Instructors at Fort Sill were suspended after officials with the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command began an investigation into allegations of sexual assault involving a female soldier in training.
Maj. Gen. Ken Kamper said at a Thursday press briefing that the trainee assigned to Fort Sill in Oklahoma reported a sexual assault to officials at the base on Saturday, according to the Lawton Constitution.
“This soldier who came forward with allegations of sexual assault is absolutely safe. She has special victims counsel and access to all victim services,” Kamper said. “We’re just heartbroken, just sad, sad that something like this happened. On a personal level, it is just heartbreaking.”
DOD STARTS 9-DAY SEXUAL ASSAULT REVIEW WITH NO ACTIVE-DUTY PANEL MEMBERS
Kamper said all cadres involved in the alleged assault have been either suspended or removed from training environments. A cadre is any soldier, besides trainees, assigned permanently to a training unit. He did not say when the alleged assault took place.
“Sexual assault will not be tolerated. It tears at the fabric of our community,” Kamper said. “We will provide further updates as we are able while protecting the integrity of the ongoing criminal investigation and the rights of all involved.”
Kamper added Fort Sill is prepared for further investigations if more victims come forward.
“We’re positioned to do that; we have the resources to do that,” Kamper said. “We have the full support of Army senior leaders for anything else we might need if anything else emerges, so absolutely.”
A 2020 Defense Department report shows incidents of alleged sexual assault by service members have been on the rise, with thousands of reports each year dating back to fiscal 2012.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
The Washington Examiner contacted the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command but did not immediately receive a response.
