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.
The U.S. military is maintaining a beefed-up presence in the Middle East, including fighters and air defense assets, following the U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities June 22 and subsequent retaliation by the Iranians against Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar.
