What a good senior NCO does: Move around, keep an ear open, turn over rocks

During the summer, the Best Defense is carrying
re-runs of good items that ran in late 2012 and in 2013. This one originally ran
on 6 December 2012.

One
of the things a good senior leader does is move around his or her unit. Don't
wait for bad news to come to you. Often, it won't be allowed to.

The
new issue of Army Times has a good
piece by Michelle Tan about a predatory drill sergeant who in one
10 day period earlier this year had various forms of sex with one female
recruit, oral sex with another, a groping and kissing session with a third, and
indecent language with some others.

The
first
woman to complain was a 20-year-old victim who found the
chain of command unresponsive. She went to one drill sergeant, who told her,
"You don't want to open that can of worms, Private. . . . That's my battle
buddy's career you're trying to fuck up." Her first sergeant didn't believe
her. The company commander said he would launch an inquiry, which, she said, led
nowhere, and wasn't reported to superiors. The woman said that other trainees
who had been assaulted were afraid to come forward, especially after they saw
how the drill sergeants ganged up on her and accused her of lacking integrity.

Then
she ran into the battalion command sergeant major as he was moving around the
unit. He listened to her, then called a meeting of all the females in the
company. It lasted about 90 minutes. "That's when the others came forward," the
woman said.

The
abusive drill sergeant, Luis Corral, has been found guilty. He was busted to
private, sentenced to five years in the brig, and will get a bad conduct
discharge when he gets out. Then he must register as a sex offender.