Aberdeen scandal

Individuals involved and outcomes

• Sergeant Delmar Simpson was held at the Marine Corps Brig, Quantico while his court-martial was pending. He was convicted of 18 counts of rape and 29 other offenses, and was sentenced to 25 years in military prison.
• Staff Sergeant Vernell Robinson Jr., "was convicted of 19 counts involving the abuse of five women under his command," including sodomy, adultery, communicating a threat, obstructing justice and disobeying orders. At his court-martial, Robinson "made a dramatic plea for clemency, weeping and beating his head contritely against the witness stand." Robinson was sentenced to six months in prison, demoted to private, forfeited all benefits, and was dishonorably discharged from the military.
• Captain Derrick Robertson, a thirty-year career soldier, was the highest-ranking of the defendants, serving as a company commander. He was charged with rape, forcible sodomy, adultery, indecent assault, conduct unbecoming an officer, violating a general order, and obstruction of justice. He pleaded guilty to adultery, consensual sodomy, conduct unbecoming an officer and dereliction of duty under a plea agreement with military prosecutors. His case involved one female soldier. Robertson was sentenced to one year in prison, with eight months suspended.
• Staff Sergeant Herman Gunter was charged "with rape, assault, adultery, indecent assault, sexual intercourse by fear, conspiracy to obstruct justice, obstruction of justice, violation of a general order, and cruelty and maltreatment for inappropriate sexual comments and harassment"; the allegations involved three female trainees. The Army subsequently dropped the two counts of sexual intercourse by fear. At court-martial, Gunter was acquitted of four of the remaining seven counts but was convicted of inappropriate behavior and of obstructing an investigation. Gunter was sentenced to a reprimand and to demotion by two grades.
• Sergeant 1st Class William Jones, a drill instructor assigned to B Company of the 16th Ordnance Battalion, was charged with one count of indecent assault involving an ex-trainee, one count of drunkenness on duty, and "seven counts of fraternizing with recruits that involve six female trainees." The Army ultimately dropped the charges, choosing to pursue discharge proceedings instead.
• Sergeant 1st Class Theron Brown, an instructor, was "charged with violation of a general order, sodomy, adultery, making a false statement and disobeying a superior's order" in connection with incidents involving two female trainees and one female civilian. Brown was discharged from the service in lieu of court-martial.
• Sergeant Nathanael C. Beach, another drill instructor, was charged with "violation of a superior's order, failing to obey a general order, making a false official statement, adultery, communicating a threat and fraternization with a female soldier" for incidents involving two female soldiers. Beach was accused by a trainee "of having sex with her and threatening to kill her if she didn't keep quiet." Charges were dropped against Beach, who faced administrative discipline rather than court-martial.
• Sergeant Isiah Chestnut was initially charged with a variety of offenses, involving four female trainees, but the Army decided not to pursue a court-martial, choosing Article 15 non-judicial punishment instead. Chestnut was ultimately permitted to resign in lieu of facing court-martial.
• Sergeant 1st Class Ronald Moffett "was charged with indecent assault, indecent language, adultery, cruelty and maltreatment, and violating an order prohibiting social relationships with trainees" in a case involving four female soldiers. Moffett agreed to be discharged in lieu of court-martial.
• Sergeant Tony Cross, a Gulf War veteran who had been in the Army for fourteen years, was charged with "adultery, sodomy, wrongfully socializing with trainees and failing to report prohibited relationships" in a case involving four female trainees. Cross maintained his innocence. agreed to be discharged in lieu of court-martial.
• Major General John E. Longhouser, the commanding general of Aberdeen Proving Ground, was allowed to take early retirement in 1997 after it was revealed that he had "an adulterous affair with a civilian woman while separated from his wife." The events occurred more than five years before Longhouser's retirement, and before his arrival at Aberdeen. According to the New York Times, Pentagon officials stated that Longhouser "appeared to be retiring partly out of disgust that his entire career would be judged on the basis of what he and others would regard as a minor dalliance."

  Fort Leonard Wood scandal

Aftermath