LANGLEY AIR BASE — Citing the alarming number of military officers who’ve had their careers ended this year for sexual impropriety, Air Force Col. Nolan Franscastle preemptively removed himself from leadership of the 1st Fighter Wing just 30 minutes into the ceremony that marked his assumption of command.

“The numbers don’t lie,” Franscastle said to the capacity crowd right after thanking the band and the color guard for being at the ceremony. “I’m an otherwise stable forty-something male with no history of misconduct being put in a position of moderate authority. I have to face the facts and get in front of this thing.”