An Army brigadier general who commanded a South Carolina post has been suspended for allegedly having a physical altercation with a mistress, officials said Tuesday.
Brig. Gen. Bryan T. Roberts, the top commander at Fort Jackson, is the latest in a string of senior military officials who have come under investigation for alleged misconduct. The case comes amid an outcry from lawmakers and other critics who say the Pentagon is failing to address pervasive sexual harassment and assault in the ranks.
“The allegations are being thoroughly investigated,” said Harvey Perritt, a spokesman for the Army Training and Doctrine Command. Perritt said the Army’s criminal investigations division is handling the probe. Army officials did not say when the incident is alleged to have taken place or how it came to their attention. Perritt said Roberts would not be available to comment.
A defense official said Roberts got into a physical altercation with a woman with whom he was having an affair. “These are not allegations of sexual assault or harassment,” the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because the investigation is ongoing.
If investigators find enough evidence, Roberts could be charged with assault and adultery, which is a crime under military law.
Brig. Gen. Peggy C. Combs, who runs the Army Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear School at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., will take over Roberts’s duties until the matter is resolved, the Army said in a statement. Roberts had been at the helm of Fort Jackson, a large Army training base, since April 10, 2012.
Two other Army generals have been investigated in recent months for allegations of inappropriate sexual conduct. Brig. Gen. Jeffrey Sinclair, the former deputy commander of the 82nd Airborne Division, was charged last year with rape and other charges that involved an affair with a subordinate. His case has not gone to trial. Maj. Gen. Ralph O. Baker, who led a counterterrorism force in Africa, was fired in March after being investigated for allegedly groping a woman while he was under the influence of alcohol.
The Army disclosed last week that it was investigating a soldier at Fort Hood in Texas assigned to be his unit’s sexual assault prevention officer for alleged sex abuse and prostituting a fellow soldier.
据美国《华盛顿邮报》报道，美国官员5月21日称，一名陆军准将涉嫌与情妇发生肢体冲突，目前已被停职。
布莱恩•罗伯茨准将为美国南卡罗来纳州杰克逊堡最高指挥官，也是一系列因性丑闻被调查的又一位高级军官。
“我们正在彻查这项指控。”美国陆军训练和条令司令部发言人哈维•佩里特说。佩里特称，陆军犯罪调查部门负责调查。不过，军方没有透露该案何时发生，如何引起他们的注意。
一名国防部官员称，罗伯茨和一名与其私通的女性发生肢体冲突。“这并非性骚扰和性攻击指控。”由于调查还在进行，这位官员不便透露姓名。
如果证据确凿，罗伯茨可能被控攻击和通奸。依据军法，这已构成犯罪.
陆军发布的声明称，在案件完结之前，美国陆军化学、生物、放射和核武学校校长佩吉•库姆斯准将接替罗伯茨的职务。罗伯茨自2012年4月10日起入主杰克森堡这一大型陆军训练基地。
近几个月还有其他两位高级军官因涉嫌不当性行为而遭到调查。第82空降师前副师长杰弗里•辛克莱准将去年被控强奸和与部下私通，目前案子尚未审判。曾在非洲领导“反恐”行动的拉尔夫•贝克少校因被控酒后骚扰女性遭调查，于今年三月被解职。
美国陆军上周公布，得克萨斯州胡德堡一士兵因被指控性虐待和逼迫战友卖淫而受到调查。该士兵恰恰负责预防性侵害事务。
由于性丑闻频发，立法者与批评人士表示强烈不满，他们认为五角大楼对无所不在的军中性骚扰和性攻击行为处置不力。