SSgt. Luis Walker, a former basic military training instructor at JBSA-Lackland, Tex., will spend 20 years in confinement and receive a dishonorable discharge after his conviction last week on 28 counts of sexual misconduct in his general court-martial. The Air Force is also reducing Walker’s rank to airman basic and he must forfeit all pay and allowances, according to the service’s July 22 release, two days after his conviction. The week-long court-martial found him guilty of charges, including rape and aggravated sexual contact, in incidents involving 10 female basic military trainees between October 2010 and June 2011. Walker is the second MTI tried in conjunction with sexual misconduct investigations involving at least 12 instructors. The first ex-instructor tried, SSgt. Peter Vega-Maldonado, pleaded guilty to one charge of having an improper relationship with a trainee. As part of his punishment, he was sentenced to 90 days of confinement, and reduced in rank to airman, states the release.
Secretary of Defense Austin Lloyd III met with his counterparts from Australia, Japan and the Philippines to discuss bolstering defense ties on May 2. The discussion included plans for joint F-35 exercises with Japan and Australia in the coming years.