JAG CENTRAL

Army SPC Ian Boudreau, a journalist at Ft. Knox, KY, runs a blog called A Healthy Alternative to Work, where he often posts stories he is working on as well as other ruminations. Here, he links to a story he wrote for the Ft. Knox Turret covering the trial of SFC David Price, a senior Drill Sergeant convicted of horrible abuse of his subordinates:

A Fort Knox drill sergeant was convicted of multiple specifications of maltreatment of subordinates and one charge of obstruction of justice by a special court-martial held Monday on post at Pike Hall.

Sgt.1st Class David Price, formerly the senior drill sergeant of Company E, 1st Battalion, 81st Armor Regiment, 1st Armor Training Brigade, pleaded guilty to charges of making a trainee drink water until he vomited, then making the Soldier swallow his own vomit; maltreating a Soldier by striking him on the head with a rolled-up newspaper; and dragging a Soldier down a hallway by his ankles. The offenses, which are considered violations of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, Article 92, occurred between Feb. 3 - 8 in the Company E barracks and day room.

Price was additionally found guilty of obstruction of justice, punishable under UCMJ Article 134, by the court martial, presided over by Lt. Col. Richard Anderson, the military judge for the court-martial. Anderson sentenced Price to a reduction in grade from E-7 to E-6, but Price will not serve any jail time.

Mainstream media often gets the facts wrong in court martial trials, and command media often waters the story down so much as not to be of use. However, this account is great. SPC Boudreau paints a great picture, witness by witness, of how the trial unfolded. What I really enjoyed was the insight into how drill sergeants in the unit believed that "training tools" were being taken away by the command, such as the prohibition of physical training as corrective action (i.e. dropping for push-ups when recruits screw up).