KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The ranking Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee said Sunday he would push to increase penalties for sexual misconduct by military recruiters.
Rep. Ike Skelton was reacting to an investigation by The Associated Press that found more than 80 military recruiters were disciplined last year for sexual misconduct with potential recruits.
“These abuses by military recruiters are absolutely unacceptable,” the Missouri Democrat said in a telephone interview from Washington. “The National Guard’s recently adopted rule of ‘No One Alone’ makes a great deal of sense and should be followed by all services, whether active duty, National Guard or reserve.”
The No One Alone policy prohibits male recruiters from being alone in offices or anywhere else with female enlistees. Violators risk immediate disciplinary action, and other recruiters who know of violations and don’t report them also can be disciplined.
The AP investigation found the sexual misconduct cases occurred in all branches of the military and across the country. According to information obtained after dozens of Freedom of Information Act requests, at least 35 Army recruiters, 18 Marine Corps recruiters, 18 Navy recruiters and 12 Air Force recruiters were disciplined in 2005 for sexual misconduct or other inappropriate behavior with potential enlistees.
Skelton said he would seek a hearing of the Armed Services Committee with a view toward inserting language in the Defense Department’s authorization bill that would increase penalties for “such outrageous activities.”
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