Category: Navy

Navy PO 2nd Class Dmitry Chepusov Found Strangled to Death in Germany; Air Force SSgt Sean Oliver Found Guilty, Sentenced to Life (2013)

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Petty Officer 2nd Class Dmitry Chepusov, US Navy
SSgt Sean Oliver, US Air Force

SSgt Sean Oliver, US Air Force, was found guilty of strangling Navy Petty Officer Dmitry Chepusov after a night of drinking on December 14th , 2013 in Kaiserslautern, Germany. The two were colleagues at the American Forces Network (AFN) at Ramstein Air Force Base. SSgt Oliver was charged with pre-meditated murder. The military prosecutors were considering the death penalty but the German authorities withheld evidence in an effort to get the death penalty off the table in this case. SSgt Oliver was found guilty of the murder of Dmitry Chepusov by the military courts and sentenced to life with parole. Military prosecutors believed the motive for the murder was to silence Dmitry Chepusov who found out about an affair that SSgt Oliver was having with his wife.

Related Links:
Air Force staff sgt. stands trial Monday on murder charge
More charges in sailor’s death in Germany
Germans withholding evidence in AFN murder case pending death penalty decision
For Germans, death penalty is concern in U.S. airman’s murder trial
Article 32 begins Friday for airman charged in strangling death of sailor
Airman pleads not guilty to premeditated murder in Chepusov’s death
Chilling New Details Emerge In Killing Of Navy Broadcaster
Soldier Gets 6 Months for False Testimony in AFN Murder
Air Force Staff Sergeant Found Guilty in AFN Murder
Air Force Staff Sgt. found guilty of murder
Oliver sentenced to life with parole for killing of AFN broadcaster
Air Force Staff Sergeant Sentenced to Life With Parole in AFN Murder
Life with possibility of parole in AFN Europe murder
Love Triangle Results in Murder on Air Base
US Air Force Court of Criminal Appeals, SSgt Sean Oliver (2014)

Politico: McCaskill’s ‘lonely’ sex-assault stand (2013)

On By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Army, Child Abuse, Domestic Violence, Felony Crime, Homicide, Military Policy, Navy, Sexual Assault, USAF, USCG, USMCLeave a comment

My Approved PortraitsSen. Claire McCaskill is on the verge of a historic victory reforming the Pentagon’s sexual assault policies.

But rather than basking in acclaim during the debate’s climatic week in the Capitol, the Missouri Democrat finds herself paying a political cost for being an outlier within her own caucus. She’s the only one of the Senate’s 16 Democratic women opposing a much more sweeping change that removes the chain of command from prosecuting sexual assault and other major military crimes.

Read more from Politico here.

“Dear @clairecmc Thanks 4 railroading the Military Justice Improvement Act. Is it true that you have never served a day in your life? #MJIA,” Jennifer Norris, a Maine-based Air Force veteran who works with sexual assault victims…tweeted, referring to Gillibrand’s legislative proposal by its official name. -Politico

Editor’s Note: It appears the original tweet has disappeared and it was never deleted by Jennifer Norris. Also the tweet is not on the web version of the article but is still part of the mobile version of the article.

Give Our Troops Constitutional Rights for Veteran’s Day, Pass the Military Justice Improvement Act (MJIA)

On By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Army, Child Abuse, Domestic Violence, Felony Crime, Homicide, Military Policy, Navy, Scandals, Sexual Assault, USAF, USCG, USMCLeave a comment

MJIA

The Military Justice Improvement Act (MJIA), although not the final answer, is a great first step in our fight for justice for crime victims. Currently, the Department of Defense (DoD) estimates that 26,300 service members are victims of military sexual assault (touching). These numbers do not include other violent crimes, sexual harassment, stalking, bullying, hazing, etc. Of those numbers, the DoD estimates that more then half of them are male victims, which proves that this is not a female issue but instead a repeat offender issue.

The military’s current justice system elevates an individual Commander’s discretion over the rule of law. The MJIA legislation would help us create an impartial system where victims would feel safe to report. They are telling us in their own voices that they do not trust the Chain of Command to handle their cases effectively. Recent DoD studies have shown that 62% of those who reported were in fact retaliated against which reinforces others to remain silent.

The MJIA would not only give them a safe place to report confidentially but would allow a legal professional to determine whether or not a case should be tried in a court of law. The biggest problem with military sexual assault is underreporting. We can’t fix the problem unless the soldiers feel safe enough to report. We can’t rid the military of perpetrators if we do not work together to get a conviction and protect our military and civilians.

Learn more here.

A Comprehensive List Of Obama’s Misbehaving Senior Military Officers

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MJIA

A Comprehensive List Of Obama’s Misbehaving Senior Military Officers

Senior military leaders are supposed to behave in a manner that is morally above  reproach. That, unfortunately, is not always the case. -Business Insider (2013)

Click on name for more information.

Air Force Lt. Col. Jeff Krusinski allegedly sexually assaulted a woman.

Retired Army Gen. David Petraeus had an affair.

Army Brig. Gen. Bryan Roberts got into a fight with his mistress.

Army Lt. Gen. David Holmes Huntoon Jr. abused his staff.

Army Gen. Stanley McChrystal trash talked Obama.

Marine Corps Gen. James Cartwright allegedly had an affair.

Army Gen. “Kip” Ward misused thousands in government funds.

Marine Col. Daren Margolin accidentally shot a gun in his office.

Navy Vice Adm. Tim Giardina cheated at poker.

Army Maj. Gen. Ralph Baker was fired over sex and alcohol.

Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Gregg A. Sturdevant failed to secure his base from a Taliban attack in Afghanistan.

Air Force Maj. Gen. Michael Carey misbehaved on an assignment.

Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Charles M.M. Gurganus neglected to implement security  procedures that would have stopped a Taliban attack in Afghanistan.

Navy Rear Adm. Charles Gaouette made poor leadership decisions.

Read more here. 

Millington Naval Base Shooting: Two Soldiers Shot, Gunman In Custody, Officials Say (UPDATE)

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US NavyMillington Naval Base Shooting: Two Soldiers Shot, Gunman In Custody, Officials Say (UPDATE)

A gunman shot several people near a U.S. Navy base in Millington, Tenn., authorities say. Fox13 reports that an employee of the base was relieved of duty today and is suspected of shooting at random people after going to his car. The suspect, an Army National Guardsman, is in custody, the Navy reported in a press release. Two National Guard soldiers were treated for non-life threatening injuries, and NBC News reports that one was shot in the leg and another was shot in the foot. The Navy also reported that there “is not an active shooter situation.” The attack took place near an area called Naval Support Activity Midsouth:

Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/24/millington-naval-base-shooting_n_4158166.html?934839&ncid=mobile4

The Military’s Latest Rape-Case Mess

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US Naval Academy InsigniaThe Military’s Latest Rape-Case Mess

A sexual assault case reveals an unbalanced military justice system

Which is worse: a sexual assault by three fellow midshipmen near the U.S.  Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., or spending 20 hours over five days in a  military courtroom fending off questions about one’s sexual history and the  circumstances of the alleged attack?

The latter is what happened at the Washington Navy Yard beginning Aug. 27,  when a female midshipman was cross-examined in a lengthy pretrial hearing  designed to bring those allegedly involved to justice. The case helps explain  why only 3,374 of an estimated 26,000 military members who experienced unwanted  sexual contact last year filed complaints. “It is essentially the woman who is  on trial, and the trial can be worse than the rape,” says retired Colonel  Elspeth Ritchie, who served as the Army’s top psychiatrist and has testified in  similar cases. “I have often thought that I would never report it if it happened  to me.”

Read more: http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,2151156,00.html

Pingree addresses undersecretary of the Navy nominee’s controversial comments about sexual assault in the military

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Chellie PingreePingree addresses undersecretary of the Navy nominee’s controversial comments about sexual assault in the military

PORTLAND, Maine — Controversial statements about how the military handles sexual assault claims by a woman nominated for the second highest civilian position in the Navy have caused a key U.S. Senate member to question whether she should get the job.

Members of Maine’s congressional delegation, who have played key roles in trying to enact legislation to address sexual assault in the military, weren’t ready to oppose Jo Ann Rooney’s nomination as undersecretary of the Navy, but they did express concern Friday about her position on sexual assault in the military.

Read more: http://bangordailynews.com/2013/10/19/news/portland/rep-pingree-addresses-undersecretary-of-the-navy-nominees-controversial-comments-about-sexual-assault-in-the-military/

Navy nominee seeks to clarify remark

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Jo Ann RooneyNavy nominee seeks to clarify remark

The woman nominated to be the No. 2 civilian in the Navy is seeking to  clarify a statement she made on sexual assault in the military that sparked  outrage among victim advocacy groups.

Jo Ann Rooney, tapped by President Barack Obama to be the next undersecretary  of the Navy, says she never meant to suggest military commanders shouldn’t weigh  the evidence when deciding whether to prosecute allegations of sexual  assault.

Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2013/10/jo-ann-rooney-navy-nominee-remark-98504.html

Command Influence to Figure in Navy Rape Case

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US NavyCommand Influence to Figure in Navy Rape Case

Congress didn’t waste any time weighing in on the case either. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., served notice that she will cite the Naval Academy sexual assault case in her efforts to legislate a major overhaul of the Uniform Code of Military Justice to take away commanders’ authority to refer charges and overrule decisions in courts-martial.

“It is time to move the sole decision-making power over whether serious crimes go to trial from the chain of command into the hands of non-biased, professionally trained military prosecutors — where it belongs,” Gillibrand said.

Read more: http://www.military.com/daily-news/2013/10/14/command-influence-to-figure-in-navy-rape-case.html?comp=700001075741&rank=1

Supervisors of Navy Yard Gunman Were Told of Issues

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Aaron AlexisSupervisors of Navy Yard Gunman Were Told of Issues

The mother of Aaron Alexis, the military contractor who killed 12 people at the Washington Navy Yard last month, told his bosses one month before the shootings that he had a history of paranoid episodes and most likely needed therapy. But Mr. Alexis’ managers at the Experts Inc., an information technology firm, decided to keep him on the job and did not require him to seek treatment, an internal company investigation has found.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/05/us/supervisors-of-navy-yard-gunman-were-told-of-issues.html?src=recg