A military jury cleared an Army drill instructor of accusations of adultery, sodomy and improper conduct brought by two female Fort McClellan trainees under his command.
After the verdict clearing him Wednesday, Staff Sgt. Matthew T. Griffin said military instructors must continue rigorously training female soldiers despite such accusations."I hope the drill sergeants are not running scared," said Griffin, the first of three Fort McClellan sergeants accused of sex crimes. "We are training the next generation of soldiers to go out and fight the next battle."
After 11 instructors were accused of sexual misconduct at Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland, the military began an investigation into the problem at U.S. military bases worldwide.
The court-martial for Fort McClellan Staff Sgt. David L. Norwood, charged with indecent assault, was scheduled to begin Thursday.
Cheers and applause greeted the jury when it brought in the verdict after six hours of deliberation.
"I always believed him," Griffin's wife, Charmaine Marie Griffin, said after listening to more than two days of sexually explicit testimony. "I just wonder why they lied, why they would want to mess up a happy home."
Pvt. Lisa M. Rudy, who testified earlier she had sex with Griffin while they were both on duty, left the courtroom in tears. Lead prosecutor Capt. Lymari Santana appeared shaken and would not comment.
Throughout the trial, Griffin and defense lawyers said the two trainees were liars who had something to gain by making false allegations. They said that one of the accusers had hoped to get back into the Army after being dismissed.
Griffin, 36, of Buffalo, N.Y., testified earlier that the two women were angry at him for counseling them about improper relationships with married male privates.
"The only thing I can tell you is that they were angry when I counseled them. Maybe there was something about me they didn't like. Maybe there was some underlying agenda," he said.
The 17-year Army veteran, suspended since November, is expected to return to work with the 82nd Chemical Company within several days, said his lawyer, Capt. Daniel A. Lauretano.
Also facing a court-martial is Staff Sgt. Fenton Buchanan, accused of touching and engaging in improper contact with two female soldiers.