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Judi Lynn

(160,530 posts)
Wed Jun 7, 2017, 12:34 AM Jun 2017

Black troops as much as twice as likely to be punished by commanders, courts

Source: USA Today


Tom Vanden Brook , USA TODAY Published 12:05 a.m. ET June 7, 2017


WASHINGTON — Black troops are far more likely than their white comrades to face court martial or other forms of military punishment, according to a study to be released Wednesday.

Black service members were as much as two times more likely than white troops to face discipline in an average year, according to an analysis by Protect Our Defenders, an advocacy organization for victims of sexual assault and military justice. The group combed through Pentagon data from 2006 to 2015 for its report.

USA TODAY received an advance copy of the study.

“Over the past decade, racial disparities have persisted in the military justice system without indications of improvement,” the report states. “These disparities are particularly striking for black service members, who face military justice or disciplinary action at much higher rates than white service members in every service branch. In fact, the size of the disparity between white and black service members’ military justices involvement has remained consistent over the years, and, in the case of the Air Force and Marine Corps has increased.”

Read more: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2017/06/07/black-troops-much-twice-likely-punished-commanders-courts/102555630/

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Black troops as much as twice as likely to be punished by commanders, courts (Original Post) Judi Lynn Jun 2017 OP
Might that not be a blessing to the AA troops concerned, Judy ? (eom) Joe Chi Minh Jun 2017 #1
How so? Solly Mack Jun 2017 #2
I misread it, Solly. Thanks for the nudge. My normal interpretation of a court martial is Joe Chi Minh Jun 2017 #5
Ever since the country was founded. nt BumRushDaShow Jun 2017 #3
And is anyone shocked? dembotoz Jun 2017 #4

Joe Chi Minh

(15,229 posts)
5. I misread it, Solly. Thanks for the nudge. My normal interpretation of a court martial is
Sat Jun 10, 2017, 05:06 PM
Jun 2017

of dismissal from the service, but, of course, that is just the most extreme sanction. Our young military would know they are fighting in bad wars, and it must make a heck of adiffernece, for youngsters with a conscience.

I read the other day that an extraordinary number of our SAS and SBS were being sent home for the ME and automatically dismissed from the service via a court martial, for drug-taking. I think it was opium. It strikes me as very anomalous behaviour by elite and highly-motivated troops. But were they still highly motivated ? I doubt it. I even wonder if with at least some, it might have been a kind of 'self-inflicted injury' with that outcome in mind. But I'm just speculatiing.

They probably have seldom, if ever, been quite as highly motivated as they were during WWII, though, probably well-enough motivated to deserve the stratospheric reputation they enjoy.

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