Col. Meghan Sullivan, the first female commander of the 5th Brigade Engineer Battalion at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, has been relieved of her command after being accused of sexual assault and patterned sexual harassment of male subordinates, Military.com said. reported.
According to Military.com, Sullivan is under investigation for an incident that allegedly included alcohol abuse, forcibly kissing one man, and grabbing another man below the belt without his consent. It is said that he had received it. Male victims account for 10% of sexual assault cases in the military, and female sexual harassers account for 6%, but these numbers are believed to be underreported. According to 2022 Department of Defense data.. (Related: Report: Female Army commander faces sexual assault allegations against male subordinate)
Sullivan's historic promotion was celebrated in June 2021 as the first female commander of the 5th Battalion, 5th Security Force Support Brigade, according to Sullivan. Military.com. She became the battalion's first female commander to be fired after being accused of sexual assault.
“I've been in the Army as an engineer for over 20 years, and diversity and inclusion make us stronger,” Sullivan said shortly after his deployment. boldness. “I'm excited to show young women that they can look and act differently and be successful. I would say to them, don't let anyone put a ceiling on you.”
Sullivan was fired from his position in October after an investigation began in April, Military.com reported. (Related: Reports of sexual assault in the military continue to rise, Department of Defense study finds)
A book for history books!
Lt. Col. Meghan Sullivan assumed command of the 5th Battalion. @5thSFAB She becomes the first female commander of an SFAB battalion at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington, a historic first.
Click here for details ➡️ https://t.co/coeyEskTci#ArmyTeam pic.twitter.com/bpuRtYjZRV
— United States Army (@USarmy) July 4, 2021
The 5th Brigade Engineer Battalion, 5th Security Force Support Brigade, based at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington, has a history of poor leadership and has been under investigation since April. Military.com reported. Sullivan's brigade commander, Col. Jonathan Chan, was suspended in April.
Sullivan was reportedly reassigned to I Corps at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.
