Army launches new investigations following drill sgt.’s sex assault conviction
The Army is investigating whether drill sergeants at Fort Jackson, S.C., tried to cover up reports that a fellow instructor sexually assaulted a female trainee.
Staff Sgt. Luis R. Corral was convicted Nov. 15 on charges of forcible sodomy, abusive sexual contact, assault and other charges for his mistreatment of five female trainees — the latest in a number of sexual assault or harassment cases involving drill sergeants.
Two other drill sergeants from Fort Jackson, in unrelated cases, are under investigation. One is accused of groping a trainee, and another is accused of rubbing his groin against a female trainee. In October, a third drill sergeant was discharged in lieu of court-martial for having sex and oral sex with a trainee. Last year, another drill sergeant was court-martialed for having sex with a trainee, according to Training and Doctrine Command.
Misperceptions about military service hurt veterans in the job market
Eric Larson had hoped to spend a full career as an airborne infantryman. But after seven years of service that included two deployments to Iraq and one to Afghanistan, a back injury forced the former staff sergeant to separate in 2010 and search for a new career.
Back in his hometown of Indianapolis, he tried to sell himself as a leader who had made life-or-death decisions under fire.
Yet many employers saw only what Larson calls “the dark side” of combat experience.
“An HR rep said to me, ‘Look, companies are having issues with people with PTSD.’ They think those guys are highly medicated and they’re afraid they’re going to snap or something. They don’t want to deal with it,” Larson said. “I took anything that had to do with combat or the infantry off my résumé.”
Missing Bragg soldier’s family clings to hope
The family of missing Pfc. Kelli Bordeaux is hoping for a Christmas miracle.
It’s been more than seven months since Bordeaux, a married Fort Bragg, N.C., combat medic disappeared, and her sister says she has not given up hope that Bordeaux will be home for Christmas and Bordeaux’s birthday two days later.
Remains found on the post Nov. 21 raised the possibility of a grim resolution to the case, but authorities determined they were from an animal.
“We’re not searching for remains. We want Kelli back,” said Olivia Cox, Bordeaux’s sister and an Army wife at Fort Stewart, Ga.
2 Comments
I have been in the Army for 19 years,(active, reserve and now guard). I have been out of work for awhile now too. When I do get an interview or phone call about a job the first thing they ask me is if I am still in the guard. After I tell them yes they just ask me if they can call me back or they’ll let me know about the job in a few days, but I never hear back.
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