A military judge sentenced SSgt. Craig Leblanc to 30 months of confinement and a reduction in rank to airman basic, plus he will be dishonorably discharged, for sexual misconduct while he was a military training instructor at JBSA-Lackland, Tex., announced base officials. The judge of Leblanc’s general court-martial on Feb. 14 found Leblanc guilty of two specifications of making false official statements; one specification of obstructing justice; three specifications of violating lawful no-contact orders; one specification of absenting himself without leave; one specification of “maltraining” basic trainees; one specification of committing adultery on multiple occasions; one specification of wrongfully seeking to develop a personal, intimate, and sexual relationship with a basic trainee; and one specification of wrongfully attempting to develop a personal social relationship with a technical training student. The court found him not guilty of a specification of aggravated sexual assault, according to Lackland’s Feb. 15 release. Leblanc’s case was the eighth court-martial resulting from sexual misconduct by former MTIs at Lackland. (See also Making a Difference.)
Promotions to the Space Force’s second highest enlisted grade, senior master sergeant, have surged to the highest level in the young service’s history, bolstering the senior NCO corps as officials plan to aggressively expand the force and especially the enlisted corps.