Posted on Nov 25, 2021
The military said a Maine guardsman sexually assaulted another soldier. He’s still on base.
697
20
15
5
5
0
A senior enlisted member of the Maine Army National Guard is still at work on base nearly four months after federal investigators concluded that he sexually assaulted a female colleague earlier in his career.
Meanwhile, another female soldier filed a complaint on Aug. 8 accusing Sgt. Maj. Joshua Willett of touching her without her consent at the guard’s Augusta headquarters, according to internal guard documents obtained by the Bangor Daily News. That complaint was filed less than a month after the National Guard Bureau’s Office of Complex Investigations substantiated the sexual assault allegation from 2011, documents show. The female soldier in that case came forward about the assault in 2020.
Meanwhile, another female soldier filed a complaint on Aug. 8 accusing Sgt. Maj. Joshua Willett of touching her without her consent at the guard’s Augusta headquarters, according to internal guard documents obtained by the Bangor Daily News. That complaint was filed less than a month after the National Guard Bureau’s Office of Complex Investigations substantiated the sexual assault allegation from 2011, documents show. The female soldier in that case came forward about the assault in 2020.
The military said a Maine guardsman sexually assaulted another soldier. He’s still on base.
Posted from bangordailynews.com
Sexual Assault
State of Maine
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 5
3
3
0
Seems like the guy has a problem. Can't keep his hands to himself.
Maybe if they would have let that first girl chop one off, he would have learned lol...
Maybe if they would have let that first girl chop one off, he would have learned lol...
(3)
(0)
3
3
0
PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
..."Experts said Willett’s presence at the guard after investigators substantiated a sexual assault allegation against him is a problem.
“There is no excuse for keeping a known sexual predator in his position,” said Dwight Stirling, a reserve judge advocate general in the California National Guard and CEO of the Center for Law and Military Policy, a nonprofit dedicated to strengthening legal protections for service members."...
..."Experts said Willett’s presence at the guard after investigators substantiated a sexual assault allegation against him is a problem.
“There is no excuse for keeping a known sexual predator in his position,” said Dwight Stirling, a reserve judge advocate general in the California National Guard and CEO of the Center for Law and Military Policy, a nonprofit dedicated to strengthening legal protections for service members."...
(3)
(0)
2
2
0
SFC (Join to see)
MSG Thomas Currie - Tell me you didn't read the article...
The accusation was substantiated. "A senior enlisted member of the Maine Army National Guard is still at work on base nearly four months after federal investigators concluded that he sexually assaulted a female colleague earlier in his career. "
"A senior enlisted member of the Maine Army National Guard is still at work on base nearly four months after federal investigators concluded that he sexually assaulted a female colleague earlier in his career. "
"“There is no excuse for keeping a known sexual predator in his position,” said Dwight Stirling, a reserve judge advocate general in the California National Guard and CEO of the Center for Law and Military Policy, a nonprofit dedicated to strengthening legal protections for service members.
“Everyone is entitled to the benefit of the doubt in the wake of an allegation. But that changes after the matter has been investigated and substantiated,” Stirling said."
I was a BN and a BDE SARC - and the majority of cases I got were ruled unsubstantiated because there wasn't enough evidence as many people don't report right away. You have to report within 72 hours max to have physical evidence recovered from a sexual assault.
Ah yes you trying to weaponize the word "woke" as if it's some boogeyman. I'm sure you throw around terms like communist and socialist in the same way too.
"Sexual assault by a male against a female is one of the few crimes where the accused is automatically guilty unless (and sometimes even if) proven innocent."
WRONG. You are so wrong it's just flat out pathetic. I was sexually assaulted on 3 different occasions in my first 4 1/2 years and do you know why I never reported it? I saw what happened to other females in that unit when they reported sexual harassment or sexual assault. It was bad enough that there weren't a lot of us. I heard rumors about myself just because I hung out with male soldiers. I was the only female enlisted in S2/S3. I really had no other choice. The second deployment was even worse. Any male I talked to I would have someone ask "Oh what's up with you and so and so?" Just because they saw us talking.
I got groped in formation AT WLC after our ball at the end of the course. It took everything in me to not punch those guys because if I did, I guarantee I'd have been the one in trouble. Why? I had one of the most sexist, misogynistic SGLs ever. Those guys were drunk but they knew what they did. One of them came to me the next day and was all "oh we were drunk, please don't tell anyone." The other time I got sexually assaulted was in Iraq, in my office in the TOC on night shift trying to just DO MY JOB. I told one male friend who did go and talk to that guy - but it didn't really make things better. I didn't report it, again, knowing the environment and nothing would happen.
So spare me with this bullshit that every accusation from a female is believed in the military because it's not. The military justice system is a fucking joke when it comes to sex crimes.
The accusation was substantiated. "A senior enlisted member of the Maine Army National Guard is still at work on base nearly four months after federal investigators concluded that he sexually assaulted a female colleague earlier in his career. "
"A senior enlisted member of the Maine Army National Guard is still at work on base nearly four months after federal investigators concluded that he sexually assaulted a female colleague earlier in his career. "
"“There is no excuse for keeping a known sexual predator in his position,” said Dwight Stirling, a reserve judge advocate general in the California National Guard and CEO of the Center for Law and Military Policy, a nonprofit dedicated to strengthening legal protections for service members.
“Everyone is entitled to the benefit of the doubt in the wake of an allegation. But that changes after the matter has been investigated and substantiated,” Stirling said."
I was a BN and a BDE SARC - and the majority of cases I got were ruled unsubstantiated because there wasn't enough evidence as many people don't report right away. You have to report within 72 hours max to have physical evidence recovered from a sexual assault.
Ah yes you trying to weaponize the word "woke" as if it's some boogeyman. I'm sure you throw around terms like communist and socialist in the same way too.
"Sexual assault by a male against a female is one of the few crimes where the accused is automatically guilty unless (and sometimes even if) proven innocent."
WRONG. You are so wrong it's just flat out pathetic. I was sexually assaulted on 3 different occasions in my first 4 1/2 years and do you know why I never reported it? I saw what happened to other females in that unit when they reported sexual harassment or sexual assault. It was bad enough that there weren't a lot of us. I heard rumors about myself just because I hung out with male soldiers. I was the only female enlisted in S2/S3. I really had no other choice. The second deployment was even worse. Any male I talked to I would have someone ask "Oh what's up with you and so and so?" Just because they saw us talking.
I got groped in formation AT WLC after our ball at the end of the course. It took everything in me to not punch those guys because if I did, I guarantee I'd have been the one in trouble. Why? I had one of the most sexist, misogynistic SGLs ever. Those guys were drunk but they knew what they did. One of them came to me the next day and was all "oh we were drunk, please don't tell anyone." The other time I got sexually assaulted was in Iraq, in my office in the TOC on night shift trying to just DO MY JOB. I told one male friend who did go and talk to that guy - but it didn't really make things better. I didn't report it, again, knowing the environment and nothing would happen.
So spare me with this bullshit that every accusation from a female is believed in the military because it's not. The military justice system is a fucking joke when it comes to sex crimes.
(1)
(0)
SrA John Monette
SFC (Join to see) - I'm truly sorry that you experienced this, even once. There's no reason it should have happened, period. "We were drunk" is not an excuse. I've been drunk and didn't sexually assault anyone. Men have to be held accountable for their actions. Doesn't matter if they were drunk, or high, or trying to fit in. Instead of accountability, you get the guy in Maine. What is his command going to do now? Admit they were wrong?
(0)
(0)
SFC Casey O'Mally
SFC (Join to see) - Your personal story shows that you are part of the problem. You were assaulted three separate times yet you chose not to report a single one of them. And then you complain about how the system doesn't work. Of course it doesn't work when people don't use it. You just KNOW that nothing will happen, without even trying.
I was sexually assaulted multiple times, as well. Far more than three times. I did nothing about the majority of them, because the majority of them were not a big deal, in my personal opinion as the victim. I would have absolutely supported someone coming to me with the exact same complaint, but to me it wasn't worth it because, while the activity was unwanted, I did not feel "violated." I do not at all say this to downplay those who *do* feel violated by the exact same activities, nor to say that my experiences negate any one else's. Simply to convey my experiences.
The one time I did say something, the situation was immediately dealt with, and in a way which exceeded my expectations.
Additionally, once I became a Senior NCO, I had Soldiers come to me on four separate occasions to report an assault. Every single one was reported, every single one was dealt with. Three of the four were substantiated. Of those, two resulted in FG A15s and bars which ended careers. One resulted in a Summarized CM (and conviction).
The fourth was a he-said / she-said. The problem is that "she" said he went to the bar and got her drunk so he could take advantage of her. "He" said he wasn't even at the bar - and his buddies confirmed his alibi.
The system CAN work - but not if you don't even try.
I was sexually assaulted multiple times, as well. Far more than three times. I did nothing about the majority of them, because the majority of them were not a big deal, in my personal opinion as the victim. I would have absolutely supported someone coming to me with the exact same complaint, but to me it wasn't worth it because, while the activity was unwanted, I did not feel "violated." I do not at all say this to downplay those who *do* feel violated by the exact same activities, nor to say that my experiences negate any one else's. Simply to convey my experiences.
The one time I did say something, the situation was immediately dealt with, and in a way which exceeded my expectations.
Additionally, once I became a Senior NCO, I had Soldiers come to me on four separate occasions to report an assault. Every single one was reported, every single one was dealt with. Three of the four were substantiated. Of those, two resulted in FG A15s and bars which ended careers. One resulted in a Summarized CM (and conviction).
The fourth was a he-said / she-said. The problem is that "she" said he went to the bar and got her drunk so he could take advantage of her. "He" said he wasn't even at the bar - and his buddies confirmed his alibi.
The system CAN work - but not if you don't even try.
(1)
(0)
MSG Thomas Currie
SFC (Join to see) - -- So, you don't believe the military is capable of doing anything right. You support and encourage sexual misconduct by claiming it happened to you but refusing to report it -- even if your story is true (or perhaps especially if your story is true) you are worse than the people you accuse, because you are personally making conditions worse for everyone.
Yes, it is true that the Army doesn't always hang every senior leader accused of misconduct -- but anyone who supports that as an excuse not to report it is just as bad.
The only way the situation will ever get any better is when people decide to stop calling themselves victims years after a supposed incident and choose to do something promptly. There are plenty of predators of both sexes, but, of course females get a free pass - and in fact if anything happens it is the male who will be blamed. So, get off your high horse.
Yes, it is true that the Army doesn't always hang every senior leader accused of misconduct -- but anyone who supports that as an excuse not to report it is just as bad.
The only way the situation will ever get any better is when people decide to stop calling themselves victims years after a supposed incident and choose to do something promptly. There are plenty of predators of both sexes, but, of course females get a free pass - and in fact if anything happens it is the male who will be blamed. So, get off your high horse.
(0)
(0)
Read This Next
Continue with Facebook 
Continue with Google