Sexual assault investigation related to Colonel Meghann Sullivan
Meghann Sullivan takes the helm for 5th Battalion, fifth Security Force Assistance Brigade in June, 2021. (Specialist Joseph Knoch/US Army)
Col. Meghann Sullivan is the subject of an investigation related to alleged sexual assaults involving male subordinates, as well as an alleged pattern of harassment. Some of these incidences are related to alcohol consumption. Subjecting male subordinates to forceful kissing and grabbing another male below the belt are among these allegations. As of the article, military.com was not sure if the investigation was still ongoing but points out that Sullivan is still in command. This event comes on the heels of Sullivan’s boss, Colonel Jonathan Chung, being suspended on the aftermath of reports of toxic leadership.
From military.com:
Col. Meghann Sullivan, commander of the 5th Brigade Engineer Battalion, 5th SFAB, faces allegations of assaulting at least two subordinate men and harassing several others, with some of those incidents allegedly tied to alcohol abuse, according to one of the two sources. At least one of those alleged assaults involved forceful kissing and another grabbing a man below the belt without his consent.
Sullivan is seemingly still in command, though commanders are sometimes suspended amid investigations. She did not return a request for comment. It is unclear whether Sullivan has hired an attorney.
“We have no information on that matter that we can share at this time,” Sgt. 1st Class Adrian Patoka, a spokesperson for the Security Force Assistance Command, told Military.com in a statement. “We take any and all allegations seriously and handle them appropriately as circumstances dictate.”
Male victims account for 10% of sexual assault cases in the military, according to 2021 data from the Department of Defense. That data estimates roughly 14,000 male soldiers experience some type of unwanted sexual contact per year, though male cases of sexual assault and harassment are likely underreported due to societal stigma.
Sullivan is the first woman to take command of an SFAB battalion. Those new units, created between 2017 and 2020, sport a unique brown beret and “Advisor” tab. Their mission is to work with established allied forces to review their doctrine, assist in any training, and develop ways the U.S. can work with partner countries. Each SFAB focuses on a specific region, with the 5th SFAB overseeing the Pacific and partnering with countries that will be key for any conflict with China, including Japan, Australia, Mongolia and Thailand.
The news comes as the 5th SFAB’s commander, and Sullivan’s boss, Col. Jonathan Chung, was suspended and faces allegations of counterproductive leadership and abusive treatment of his subordinates.
Military.com has the rest of the story.
