9/23/2012 - JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-Randolph, Texas -- Gen. Edward A. Rice, Jr., commander of Air Education and Training Command, released a statement Sept. 21 about the scope of ongoing criminal investigations at Air Force Basic Military Training as well as the external Commander Directed Investigation he ordered in June:
"I have just concluded several productive meetings here in Washington D.C. with select members of Congress and other government officials to brief them on the Commander Directed Investigation of basic training led by Maj. Gen. Margaret Woodward.
Sexual misconduct, to include unprofessional relationships, is unacceptable at Basic Military Training and will not be tolerated.
Thus far, four courts-martial have been held at Lackland and two more are scheduled. One instructor received non-judicial punishment and 11 other instructors are under investigation. All subjects are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
In addition to ongoing actions, I am committed to establishing and maintaining an environment that is consistent with the high standards of professional conduct that we demand of our instructors.
Maj. Gen. Woodward's team interviewed more than 200 individuals among BMT leadership, faculty and students; conducted focus groups with trainees, students and MTIs; and analyzed the results of more than 25,000 end-of-course surveys from BMT graduates dating back to 2009. They also administered a survey to more than 18,000 trainees, students, military training instructors, military training leaders, and technical training instructors. This survey was built specifically for the investigation and provided a real-time measurement of the training environment and culture at BMT.
This exhaustive investigation lasted two months and required approximately 20,000 man hours to complete. I am currently reviewing the findings and recommendations to ensure BMT meets the exacting standards our nation expects from our Airmen.
The leaders I've met with in Washington have shared helpful input, which will help guide the Air Force as we develop the best means to address the problems identified during the investigations.
We are well along in this process and look forward to releasing the report and announcing detailed actions to address the way ahead after I brief Air Force leadership in late October."
