Homicide Hunter Premiered ‘Secret Life’ on ID: Fort Carson Soldier Strangled Lourdes Riddle to Silence Sextortion Threats (November 22, 2011)

After Lourdes Riddle in found strangled to death in the trunk of her car, homicide detective Joe Kenda follows the trail through a twisting maze of military and cultural secrets. Just what was Lourdes doing behind her husband’s back? -Secret Life, Homicide Hunter (S1, E5)

Editor’s note: With a cable subscription, you can download the free ID Go app and watch Investigation Discovery programming at your convenience. And for those who do not have cable, you can watch “unlocked” episodes on the ID Go app including the latest premieres. For those who prefer commercial free programming during your binge session, Prime Video has an ID channel: ‘True Crime Files by Investigation Discovery” available for $3.99 a month. It’s a compilation of older seasons but totally worth the cost if you are a true crime addict. Download the ID Go app or purchase ID True Crime Files & binge away.

Related Links:
Army CID warns Soldiers to beware of ‘sextortion’ scams
Secret Life | Homicide Hunter | Investigation Discovery (S1, E5)
Secret Life | Homicide Hunter | Investigation Discovery (website)
Secret Life | Homicide Hunter | Investigation Discovery (Amazon)
Secret Life | Homicide Hunter | Investigation Discovery (Hulu)
Nowhere to Turn: Soldier Extorted by a Military Wife Ends in Murder
Fort Carson Army Soldier Nolly Depadua Killed Air Force Spouse Lourdes Riddle to Silence Sextortion Threats; Sentenced to 14 Years in Prison, Out in 7 (March 26, 1985)
Violent Crime, Suicide & Non Combat Death at Fort Carson, Colorado

Army Sgt. Kimberly Agar Died by Suicide in Germany; Death Prompts Family to Raise Awareness of Active-Duty Military Suicide Rates (October 3, 2011)

Kimberly Agar
Sgt. Kimberly Agar, U.S. Army

According to the U.S. Army Europe Public Affairs, unit officials conducted a health and welfare inspection of Sgt. Kimberly D. Agar’s barracks room after Agar missed a medical appointment. The corporal was found unresponsive and German emergency medical personnel were contacted. A German doctor pronounced Kimberly dead at the scene on October 3, 2011. An investigation into the cause of death determined Kimberly died by suicide. Kimberly’s mother has since dedicated her life to raising awareness of active-duty suicide rates in an effort to prevent suicide within the active-duty ranks.

Apologize-One Republic by Sgt. Kimberly Agar

Related Links:
Salute to SPC. Kimberly Agar
Sgt. Kimberly Diane Agar 10/3/2011
Soldier with U.S. Army Europe Band and Chorus found dead in Schwetzingen barracks
Singing soldier Sgt. Kimberly D. Agar dies in Germany at 25
A year later, Texas soldier’s suicide still haunts her mother in Bedford
A Dream Come True Ends in Suicide for Soldier
Suicide victim’s mother calls for improved mental health education
Military Suicide: Help for Families Worried About Their Service Member
Death Drives Mother to Help Others
Suicide rate for veterans far exceeds that of civilian population
Suicide Among Our Military & Veterans: Still a National Tragedy
Warrior Talk with GI Jenn – Sgt. Kimberly Agar, TBI & Suicide
Victim’s mother speaks out about military suicide
Mom’s mission is to share daughter’s story
Margaret Mary Agar vs. The Prudential Insurance Company of America (2013)
Timbaland, OneRepublic – Apologize (Official Music Video) ft. OneRepublic

September: U.S. Department of Defense Casualties Report (2011)

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09/30/2011:  DOD Identifies Army Casualty: Adrian Mills, 23, Iraq, Fort Polk, Louisiana

09/30/2011:  DOD Identifies Marine Casualties: Nicholas Sprovtsoff, 28, and Christopher Diaz, 27, Afghanistan, Camp Pendleton, California

09/30/2011:  DOD Identifies Army Casualties: Ivan Lechowich, 27, Steven Gutowski, 24, and David Drake, 21, Afghanistan, Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri

09/30/2011:  DOD Identifies Army Casualty: Andres Zermeno, 26, Afghanistan, Fort Polk, Louisiana

09/29/2011:  DOD Identifies Marine Casualty: John Wimpey Cagle, 19, Afghanistan, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina

09/29/2011:  DOD Identifies Marine Casualty: Ryan Iannelli, 27, Afghanistan, Marine Corps Air Station New River,  North Carolina

09/29/2011:  DOD Identifies Army Casualty: Garrett Fant, 21, Afghanistan, Fort Riley, Kansas

09/27/2011:  DOD Identifies Marine Casualty: Franklin Watson, 21, Afghanistan, Marine Forces Reserve, Tennessee

09/26/2011:  DOD Identifies Army Casualty: Francisco Briseno-Alvarez Jr, 27, Afghanistan, Oklahoma Army National Guard

09/26/2011:  DOD Identifies Army Casualty: Tyler Holtz, 22, Afghanistan, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington

09/25/2011:  DOD Identifies Army Casualties: Rafael Bigai Baez, 28, and Carlos Aparicio, 19, Afghanistan, Fort Polk, Louisiana

09/25/2011:  DOD Identifies Army Casualty: Andy C. Morales, 32, Iraq, 143rd Sustainment Command, Orlando, Florida

09/23/2011:  DOD Identifies Marine Casualty: Terry Wright, 21, Afghanistan, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina

09/23/2011:  DOD Identifies Army Casualties: Jakob Roelli, 24, and Robert Dyas, 21, Afghanistan, Fort Riley, Kansas

09/22/2011:  DOD Identifies Army Casualty: Timothy Sayne, 31, Afghanistan, Fort Wainwright, Alaska

09/21/2011:  DOD Identifies Army Casualty: Ryan Cook, 29, Afganistan, Fort Wainwright, Alaska

09/21/2011:  Deadline to Apply for Retroactive Stop Loss Special Pay Nears

09/21/2011:  DOD Identifies Army Casualty: Estevan Altamirano, 30, NCD, Iraq, Fort Hood, Texas

09/20/2011:  Airmen Missing In Action From WWII Identified

09/19/2011:  DOD Identifies Army Casualty: Chazray Clark, 24, Afghanistan, Fort Riley, Kansas

09/19/2011:  DOD Identifies Army Casualty: Garrick Eppinger Jr, 25, Afghanistan, 310th Expeditionary Sustainment Command, Wisconsin

09/18/2011:  DOD Identifies Army Casualty: Michael Hosey, 27, Afghanistan, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington

09/16/2011:  DOD Identifies Marine Casualty: Michael Dutcher, 22, Afghanistan, Camp Pendleton, California

09/16/2011:  DOD Identifies Army Casualty: Mycal Prince, 28, Afghanistan, Oklahoma Army National Guard

09/16/2011:  DOD Identifies Army Casualty: Chester Stoda, 32, NCD, Afghanistan, Fort Hood, Texas

09/16/2011:  DOD Identifies Army Casualty: Rodolfo Rodriguez Jr, 26, Afghanistan, Fort Wainwright, Alaska

09/15/2011:  Army Releases August Suicide Data

09/14/2011:  DOD Identifies Army Casualty: Danial Adams, 35, Afghanistan, Stuttgart, Germany

09/12/2011:  DOD Identifies Army Casualty: Keith Rudd, 36, NCD, Afghanistan, Fort Bragg, North Carolina

09/12/2011:  DOD Identifies Army Casualty: Daniel Quintana, 30, Afghanistan, Schweinfurt, Germany

09/12/2011:  DOD Identifies Army Casualty: Brett Wood, 19, Afghanistan, Fort Wainwright, Alaska

09/11/2011:  DOD Identifies Navy Casualty: Brian Lundy, 25, Afghanistan, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina

09/11/2011:  DOD Identifies Army Casualties: Bret Isenhower, 26, Christopher Horton, 26, and Tony Potter Jr, 20, Afghanistan, Oklahoma Army National Guard

09/09/2011:  DOD Identifies Army Casualties: Koran Contreras, 21, and Douglas Jeffries Jr, 20, Afghanistan, Fort Drum, New York

09/08/2011:  DOD Identifies Navy Casualty: James Crawford, 50, NCD, Bahrain, Combined Maritime Forces Coalition Coordination Center

09/08/2011:  DOD Identifies Army Casualty: Kevin Shumaker, 24, NCD, Afghanistan, Fort Drum, New York

09/07/2011:  DOD Identifies Navy Casualty: James Coker, 59, NCD, Afghanistan, Army Corps of Engineers, Virginia 

09/06/2011:  DOD Identifies Army Casualty: Christophe Marquis, 40, Afghanistan, Fort Wainwright, Alaska

09/04/2011:  DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Christopher Scott, 21, Afghanistan, Fort Campbell, Kentucky

09/02/2011:  DOD Identifies Army Casualty: Dennis James Jr, 21, Afghanistan, Fort Polk, Louisiana

09/01/2011:  Air Force Pilot Missing From Vietnam War Identified

09/01/2011:  DOD Identifies Army Casualties: Devin Daniels, 22, and Colby Richmond, 28, Afghanistan, Fort Bragg, North Carolina

09/01/2011:  DOD Identifies Army Casualty: Alberto Obod Jr, 26, Afghanistan, Bamberg, Germany

August: U.S. Department of Defense Casualties Report (2011)

Department of Defense

08/29/2011:  DOD Identifies Army Casualty: Douglas Green, 23, Afghanistan, Fort Wainwright, Alaska

08/28/2011:  DOD Identifies Army Casualty: Michael Roberts, 23, Afghanistan, Fort Campbell, Kentucky

08/27/2011:  DOD Identifies Army Casualty: Jesse Dietrich, 20, Afghanistan, Fort Drum, New York

08/27/2011:  DOD Identifies Army Casualty: Brandon Mullins, 21, Afghanistan, Fort Wainwright, Alaska

08/26/2011:  DOD Identifies Army Casualty: Andrew Tobin, 24, Afghanistan, Fort Drum, New York

08/24/2011:  DOD Identifies Army Casualty: Timothy Steele, 25, Afghanistan, Fort Drum, New York

08/20/2011:  DOD Identifies Army Casualty: Douglas Cordo, 20, Afghanistan, Fort Wainwright, Alaska

08/19/2011:  DOD Identifies Marine Casualty: Travis Nelson, 19, Afghanistan, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina

08/17/2011:  DOD Identifies Army Casualty: Joshua Seals, 21, NCD, Afghanistan, Oklahoma Army National Guard

08/17/2011:  DOD Identifies Army Casualty: Dennis Jensen, 21, NCD, Afghanistan, South Dakota Army National Guard

08/17/2011:  DOD Identifies Army Casualty: Damon Leehan, 30, Afghanistan, Oklahoma Army National Guard

08/16/2011:  DOD Identifies Army Casualties: Matthew Harmon, 29, and Joseph VanDreumel, 32, Afghanistan, Grafenwoehr, Germany

08/16/2011:  DOD Identifies Army Casualty: Charles Price III, Afghanistan, Fort Carson, Colorado

08/15/2011:  DOD Identifies Army Casualty: Joe Cunningham, 27, NCD, Afghanistan, Oklahoma Army National Guard

08/13/2011:  DOD Identifies Army Casualties: Edward Frank II, 26, Jameel Freeman, 26, Patrick Lay II, 21, Jordan Morris, 23, and Rueben Lopez, 27, Afghanistan, Fort Drum, New York

08/13/2011:  DOD Identifies Navy Casualty: Riley Gallinger-Long, 19, Afghanistan, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina

08/11/2011:  DOD Identifies Marine Casualty: Nicholas Ott, 23, Afghanistan, Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii

08/11/2011:  DOD Identifies 20 US Navy Service Members Killed In CH-47 Crash: Jonas Kelsall, 29, Louis Langlais, 44, Thomas Ratzlaff, 34, Kraig Vickers, 36, Brian Bill, 31, John Faas, 31, Kevin Houston, 35, Matthew Mason, 37, Stephen Mills, 35, Nicholas Hull, 30, Robert Reeves, 32, Heath Robinson, 34, Darrik Benson, 28, Christopher Campbell, 36, Jared Day, 28, John Douangdara, 26, Michael Strange, 25, Jon Tumilson, 35, Aaron Vaughn, 30, and Jason Workman, 32, NCDs, Afghanistan, East Coast-based Naval Special Warfare

08/11/2011:  DOD Identifies 2 US Navy Service Members Killed In CH-47 Crash: Jesse Pittman, 27, and Nicholas Spehar, 24, NCDs, Afghanistan, West Coast-based Naval Special Warfare

08/11/2011:  DOD Identifies 5 US Army Service Members Killed In CH-47 Crash: David Carter, 47, Bryan Nichols, 31, Patrick Hamburger, 30, Alexander Bennett, 24, and Spencer Duncan, 21, NCDs, Afghanistan, Army General Support Aviation Battalion

08/11/2011:  DOD Identifies 3 US Air Force Service Members Killed In CH-47 Crash: John Brown, 33, Andrew Harvell, 26, and Daniel Zerbe, 28, NCDs, Afghanistan, Pope Field, North Carolina

08/09/2011:  DOD Identifies Army Casualty: Alessandro Plutino, 28, Afghanistan, Hunter Army Airfield, Georgia

08/09/2011:  DOD Identifies Marine Casualties: Adan Gonzales Jr, 28, and Joshua Robinson, 29, Afghanistan, Camp Pendleton, California

08/08/2011:  DOD Identifies Marine Casualty: Daniel Patron, 26, Afghanistan, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina

08/08/2011:  Soldier Missing in Action from WWII Identified: William F. Stehlin, US Army

08/06/2011:  DOD Identifies Army Casualty: Mark Downer, 23, Afghanistan, Fort Drum, New York

08/06/2011:  DOD Identifies Army Casualty: Jinsu Lee, 34, NCD, Afghanistan, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii

08/06/2011:  DOD Identifies Marine Casualty: Daniel Gurr, 21, Afghanistan, Okinawa, Japan

08/05/2011:  DOD Identifies Army Casualty: Anthony Del Mar Peterson, 24, Afghanistan, Oklahoma Army National Guard

08/05/2011:  DOD Identifies Army Casualty: Waid Ramsey, 41, Afghanistan, Army Special Operations Command

08/05/2011:  DOD Identifies Army Casualties: Cody Baker, 19, and Gil Morales Del Valle, 21, Afghanistan, Fort Polk, Louisiana

08/05/2011:  DOD Identifies Army Casualty: Barun Rai, 24, NCD, Afghanistan, Bamberg, Germany

08/03/2011:  DOD Identifies Army Casualty: Kirk Owen, 37, Afganistan, Oklahoma Army National Guard

08/03/2011:  DOD Identifies Marine Casualties: Patrick Dolphin, 29, Dennis Kancler, 26, and Christopher Wrinkle, 29, Afghanistan, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina

08/02/2011:  DOD Identifies Marine Casualty: Leon Lucas Jr, 32, Afghanistan, Twentynine Palms, California

08/02/2011:  Soldier Missing from Vietnam War Identified: George A. Howes, US Army

08/02/2011:  DOD Identifies Army Casualty: Brice Scott, 22, Afghanistan, Fort Riley, Kansas

08/01/2011:  DOD Identifies Army Casualty: William GrossPaniagua, 28, Afghanistan, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii

Related Links:
August: Department of Defense Casualties Report (2002)
August: Department of Defense Casualties Report (2003)
August: Department of Defense Casualties Report (2004)
August: Department of Defense Casualties Report (2005)
August: Department of Defense Casualties Report (2006)
August: Department of Defense Casualties Report (2007)
August: Department of Defense Casualties Report (2008)
August: Department of Defense Casualties Report (2009)
August: Department of Defense Casualties Report (2010)
August: Department of Defense Casualties Report (2012)
August: Department of Defense Casualties Report (2013)
August: Department of Defense Casualties Report (2014)
August: Department of Defense Casualties Report (2015)
August: Department of Defense Casualties Report (2016)
August: Department of Defense Casualties Report (2017)
Non Combat Deaths of Female Soldiers in the US Military (Iraq)
Non Combat Deaths of Female Soldiers in the US Military (Afghanistan)
Non Combat Deaths of Female Soldiers in the US Military (Other Areas)

Deadly Women Premiered ‘To Love and To Murder’ on Investigation Discovery: Teresa Lewis Used Sex to Get What She Wanted (August 26, 2011)

Preview: Teresa Michelle Lewis used sex for currency to get what she wanted. -To Love and To Murder, Deadly Women (S5,E5)

Marriage is a lifelong commitment of love, and wedding vows. ‘To have and to hold; for better, for worse; until death do us part’. But for these monstrous wives, it was only the vow of ‘death do us part’ they upheld. -To Love and To Murder, Deadly Women (S5,E5)

While mourning the death of his wife, Julian falls hard for his much-younger coworker Teresa. For a time, her spunk lifts him out of to his sorrows until a sordid affair plunges him even deeper into the abyss. -Second Chance at Death, Fatal Vows (S5,E1)

Editor’s note: With a cable subscription, you can download the free ID Go app and watch Investigation Discovery programming at your convenience. And for those who do not have cable, you can watch “unlocked” episodes on the ID Go app including the latest premieres. For those who prefer commercial free programming during your binge session, Prime Video has an ID channel: ‘True Crime Files by Investigation Discovery” available for $3.99 a month. It’s a compilation of older seasons but totally worth the cost if you are a true crime addict. Download the ID Go app or purchase ID True Crime Files & binge away.

Related Links:
The Puppetmaster | Deadly Women (Preview)
To Love and To Murder | Deadly Women | Investigation Discovery (S5, E5)
To Love and To Murder | Deadly Women | Investigation Discovery (website)
To Love and To Murder | Deadly Women | Investigation Discovery (Amazon)
To Love and To Murder | Deadly Women | Investigation Discovery (Hulu)
Second Chance at Death | Fatal Vows | Investigation Discovery (S5,E1)
Second Chance at Death | Fatal Vows | Investigation Discovery (website)
Second Chance at Death | Fatal Vows | Investigation Discovery (Amazon)
Army National Guardsman Charles Lewis Fatally Shot Before Deployment to Iraq; Step-Mother Teresa Lewis Conspired, Executed by State of Virginia (October 30, 2002)
Fatal Vows Premiered ‘Second Chance at Death’ on Investigation Discovery: Father and Son Julian & CJ Lewis Murdered in Virginia Home (May 13, 2017)
Deadly Women: 30 Military and Veteran Homicide Cases Featured on Investigation Discovery

Army Spc. Jinsu Lee Died of Unspecified Causes at FOB Bostick in Kunar Province, Afghanistan (August 5, 2011)

20110806_br_lee
Spc. Jinsu Lee, US Army

Army Spc. Jinsu Lee, 34, died of unspecified causes on August 5, 2011 Forward Operating Base Bostick in Kunar province, Afghanistan. Spc. Lee was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom on behalf of the 2nd Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii.

Related Links:
DOD Identifies Army Casualty
Honor the Fallen: Army Spc. Jinsu Lee
California’s War Dead: Jinsu Lee, 34
IGTNT: A Marine and Two Soldiers
Honoring Our Armed Forces
Army investigating death of Schofield soldier in Afghanistan
August Is Deadliest Month Ever In Afghan War
Fallen War Heroes to Be Honored by Hawaii Legislature
24 Families to Receive Hawaii Medal of Honor at a Joint Legislative Session
US military deaths in Afghanistan at 1618
War on Terrorism Memorial
August: Department of Defense Casualties Report (2011)

House Armed Services Committee Initiatives Regarding Military Sexual Assault (2011)

PDF for House Armed Services Committee Initiatives Regarding Sexual Assault

Air Force A1C Kelsey Anderson Found Dead of Apparent Self-Inflicted Gunshot Wound in Hangar at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam (June 9, 2011)

Kelsey Anderson
A1C Kelsey Anderson, US Air Force

Airman First Class Kelsey Anderson was found dead of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound at Andersen Air Force Base in Guam on June 9, 2011. According to media reports, she was found in a locked stall in a second-floor women’s bathroom inside an aircraft maintenance hangar at the base. The military investigation indicated that a few months after Kelsey arrived at Guam, she was stripped of her service revolver over mental health concerns. Although Kelsey’s weapons privileges had been restored about a month prior to her death. The reports stated that Kelsey may have been unhappy after trying and failing to be transferred from Guam or released from military service. Kelsey’s parents had to file a lawsuit in U.S. District Court to get the Air Force to turn over its investigation records. They simply wanted answers for their daughter’s tragic and unexpected, untimely death yet the Air Force concealed the details. Chris and Adelia Sue Anderson received the mostly redacted investigation reports almost two years after their daughter’s death. The final court settlement with the Air Force in September 2013 was for the cost of the attorney they had to hire in their quest to get the information they were entitled to have. It’s unfortunate that this family had to wait two years for answers and even more unfortunate that they were forced to go to court during one of the most difficult times of their life.

What could have been done to prevent this? What kind of mental health services were offered to Kelsey? Why did Kelsey want to leave Guam and/or get out of the military? Why was she upset after finding out that she was not able to transfer or get out of the military? What were the extenuating circumstances that made Kelsey feel like she had no options other then suicide? Is this a suicide? After so many families have come forward with concerns that their loved one was murdered despite a ruling of suicide, do we know for sure that this was a suicide? It happened in Guam. There is absolutely no one to hold the Air Force accountable in that setting. There is no way to ensure that the Air Force investigated the scene as both a potential homicide or suicide. It’s as simple as what the Air Force says happens is what happened. Every government entity should have a mechanism by which they are held accountable. Where does a grieving parent turn to when they do not agree with the military investigator’s or medical examiner’s findings? Who holds the individual branches or Department of Defense accountable? The only body of people that can hold the military industrial complex accountable is the US Congress and even they struggle. Time and time again we hear accounts from service members and families that contacting their congressional Representative or Senator did not help. Some help, some don’t, and some never call you back. Every level of government should have accountability of some kind because this country was founded on the principles of checks and balances in our system.

“Enlisting U.S. Sen. Jim Risch‘s office for help still didn’t yield results.” -Chris & Adelia Sue Anderson

In an interview the Andersons’ lawyer emphasized that the prolonged wait and anxiety of suing the federal government in a last-ditch effort for information intensified the couple’s pain after the loss of their daughter. He empathized as a father of three and shared that he could not imagine losing a child thousands of miles away and not knowing what happened to her. No parent should have to wait nearly two years before the government decides to produce the information they deserve to have.

The grieving parents of a 19-year-old Idaho woman who died serving her country thousands of miles from home say the U.S. Air Force won’t give them information about the circumstances of her death. -NewsMedia24

Related Links:
AAFB Mourns Loss of Airman 1st Class Kelsey Anderson
AAFB airman’s death ruled suicide
Grieving parents sue Air Force for answers in daughter’s death
Adelia Sue Anderson Parents Sues Air Force Over Death Daughter
The Long Goodbye: What happened to Kelsey Anderson?
The Long Goodbye: An Idaho Family Fights to Learn the Truth About Their Daughter’s Death
Was it murder? Mystery as Air Force claims 19 year old airwoman committed suicide in Guam base but family deny she was depressed and say they’ve been blocked from getting answers
Family finally getting answers on daughters death
AP: Documents Shed New Light on Suicide of Idaho Airman
Documents reveal mental health struggles of Airman Kelsey Anderson
Idaho airman under mental scrutiny before death
AP: Parents of Kelsey Anderson, Idaho Airman Who Died of Apparent Self-Inflicted Gunshot Wound on Guam Air Base, Settle Lawsuit with Air Force
Idaho airman’s family settles with Air Force
Air Force will Pay Idaho Parent’s Legal Fees in Suicide Case of Daughter
Adelia Sue Anderson Parents Sues Air Force Over Death Daughter

The Lackland Air Force Base Sex Scandal, Texas (2011)

USAF Seal

The Lackland Air Force Base Basic Military Training instructor sex scandal in San Antonio, Texas was one of the biggest sex scandals in military history. In the end, 62 recruits were identified in the scandal and 35 basic military training personnel were courts martialed for alleged abuse of trainees or sex related offenses. The majority of the alleged abuse occurred between 2009 and 2011. SSgt Luis Walker and MSgt Michael Silva were the only instructors found guilty of rape and each was sentenced to twenty years in prison. Prior to their convictions, on January 23, 2013, the House Armed Services Committee conducted an investigation into the sexual assault misconduct at Lackland Air Force Base and heard from General Mark Welsh (Chief of Staff), General Edward Rice (AETC Commander), two retired USAF women, and Dr. David Lisak (a consultant hired by General Welsh). This was also the same day that then Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta announced the military was lifting the ban on women in combat. As a result of this announcement, the media’s focus was distracted from the hearing on sexual assault in the military to the celebration of equality for women in the military.

No substantial legislation was enacted to address the successful prosecution of and prevention of these alleged abuses of power. The military officer’s authority to choose whether to investigate and prosecute felony crimes and how continues to go unchecked. Legislation introduced in May 2013 would have helped provide due process to both the accused and accuser by giving a military prosecutor the authority to move forward with a case. Unfortunately this legislation has been blocked by the Senate, primarily led by Senator Claire McCaskill, since 2013 until present. Whistleblowers have since disclosed that the Air Force investigations at Lackland trampled on due process rights. And individuals were railroaded with collateral charges which forced them to take plea deals to avoid excessive punishments. The Air Force is being accused of going on a “witch hunt” after being politically motivated to clean up the basic training facility while under the watchful eye of the media, advocates, and Congress.

The solution to help both the accused and accuser get a fair investigation and trial is to have a justice system that more closely resembles that of the civilian court systems or to simply use the civilian court systems. In the civilian legal system, victims of crimes report to the police where the name of the individual they are reporting is entered into a national crime database. Impartial detectives conduct independent investigations and provide the results of their investigations to a prosecutor. A prosecutor determines whether or not there is enough evidence to move forward with the successful prosecution of a case. The accused has the right to remain silent, right to be represented by an attorney, right to the opportunity to plead “not guilty” or “guilty”, and the right to request a jury trial. In other words, soldiers should have the same constitutional rights as their civilian counterparts. Soldiers have no choice over how things get handled in the military justice system because the Commander has all the control.

Passing military justice reform that guarantees due process rights for the accused and accuser and overturning the Feres Doctrine should be our highest priority.

United States Air Force Basic Training scandal
Lackland Sex Scandal, Huffington Post
At An Air Force Base, Allegations Of Sexual Assault
Lackland sex scandal prompts U.S. Air Force to discipline former commanders
Sexual Assault Survivors Criticize Sentence Given to Lackland Instructor
Lackland Rape Scandal Shines Spotlight On Military Failure
31 victims identified in widening Air Force sex scandal
31 female victims identified so far in sex scandal, Air Force says
Air Force Sexual Assault Scandal Even Worse Than We Thought
Report Confirms: Sexual Abuse Rampant at Lackland Air Force Base
Why Won’t Congress Investigate the Sex Abuse Scandal at Lackland AFB
Sex-assault scandal casts a pall over Lackland AFB
Lackland sex scandal continues to roil Air Force
HASC Hearing: Sexual Misconduct Allegations at Lackland Air Force Base
A Review of Sexual Misconduct by Basic Training Instructors at Lackland Air Force Base, House Hearing, 113 Congress
A Review of Sexual Misconduct by Basic Training Instructors at Lackland Air Force Base
General admits failure in Lackland sex scandal; 32 alleged culprits
Air Force chief: Scope of the Lackland sex scandal is ‘stunning’
Air Force Chief Calls Sex Misconduct a ‘Cancer’
Even After Lackland Scandal, Military Still Isn’t Fixing Its Sexual Abuse Epidemic
Advocates: Lackland hearings should spark reforms, not more empty promises
Attacked at 19 by an Air Force Trainer, and Speaking Out
Survivor of sexual violence at Lackland Air Force Base speaks out
Changes driven by Lackland scandal not complete
The Case Study of Craig Perry and the Future of Command in the U.S. Air Force
Relieved of command — Leader tried to reach out; investigation cites favoritism
Commander Says He Was Fired for Helping Airmen
I Sued My Husband’s Commander
Controversially fired Lt. Col. Perry retires, plans memoir
SSgt Luis Walker Commits Suicide at Leavenworth Where He Was Serving A 20 Year Sentence for Sexual Assault
MSgt Michael Silva, Lackland Air Force Base Basic Military Training Instructor, Sentenced to 20 Years for Two Rapes
A Complete List of the 35 Basic Military Training Instructors Court Martialed in the Lackland Air Force Base Sex Scandal
Never Leave an Airman Behind: How the Air Force Faltered and Failed in the Wake of the Lackland Sex Scandal