The Army relieved a commander and command sergeant major of a battalion based in South Korea after complaints of racism and discrimination were made to an anonymous assistance line.
The Army did not release the name of the two individuals who were relieved.
Lt. Gen. Willard Burleson, commander of the 8th U.S. Army, confirmed on his official Twitter page the temporary suspension pending the outcome of an internal investigation.
“My intent is to always tackle these challenges head on,” he wrote. “Trust is crucial in our formations and lack of trust erodes and degrades the cohesiveness of our teams, impacts readiness and our ability to ’Fight Tonight.’”
The commander of the 2nd Infantry Division suspended the two leaders from the 602nd Aviation Support Battalion pending the outcome of the investigation, officials said.
“These actions do not presuppose any outcome and are intended to ensure a full, fair and impartial inquiry,” Gen. Burleson wrote.
The Army’s Criminal Investigation Division has launched its own inquiry into the allegations that were raised. Army officials did not provide additional details about the claims.
“We have zero tolerance for this in our formations and communities,” Gen. Burleson wrote.
The 602nd Aviation Support Battalion provides field maintenance, logistics and medical support for the 2nd Infantry Division’s Combat Aviation Brigade.
• Mike Glenn can be reached at mglenn@washingtontimes.com.
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