American television expose in December, the departing Commanding Officer said yesterday.

As he prepared to leave Bermuda, Capt. James Arnold broke his silence on Sam Donaldson's damning PrimeTime Live episode that portrayed the local Base as the Navy's "Club Med.'' "It was just a matter of media exploitation,'' Capt. Arnold told The Royal Gazette .

Mr. Donaldson used information from "disgruntled sailors'' to make Bermuda a "target for an expose infotainment hype-type programme,'' he said.

"Distortions were played to the public view.'' Capt. Arnold said "many other bases abroad'' could have been used, but information Mr. Donaldson received about the movement of people to Bermuda meant "he was able to exploit that to purport the Base to be a playground''.

The programme, which aired on December 10, told of misuse of Government vehicles and said military VIPs turned the Base into a holiday camp.

In its wake, there were further allegations of drunkenness and sexual assault cover-ups.

As a result, the Base came under intense scrutiny and faced three Inspector General visits, Capt. Arnold said. At the time, he was unable to comment publicly, due to the probes, he said.

But once the probes were completed, USNAS Bermuda was found guilty of only one thing -- misuse of Government vehicles.

The Base broke the rules by providing transportation to visiting retired officers or active ones who were on leave, he said.

But car rentals were not available in Bermuda, and it was felt livery cycles were dangerous, particularly for older officers.

Nevertheless, the Base changed its practice as a result of the probes, he said.

Moving to other allegations, Capt. Arnold read aloud from a report by Atlantic Vice-Chief of Naval Operations S.R. Arthur. He would not release a copy of the report.

Reports of mishandling of sexual assault allegations were unsubstantiated, he said. It was found he acted properly in altering a report prepared about one sexual assault investigation because the investigator had inserted his personal opinion, not just the facts, he said.

In another case, the witness was unwilling to testify, he said. "The allegation that NAS Bermuda operates like a Howard Johnson's or a Club Med...is unsubstantiated,'' and there was "no evidence'' to suggest VIPs were put up at Government expense, he said.

Capt. Arnold cautioned that he did not know the results of a separate investigation of informal VIP visits by naval flag officers.

The allegation that Capt. Arnold failed to support security officers when he discontinued sobriety checkpoints on the Base was also unsubstantiated, he said. Capt. Arnold said he stopped the checks after functions attended by several invited Bermudian civilians.

"I felt it was inappropriate to invite people to be guests of the Base and turn around and subject them to security checks,'' he said.

The move was within his jurisdiction, he said.

An allegation that there were reprisals against the Base whistle blowers could not be true, Capt. Arnold said. The first he learned they had gone to the media was during the interview with Mr. Donaldson. At that time, they had already been suspended.

Those on the Base "were spitting mad'' after viewing the television report, because it ignored the hard work they did in operating an air station and providing naval support, he said.

Programmes like PrimeTime Live would not determine the future of the Base, he said. Legislators would.

While the report was damning, the scrutiny in some ways paid off, he said.

"It's now given us attention that I think is properly due Bermuda.'' HELLO, GOODBYE -- Premier the Hon. Sir John Swan says goodbye to departing USNAS commanding officer Capt. James Arnold,left, and hello to his replacement Capt. Timothy Bryan, right.