WWW- The U.S. Air Force’s former chief military lawyer has been formally reprimanded for conduct unbecoming an officer because of improper relationships with more than a dozen women, the Air Force said yesterday.

Maj. Gen. Thomas Fiscus was given a formal reprimand and ordered to forfeit pay for conduct unbecoming an officer, fraternization, obstruction of justice and violating a lawful general regulation, the Air Force said.

In violation of military rules, Fiscus had sexual affairs over the last decade with more than a dozen female officers, enlisted women and civilians, an investigation found.

These affairs generally were consensual, and any other incidents were minor cases of inappropriate touching, investigators found.

Gen. Donald Cook, commander of the Air Education and Training Command, decided the punishment in the case and also recommended that Fiscus be compelled to retire from the military at a lower rank, officials said.

Fiscus, who oversaw 1,300 military lawyers and 300 civilian lawyers, as well as 1,000 military paralegals and 600 other civilian workers, could face additional action, including being disbarred, officials said.

Fiscus served as judge advocate general of the Air Force, providing legal advice to Air Force leaders, since February 2002. He stepped aside in September.

Fiscus did not face military criminal charges and his punishment came in a so-called Article 15 administrative procedure.

“The swift and strong actions of Air Force leadership make it clear that such misconduct will not be tolerated,” an Air Force statement said.

Fiscus was among the senior military lawyers who raised questions about U.S. policy toward military detainees, which has been under scrutiny since a series of prisoner-abuse scandals erupted earlier this year.

He opposed a series of harsh interrogation techniques approved and later rescinded by Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld for use on prisoners at the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Air Force spokeswomen Jennifer Stephens said Fiscus had already handed in his retirement papers. Reuters