The suspension of seven Army drill sergeants, including one woman, at an Alabama base brings the total number of trainers accused of sexual misconduct to more than 50.
The tally is certain to rise as investigators look deeper into a flood of new accusations that arose after a telephone hotline was established Nov. 8.So far, 5,599 calls have been answered by the 24-hour Army hotline. More than 756 of those have been deemed worthy by Army investigators of further inquiry.
The suspensions of the drill sergeants Monday at the Fort McClellan, Ala., training center for military police and chemical weapons experts came after they were accused by hotline callers, the Army said.
For the first time since the spate of allegations became public in early November, those reported to be under suspicion include a woman. Fort McClellan spokesmen said they were unable to specify whether the woman's alleged victims were men or women.
The latest breakdown of sexual misconduct allegations shows that a few of the Army's 17 training bases account for the most investigations to date:
- At the Aberdeen Ordnance Training Center in Maryland, 20 drill sergeants or other training leaders have been suspended, with three expected to face courts-martial for crimes including rape and forcible sodomy.
- At Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., 13 sergeants and others face sexual misconduct or harassment allegations, including one staff ser-geant who has been sentenced to five months in prison for having consensual sex with three women trainees.
- At Fort Jackson, S.C., three drill sergeants are involved in 17 sexual misconduct cases.
- Five drill sergeants have been suspended at Fort Sam Houston, Texas, and a drill sergeant and an instructor are under investigation for misconduct at Fort Lee, Va.
So far, observers give the Army good marks for its handling of the scandal, especially for the seriousness with which it is confronting the problem of sexual harassment and abuse of women recruits.