crime

U.S. Army retires general for not properly investigating sex assault in Japan

28 Comments
By ROBERT BURNS

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28 Comments
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Good. Though honestly I see it as merely a slap on the wrist for this man.

14 ( +14 / -0 )

By retiring one rank lower, Harrison stands to lose a substantial amount of retirement pay.

Now, what about the woman who lodged the complaint. And the colonel about whom she lodged the complaint. What is to become of them? Has the Army made any statements, brief or otherwise, about them?

13 ( +13 / -0 )

Congratulations , you deserve it.

"The military fails spectacularly at investigating sexual assaults by soldiers against female soldiers"

The Army's reports on sexual harassment within its gender-integrated ranks is little more than bureaucratic gobbledygook that fails to clearly address the basic problems confronting the service.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Failing to investigate sexual assault is an issue on many bases all over the world. It's an issue in companies, as well. One way to help combat sexual assault is to give actual punishments with real ramifications. Come down hard on these idiots.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

It's not the worst. The military fails spectacularly at investigating sexual assaults by soldiers against female soldiers. The whole system badly needs to be overhauled and many asses seriously kicked. If you can't perform your job and fulfill your duties, you should not be in the military. As well, the military should not be in the business of covering things up.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

He should have been busted a rank and forced to retire then.

That's what did happen if you read the article. He was forced to retire at a 1 star vice 2 star level. To show how much he is going to lose (assuming he did 30 years), since he was a 2 star and if he would have retired at that rank he would make about $10,053 a month or about $120,634 a year for the rest of his life. This does not include the annual Cost of Living Adjustments that he would get. Since he was busted down to 1 star, his monthly pay would be $8,874 a month for $106,485 a year for life. So you can see that in the long run, every month he draws a retirement check (even though it is quite large) he is paying for not doing what he should have done. I think that is punishment enough.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

To me it does not make a difference any more, a 2 star (or a 4 star) General in the US army, then a politician in France or Brazil or a leader in China , the Vatican, Japan, Russia or Germany the corruption is everywhere and we need to make a stand. The net seems to help but with all the regulations that are being proposed for the net , that may not last long either!

3 ( +3 / -0 )

By retiring one rank lower, Harrison stands to lose a substantial amount of retirement pay.

That's the minimum punishment he should have gotten. The fact that he got sent back to the Pentagon into a cushy staff job is simply disgusting. He should have been busted a rank and forced to retire then.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

Most of us would take such charges seriously. Why this General would take them lightly is beyond me. A demotion is fitting and proceed with charges with the alleged jerks.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Here is some bonus material written in the Stars and Stripes:

According to an investigation by the Army Inspector General, Harrison referred the case to criminal investigators only after a reporter from Stars and Stripes spoke to the victim and inquired with U.S. Army Japan about the allegations. Previously, the general had ordered only an internal investigation of the allegations, in violation of regulations.

More than two months elapsed between the woman's allegation of sexual assault and her first contact with Army Criminal Investigation Command, the IG reported.

In the report, the IG concluded Harrison had:

failed to investigate allegations against a colonel he had known since the 1980s.

failed to treat the victim with dignity and fairness.

investigated the allegation himself instead of referring it to criminal investigators.

failed to remove the colonel from his position despite allegations of a pattern of misconduct.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Is this what the united states military, the most powerful military in the world, has as generals?! How are they expected to command troops abroad with this kind of reputation amongst their own people, much less the rest of the world? What makes this all worse is that he pretty much got away with a warning and a slightly smaller retirement check! Generals are arrogant enough as it is, they think they can do whatever they want and get away with it, this article is just proving it. I think this general should be dishonorably discharged in order to make an example of him, because if harsh action is sometimes required to bring about drastic change, and after what I've read they seriously need to change.

0 ( +4 / -4 )

The comments here are predominately negative about the military's handling of sexual assault crimes..... all I can say is...... I agree. There is a system in place that ensures that the higher the rank, the less the punishment.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

So from what i read here, they are more worried of loss of money then getting rid of the issue?

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Crazy

While I so share you sentiments, try to appreciate how far we've come in the past decade. It's a generational thing; we are winning.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

The colonel under suspicion was a member of his personal staff.

Could he have been a friend as well?

If so it would explain the general's ( strange) lack of action on the complaint.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

This is the one that was at Camp Zama; Yes ? It didn't surprise me one bit when I read the story. I worked at the Exchange there at Zama when this clod was " In Command ".

0 ( +0 / -0 )

"what about the japanese woman who lodged the complaint. And the american colonel about whom she lodged the complaint. What is to become of them?" ...and who are they?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

@Michael D. Maxwell ... "Oh yes she got paid!!!!!"

A cash payment does not cancel a crime or turn a victim into a criminal

0 ( +0 / -0 )

... "failure to investigate"? That's such a weasel way to say that this Major General actively participated in covering up a crime. He was aware that a crime potentially occurred and instead of investigating decided to give the offender a free pass. That's what he did and busting him a rank just is NOT sufficient.

He should have been charged as an accessory after the fact and court marshaled. That would have been justice.

What happened here? It just confirms everything that people say about the US military being soft on sex crimes.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

It doesn't confirm any thing, except in your own mind. For every 1 sexual assault you think they are soft on, there are 250 success stories.... but you won't hear about them.

Sure, even 1 is to damn many, but there is no indication that the military is "soft on sex crimes".

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Loki520Aug. 28, 2014 - 06:19PM JST It doesn't confirm any thing, except in your own mind. For every 1 sexual assault you think they are soft on, there are 250 success stories.... but you won't hear about them. Sure, even 1 is to damn many, but there is no indication that the military is "soft on sex crimes".

Try the US Government's own congressional report that finds the US military is ignoring sexually motivated crimes.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

That good ole boys club is at it again.. Congress didn't have the political courage to control these military lifer's. The key word is control.... Let's face it the military are sick people who do sick things.. There are other institutions with just as sick populations, I won't mention any name "In the name of the father".. Nevertheless, the military, with it's man down structure, is simply -- Giving a dog a bone, with this General's two star reduction to one ! I call it "Smoking Mirrors". It takes three years for an officer to become permanent rank. Meaning you have to successfully. perform, for three years then get appointed permanent status (Like probation status). All officers and nco.s know they must walk lightly until they reach permanent status !! Our little One Star General knew the risk, the day he got pinned with that second star. So the Secretary makes a big stink, he keeps his mouth shut, and retirement is settle. A scarificial lamb with no loss of Blood ..

The Good Ole Boys club
-1 ( +0 / -1 )

He was forced into retirement. That means he STILL gets a retirement check & benefits. So, basically, he didn’t really get punished. He just gets to go hit the golf courses more often & get paid.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

So he'll only get the pension of a one-star general? Oh, how he must be on the breadline...

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

I actually live in Japan and I have seen the lady and the officer she was seeing. There is so much behind the story that was not published. The general was wrong for not doing his job but a quick investigation to resolve the case and pay her. Oh yes she got paid!!!!!

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

a Japanese version of amakudari

Federal law requires officers to retire at the last pay grade at which they served satisfactorily

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

The full blown propaganda machine is on OVERdrive here.

Nobody here knows the full story. When you have 2 Stars like this guy you are very mixed up in politics. Like a mob, you want someone to throw rocks at. Someone to spit on till your appetite is sated.

The truth is you'll never be satisfied. Some posters are already asking about the others. Can we feed them to the lions too?

This guy is a scapegoat, a patsy. He shouldn't be on trial here or anywhere.

-4 ( +0 / -4 )

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