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Dating brings demotion for married 2-star

A major general lost a star and had to retire because he dated another woman while legally separated from his wife.

Retired Brig. Gen. Arthur B. Morrill III ended nearly 38 years of service on Feb. 1. He had worked his way from enlisted recruit in 1972 to one of the Air Force’s most senior maintenance and logistics officers.

His demotion will cost him about $21,000 a year in retirement pay. As a retired brigadier general, he will draw about $129,500 annually.

Morrill’s relationship led to an investigation by the Air Force inspector general, Morrill said in a statement to Air Force Times. Military rules prohibit adultery.

Separated in 2006

Morrill said he and his wife had not lived together since January 2006. They were legally separated in 2007 and divorced in June 2009.

“For a portion of the time, I was legally separated I did date a civilian woman who was not affiliated with the Federal Government in any way,” Morrill said.

In May, with Morrill’s military future unsettled because of the investigation, the Air Force reassigned him from his job as vice director of the Defense Logistics Agency, headquartered in Fort Belvoir, Va., to the Air Force District of Washington as a special assistant to the commander.

After the inspector general investigation, Morrill received a “letter of admonishment,” he said. Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley directed him to retire as a brigadier general.

Despite the demotion, Morrill prizes his Air Force time.

The best moment of his career, he said, was “nearly every moment of it ... Serving the vital Air Force mission ... Working with so many great [people] — uniformed, civilian and contractor.”

Morrill enlisted in the Air Force in 1972, and earned a commission four years later.

After assignments as logistics director for Pacific Air Forces from 2001 to 2003 and Air Force Materiel Command in 2006 and 2007, Morrill was appointed vice director of the joint Defense Logistics Agency. In 2007, the Air Force Logistics Officers Association honored Morrill with the Zettler Lifetime Achievement Award for sustained leadership during his career.