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Col. Meghann Sullivan, commander of the 5th Brigade Engineer Battalion, 5th SFAB, is facing allegations of sexually assaulting at least two subordinate men and harassing several others, according to three sources with knowledge of the situation.
One source said she forcefully kissed one man and groped another in separate incidents that allegedly involved alcohol abuse. At least one of those incidents was allegedly witnessed by Chung, though it's unclear whether Sullivan faced disciplinary action. Sullivan was suspended this week, a spokesperson with the brigade confirmed to Military.com."
"In a 2021 command climate survey for the brigade, in which soldiers can submit anonymous comments, respondents painted a bleak picture of the morale and behavior of 5th SFAB troops.
In one comment, a soldier said a staff sergeant "routinely" referred to his soldiers as "b---h" and "p---y," which "resulted in fights and yelling matches."
"Additionally, a member of the team carried a Confederate battle flag to Malaysia and has said the N-word on multiple occasions," the soldier added, though it was unclear to whom they were referring.
The brigade isn't alone in facing leadership issues, according to internal slides for a 5th SFAB two-day briefing reviewed by Military.com. They extend across the base where the brigade is headquartered, which includes 1-2 Stryker Brigade Combat Team and 2nd Ranger Battalion, and the 1st Special Forces Group.
More than 90% of complaints involved equal opportunity, a category that includes bullying, using disparaging terms and sexist behavior involving senior leader misconduct. Half the time, the complaints were confirmed, with leaders removed from their positions. The slide does not specify a timeframe, nor provide overall complaint totals.
The base saw 26 informal sexual assault or harassment complaints and 44 formal complaints during fiscal 2022, the briefing detailed. There were also 11 letters of concern, two letters of reprimand and 40 Article 15 proceedings exclusively at 5th SFAB since June 2021.
A 5th SFAB spokesperson said the data was from an early document draft and was inaccurate, but did not provide the finalized version for context."
One source said she forcefully kissed one man and groped another in separate incidents that allegedly involved alcohol abuse. At least one of those incidents was allegedly witnessed by Chung, though it's unclear whether Sullivan faced disciplinary action. Sullivan was suspended this week, a spokesperson with the brigade confirmed to Military.com."
"In a 2021 command climate survey for the brigade, in which soldiers can submit anonymous comments, respondents painted a bleak picture of the morale and behavior of 5th SFAB troops.
In one comment, a soldier said a staff sergeant "routinely" referred to his soldiers as "b---h" and "p---y," which "resulted in fights and yelling matches."
"Additionally, a member of the team carried a Confederate battle flag to Malaysia and has said the N-word on multiple occasions," the soldier added, though it was unclear to whom they were referring.
The brigade isn't alone in facing leadership issues, according to internal slides for a 5th SFAB two-day briefing reviewed by Military.com. They extend across the base where the brigade is headquartered, which includes 1-2 Stryker Brigade Combat Team and 2nd Ranger Battalion, and the 1st Special Forces Group.
More than 90% of complaints involved equal opportunity, a category that includes bullying, using disparaging terms and sexist behavior involving senior leader misconduct. Half the time, the complaints were confirmed, with leaders removed from their positions. The slide does not specify a timeframe, nor provide overall complaint totals.
The base saw 26 informal sexual assault or harassment complaints and 44 formal complaints during fiscal 2022, the briefing detailed. There were also 11 letters of concern, two letters of reprimand and 40 Article 15 proceedings exclusively at 5th SFAB since June 2021.
A 5th SFAB spokesperson said the data was from an early document draft and was inaccurate, but did not provide the finalized version for context."
Inside One of the Army's Most Chaotic Brigades
Posted from military.com
Sexual Assault
SHARP
Leadership
Posted >1 y ago
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Things sound pretty bad.
But, as I always mention, these are still just allegations and accusations. Sullivan is innocent until proven guilty.
But even if the specific allegations remain u proven, it certainly sounds like there is enough OTHER stuff going on to warrant removing her until investigations are complete and the dust settles. She may get the job back (or a different Brigad Command) if things shake out in her favor. But for right now, I agree with the decision to sideline her.
But, as I always mention, these are still just allegations and accusations. Sullivan is innocent until proven guilty.
But even if the specific allegations remain u proven, it certainly sounds like there is enough OTHER stuff going on to warrant removing her until investigations are complete and the dust settles. She may get the job back (or a different Brigad Command) if things shake out in her favor. But for right now, I agree with the decision to sideline her.
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SFC Kelly Fuerhoff as a sexual assault nurse examiner I saw both men and women and children, babies who were victims of assault. In the course of my assessment I collected the items in a rape kit and documented findings with photos in a secured memory bank.
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SFC Kelly Fuerhoff
I was a VA and a SARC. I know anyone can be a victim or perpetrator. I was just pointing out there's a lot of toxicity in this bde along with that sexual assault report.
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