A two-star general who had formerly commanded an Illinois-based Army reserve unit was handed a likely career-ending reprimand following an investigation into reports that unit leaders had mishandled sexual harassment complaints.
Maj. Gen. Miyako N. Schanely was suspended about a year ago from leading the 416th Theater Engineer Command (TEC,) based in Darien, Ill., because of the investigation.
The investigation found that Maj. Gen. Schanely, who formally relinquished command of the 416th TEC after her suspension, failed to properly implement the unit’s Sexual Harassment/Assault Response and Prevention (SHARP) program.
An investigation revealed that lower-level units improperly handed reports of sexual assault and harassment. The unit headquarters had problems complying with the SHARP program regulatory requirements for “several years,” Army officials said.
The investigation identified SHARP program staffing gaps within the 416th TEC and noted that headquarters failed to monitor annual training requirements and provided “ambiguous guidance” on how to conduct sexual assault review boards. Problems were discovered with the procedures used to hire civilian SHARP program employees, including questions about their abilities, credentialing, training and individual performance on the job, Army officials said.
Lt. Gen. Jody Daniels, commander of U.S. Army Reserve Command, also took administrative action against 12 other officers, non-commissioned officers and civilian Army employees, based on the findings from the investigation, officials said.
Investigators also made several recommendations, including adding a full-time legal advisor to the 416th TEC; adding a SHARP program manager and reviewing civilian hiring procedures.
The Army is now undergoing a reckoning with the issue of sexual harassment and sexual assault since the April 2020 murder of Spec. Vanessa Guillen at Fort Hood. Her body was later found near the sprawling Texas military base. Army officials fired several military leaders over how they handled the case.
• Mike Glenn can be reached at mglenn@washingtontimes.com.
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