‘Brilliant’ Space Force director who oversees space combat planning brought sex toys to work and wore a ‘mankini’ to his work Christmas party – but still has his job and six-figure salary
- Andrew Cox is currently the director of Space Force’s Space Warfighting Analysis Center, based in Colorado
- Cox was accused of keeping sex toys at work, making lewd comments and reveling in innuendo
- He was subjected to an Air Force inspector general investigation into his workplace antics in late 2020, which was completed in April 2021
- On Wednesday, Air Force Times obtained a redacted copy of the report, which detailed the allegations
- Cox remains in his job with his six-figure salary, and the Air Force said the report ‘was addressed through established civilian personnel processes’
Andrew Cox is currently director of the Space Force’s Space Warfighting Analysis Center
A top Space Force director kept sex toys at work, work a ‘mankini’ on top of his clothes at a staff Christmas party, and reveled in innuendo and lewd comments, according to a damning internal report made public this week.
Andrew Cox, director of the Space Force’s Space Warfighting Analysis Center, has retained his job and his six-figure salary despite the report, which was launched in the fall of 2020 and completed in April 2021.
Cox was described in the report, obtained by Air Force Times, of being ‘technically brilliant’ but ‘acting like a 13-year-old boy’.
The Air Force – under whose umbrella Space Force falls – said that the mater had been dealt with internally, but did not provide details.
‘Mr. Cox remains the director of the Space Warfighting Analysis Center,’ said Ann Stefanek, Air Force spokesperson, on Friday.
‘The matter was addressed through established civilian personnel processes.’
Cox is seen addressing the Air Force Association. He has been a government employee since 1997, rising through the ranks as a civilian
Cox is director of Space Force’s Space Warfighting Analysis Center – leading the center since it was established in April 2021
Cox, a civilian, entered government service in 1997, according to his official biography, and climbed the ranks through numerous military and intelligence community positions.
In 2011 he became the head of the Space Protection Program.
In 2013, he was named director of the Pentagon’s Space Security and Defense Program.
Cox was given as a joke a framed pair of tight, silver sparkly jeans, and hung them framed behind his office door with a note which read: ‘Break here in the event of an emergency.’
Several years later, the report says, Cox was given at a holiday party a silver case filled with sex toys and other paraphernalia which he kept in his office. The case was filled with handcuffs, Vaseline, oils, sex toys and lockable ‘hot pants’.
At another office party, in 2018, with a ‘Bad Santa’ theme, he put a Borat-style ‘mankini’ on over his clothes.
‘It was chartreuse green, and he brought it out into the main area,’ said one person, quoted in the report.
‘He [told us he] put it on in front of his wife and bent over and said, ‘Honey, how do you like this?’
Cox donned a ‘mankini’ – on top of his clothes – for a Christmas party at work
Some employees said that Cox was a strong leader and team player who asks ‘some of the best questions … of any leader in the Space Force.’
One explained: ‘He has a leadership style where he likes to bring everybody in, kind of take the problem apart and have lots of people in the room.
‘When he’s not talking business, [he] is acting like a 13-year-old boy.’
Another added: ‘Cox has done good things for this country — things that most people will never know about.
‘I want him there, just without the [character] issues.’
In August 2019, Cox and Frank Di Pentino, director of advanced concepts, tactics and wargames, held a meeting to discuss a presentation the following day.
‘The silver case came up in the conversation, which prompted Mr. Cox to go next door to his office and return with the silver case, placing it open on the table,’ the report said.
‘When I turned around at one point, I saw the director had removed a pair of handcuffs and was dangling them in his hands.
‘I do remember hearing another ‘grrr’ purring sound from Mr. Di Pentino.
‘I never heard anyone suggest that they should talk about something else or change the topic.’
The woman, a contractor with the defense firm SAIC who worked with SSDP, reported the incident shortly afterward.
Cox apologized about a month later.
Kamala Harris is seen visiting a Space Force base in California in April this year
Di Pentino was investigated, but the investigation was dropped when there was found to be insufficient evidence.
Another time, Cox faced nonjudicial punishment for presenting a ‘glass case with a gold G-string in it for an admiral’ who was leaving the National Reconnaissance Office, the report said.
‘Cox described stuffing the crotch … with socks to make it look bigger and put dollar bills in it.’
According to the report, Cox discussed male genital piercings and oral sex in public.
He was also allegedly a fan of using the punchline ‘That’s what she said’ – a remark that sexualizes otherwise innocuous comments.
‘Witness testimony about Mr. Cox telling subordinates to search ‘Prince Albert’ on the internet, or [to] grab someone ‘by the balls and squeeze,’ give insight into the culture [he] fostered and encouraged,’ the report said.
He encouraged office drinking, and suggested downing shots of liquor, or tried to ‘lighten the mood’ after meetings with crude humor.
‘He does not correct his employees’ behavior,’ the report added.
‘The culture he promoted required those working at SSDP to have thick skin and was unsuitable for a federal workplace.’
One female contractor who worked for SSDP until October 2020 quit because of Cox’s behavior, which made her feel ‘ostracized and uncomfortable,’ according to the report.
Instead of changing his behavior overall, Cox allegedly told the woman he would ‘treat [her] differently’ and without his usual ‘silliness.’
He removed the sexual items from his office in November 2020, when multiple people filed complaints against him.
‘Complainants and [redacted] clearly lost confidence in his leadership, despite their appreciation of his leadership outside of this behavior,’ the investigation concluded.
‘[His] conduct was improper and unsuitable [and] compromised his standing as a senior executive service civilian.’
Instead of a 30-day suspension as initially proposed, Cox received a letter of reprimand, took a hit on his performance review, and lost out on bonus pay of more than $27,000.
His nomination for a federal award, which came with a cash prize of nearly $40,000, was also rescinded.
‘The Air Force fully acknowledged the substantiated allegations of unprofessional conduct by Mr. Cox and its impact on the workforce and mission,’ the service told Doug Lamborn, a congressman representing Colorado, who asked about the report.
‘The Air Force also acknowledged that Mr. Cox had a spotless performance and conduct record.
‘The Air Force believes it took appropriate action in formally reprimanding Mr. Cox.’
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