Update on BMT Sexual Abuse Investigation

Air Education and Training Command boss Gen. Edward Rice said he expects to brief senior Air Force leadership on the status of the Basic Military Training sexual abuse investigation in late October. “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,” said Rice in a Sept. 21 statement. He added, “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.” Rice said Woodward’s team interviewed more than 200 people at BMT, including leadership, faculty, and trainees. The team also analyzed more than 25,000 end-of-course surveys from BMT graduates completed since 2009 and conducted its own survey of more than 18,000 trainees, students, MTIs, training leaders, and technical training instructors. “This exhaustive investigation lasted two months and required approximately 20,000 man hours to complete,” said Rice. To date, the Air Force has conducted four courts-martial and has two more scheduled. Eleven more MTIs remain under investigation. (See also Sexual Assault.)