Rep. Ike Skelton (D-Mo.) told the Associated Press news service that he plans to seek additional legislation in the already House-approved 2007 defense authorization bill that would elevate penalties for military recruiters found to have committed sexual misconduct with a potential recruit. An AP report into disciplinary actions against military recruiters found that 80 recruiters from all branches of the service had been disciplined in 2005. Skelton told AP that all the services should adhere to the National Guard policy of never permitting recruiters to be alone with recruits of the opposite sex. The Government Accountability Office has just released a report critical of DOD’s oversight of recruiting wrongdoings.
F-35As from the Vermont Air National Guard have deployed to Puerto Rico in recent days, continuing a major buildup of U.S. Air Force assets in Latin America aimed at combating drug trafficking and pressuring the regime of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro.
