 or the VAW-110 suite. -55 Witnesses and participants reported that three male officers drank belly shots from the navel of a female officer. This occurred in the VAW-110 suite on the same night the female officer had her legs shaved by two of the male officers. The female officer reported that a few of the women who participated in belly shots wore short dresses and no undergarments and exposed themselves while doing belly shots. Other witnesses reported male officers laying on a table while women drank alcohol from the men's navels. C. Pornography Several squadron hospitality suites featured pornography. Witnesses described various types of pornography ranging from "soft core" to "hard core" videos and slides. A few suites simply used the Hilton Hotel "pay for view" television to rent adult movies, which were then played on the suite's television set. Other squadrons used adult videotapes and, in at least one instance, adult-oriented slides. The VF-124 suite was reported to have displayed hard core pornographic movies on the walls of the suite at various times, including during a live strip show performed by two paid strippers on Saturday night. Other squadrons known to have shown adult-oriented videos were VX-4 and Top Gun. The MAWTS-1 squadron reportedly interspersed a few adult- oriented slides throughout its squadron's aviation slide show. Films and slides were not shown on a continuous basis but, rather, intermittently by squadron members. Additionally, some squadrons displayed wall posters of nude or scantily clad females. D. Chicken Fights Dozens of witnesses stated they observed " chicken fights" in the Hilton Hotel pool. These chicken fights involved women sitting on the shoulders of male aviators in the swimming pool and attempting to remove the bathing suit tops of other women. By all accounts, the activity was totally consensual. Although witnesses related that the breasts of several women were exposed, no evidence was found that any of the women were naval officers. Similarly, no evidence was found that any of the male aviators removed women's bathing suits. We also noted that many of the witnesses' accounts appear to involve two women who were civilians from the San Diego area. E. ÒButt BitingÓ Another type of assaultive behavior that occurred on the third floor of the Hilton Hotel during Tailhook 91 involved individuals biting attendees on the buttocks. That activity was commonly referred to by witnesses as "butt biting," or "sharking." The origin of butt biting at Tailhook is unknown, but one Marine major reported that, in his squadron, "sharking" was a common activity between males and females dating back about 20 years. He further explained the activity was normally consensual and if the activity was not consented to by an individual, that individual was no longer subjected to the butt biting. The major opined that butt biting is no longer widely practiced because it is now considered socially unacceptable. Three officers and one civilian stated that butt biting is sometimes engaged in on a consensual basis at naval officers' clubs. Two of those officers acknowledged they had personally participated in such activity. Those and other witnesses referred to butt biting as "butt rodeo," whereby the biter clasps onto another person's buttocks until he or she is shaken loose by the person bitten. In regard to nonconsensual, assaultive behavior, eight individuals (seven females and one male), including four officers, a suite cocktail waitress, a Tailhook Association employee, an aviator's girlfriend, and a UNLV student, reported they were forcibly bitten on the buttocks at Tailhook 91. For the most part, male officers at the Tailhook convention bit the buttocks of female officers and civilians. However, at least three instances of civilian females biting males on the buttocks were reported. At least two of the individuals bitten reported they were bitten twice by the same individual. Some of the women bitten reported that the bites resulted in bruises to their buttocks. The majority of the butt biting incidents reportedly occurred on Thursday night, although a few incidents reportedly took place on Friday and Saturday nights. Those assaults occurred in various locations on the third floor, including the pool patio, the VMFAT-101, the VA-128, the VFA-125, and the CNATRA suites, and outside the MAWTS-1 suite. With respect to individuals responsible for that activity, a foreign exchange officer assigned to the VMFAT-101 was described and identified as the most frequent perpetrator. When interviewed, the officer said that he was heavily intoxicated while at Tailhook 91 and that he did not recall biting women on the buttocks. However, he noted that he received formal counseling and a letter of reprimand from his embassy as a result of his activities at Tailhook 91. Our investigation disclosed that two Navy commanders and two Navy flight surgeons also engaged in butt biting. One of the commanders and both flight surgeons had reportedly bitten people on the buttocks while streaking through crowded areas. Three other types of biting incidents were also reported. A woman was bitten on the ankle and two male officers were bitten by other male officers during fights. In one fight, an officer was bitten on the neck. In the other, the officer was bitten on the ear. Witnesses reported that both officers required medical attention. F. Zapping ÒZapping" is an activity often associated with the gauntlet in the third floor hallway at Tailhook 91. That activity involved placing stickers imprinted with a squadron logo on people (usually women) to symbolize the presence of a particular squadron. A retired officer explained that zapping originated years ago and that Marine Corps and Navy officers zapped aircraft from different squadrons visiting their respective bases. According to the retired officer, that ultimately led to indiscriminate zapping. Zapping women at Tailhook has reportedly occurred since 1985. Almost 240 Tailhook 91 attendees reported they were familiar with the practice of zapping. Those individuals either engaged in, witnessed or heard about zapping. Many, though they did not witness zapping firsthand, were aware of it as a result of observing stickers affixed to people. Eleven male officers and one male civilian admitted placing squadron stickers on women at Tailhook 91. Most of he officers who admitted zapping women maintained that the activity was consensual and the women either asked for the sticker or the officer had asked for the women's permission prior to zapping. Some reported they zapped women over their clothing and in areas of the women's bodies other than the breasts, buttocks, or crotch. One officer told us he was initially directed to zap a woman on the buttocks by an unknown superior officer, and he subsequently zapped several women. Dozens of women, including a commander, a lieutenant commander, two lieutenants, an ensign, an Air Force captain, and a staff sergeant, as well as a male hotel security officer, reported they were zapped. A majority of the attendees who were zapped reported they were not offended or upset by the "zaps." They were either zapped by friends, were asked for permission prior to the zapping, or were not even aware they had been zapped until they later found stickers on clothing. (See Figure 13--Ñnext page) Three women, however, including a female commander, reported they were zapped in private areas while traversing the hallway. One of the women stated that when she took umbrage at the attempts to zap her on the breasts and buttocks, the men in the hallway then started throwing the stickers at her. Another woman reported that as she was passing through the gauntlet, men lifted her skirt, ripped her blouse, and zapped her in the crotch and on her breasts. Two suite waitresses reported that men in the suite continued to zap them even though they repeatedly asked them to stop. Figure 13. Woman shown with various squadron zappers displayed on clothing. [Unavailable due to graphics limitations.] Several incidents of indecent exposure in conjunction with zapping were reported. All of the instances involved women exposing either their breasts, buttocks and/or pubic areas for the purpose of collecting stickers. One of the more notable incidents occurred out on the pool patio on Friday night. A witness reported that a male aviator walked up to a female who was sitting on another male's lap and asked if he could put a zapper on her breast. The woman responded, "Sure," lifted up her top, and was zapped on her breast by the male. According to the witness, another male aviator then approached the same woman and asked to place a zapper on her other breast. The woman agreed and a sticker was applied to her other breast. In another incident, a civilian Government employee reported that, while he was standing on the pool deck Saturday with a zapper in his hand, he was approached by a woman who asked him to zap her anywhere he desired. The man placed the sticker on her breast, over her clothing. Another man with a sticker then approached the woman. The woman pulled up her skirt, revealing her pantyhose, and told the other man to zap her in the crotch. The other man obliged. After zapping her, the second man said that was the place to zap women and the woman agreed. The first man then asked if the woman wanted him to also zap her in the crotch. The woman responded affirmatively and the man removed the sticker he had earlier affixed to her breast and placed it on her crotch. Additional accounts of women exposing their "already zapped" breasts were reportedly witnessed in the hallway, in some of the suites (VA-128, MAG-II/Rhino, VAQ-129), and on the pool deck and patios. Officers related that a woman walked into the VA-128 suite, lifted her shirt to reveal the five or six zappers covering her bare breasts, and asked officers in the suite to rearrange the stickers for her. Witnesses also reported a few instances on the pool patio of women exposing their buttocks for zaps. Similarly, it was reported that strippers displayed zaps while performing in the VF-124 and the VMFA(AW)-242 suites. A photograph taken during a stripper's performance in the the VMFA(AW)-242 suite depicts a nude stripper with a VMFA(AW)-242 squadron zapper on her buttocks. The stripper is shown straddling a squadron member as he lies on the floor looking up toward the stripper . (See Figure 14) Figure 14. Stripper displaying squadron zapper on her buttocks during performance in squadron suite. [Unavailable due to graphics limitations.] In a separate incident, an officer admitted paying a stripper $20 to display a VF-126 decal on each a breast. A few witnesses reported seeing women wearing zappers over their clothing and opined that the women were collecting the zaps. Most witnesses agreed that many women did not object to the zaps, and, in some instances, even solicited zaps or applied zaps to themselves. In one instance, an officer told us that his CO instructed him to bring the zappers to Tailhook 91. G. Public and Paid Sex While consensual sexual activity was not the focus of the investigation, such information was revealed during questioning about other areas under investigation. There were a number of reported instances of public or paid sex. In all instances, the activities were willingly engaged in by the participants. Prostitution, while legal in some counties in Nevada, is not legal within the city limits of Las Vegas. Several of the suites engaged strippers to perform during the evening hours on Friday or Saturday night. In some instances, the strippers engaged in paid oral sex with members of the squadron. In other cases, strippers were hired to perform at bachelor parties or other ÒprivateÓ parties in which sexual acts were performed with suite members. Witnesses described incidents in which couple had consensual sexual intercourse or oral sex in the suites, with other persons watching. Other witnesses observed oral sex or sexual intercourse in the pool patio area or near the tennis courts. Such activities serve to illustrate the general atmosphere of debauchery prevailing in the area of the third floor at the time the indecent assaults occurred. Further, certain activities such as sodomy and conduct unbecoming an officer violate the UCMJ. Notes: 53 Isolated instances of leg shaving were also reported to have occurred in the VR-57 suite. 54 The banner was also used at the 1990 symposium. 55 Witnesses reported that drinking alcohol from a member of the opposite sex's navel occurred more often at the 1990 Tailhook convention. In 1990, belly shots were reportedly exchanged in the VAW-110 suite and on the pool deck. In fact, one officer reported seeing 12 to 20 men drink alcohol from a particular female officer's navel at the 1990 convention."