Army Spc. Vanessa Guillen's Harasser Was a Known Toxic Leader, Army Report Shows

AUSTIN, Texas | The sexual harassment that Spc. Vanessa Guillen faced before her death last year from a noncommissioned officer at Fort Hood wasn't an isolated incident.

There had been four other complaints filed against her platoon sergeant for his mistreatment of subordinates, yet leaders continued to move him and keep him in charge of soldiers, according to an Army report released last week.

The sergeant, whose name was redacted in the public release of the report, was known to yell, belittle and threaten soldiers with counseling, delayed promotion or denial of leave, while playing favorites and speaking Spanish in the workplace, which isolated those who didn't understand the language, according to the report.

Though the redacted report does not include his position in Guillen's unit, he was identified as her platoon sergeant by Gen. Michael Garrett, the commander of Army Forces Command who initiated the internal administrative investigation, known as a 15-6.

The platoon sergeant and 20 other leaders have faced disciplinary action in the wake of the investigation and another report by the Fort Hood Independent Review Committee that was released in December. It is unclear where and in what position the sergeant serves now, but he has been notified of an intent to relieve him from leadership, according to a military official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. That administrative action will trigger an evaluation and includes a period of review when the soldier being disciplined can respond.

Disgraced Navy Seal Gallagher Claims SEAL Platoon Agreed to Practice Medical Procedures on Dying Prisoner

Retired DISGRACED Navy SEAL Eddie Gallagher, who was acquitted of murdering an Islamic State prisoner in a highly public and controversial war crimes trial, said in a new podcast that his entire platoon intended to kill the man and agreed to practice medical procedures on him until he died.

National Guard Needs a Break and Health Care, Top Brass Tell Congress

After a year of the unprecedented use of the National Guard at home, while it still juggles its combat missions abroad, military leaders say their goals are to slow the operational tempo and to provide health care for the force.

"Our force has been heavily committed over the past 20 years in Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, and around the world," Army Chief of Staff Gen. James McConville told lawmakers Wednesday during a House Appropriations Committee hearing on the service's budget. "My concern is we want to make sure we reduce the op tempo of our troops, including the National Guard who have been heavily employed, whether that's home or overseas."

The past year has seen unusually high use of the National Guard at home as it has been deployed virtually nonstop to handle pandemic relief and civil disturbances, administer vaccinations, and protect the U.S. Capitol after the pro-Trump mob assault in January.

Currently, there are 32,000 Guardsmen supporting pandemic efforts and just over 2,300 on civil disturbance missions in Georgia, Minnesota, and Texas, according to the National Guard Bureau. That includes the Capitol security mission in Washington, D.C. Roughly 20,000 troops are deployed abroad in places such as Iraq, Afghanistan, and the horn of Africa.

Alabama Men’s Golf Earns 16th Consecutive NCAA Regional Appearance

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. | The Alabama men's golf team was selected to compete in the 2021 NCAA Men's Golf Stillwater Regional, which was announced Wednesday afternoon on the Golf Channel. The three-day, 54-hole regional will be held May 17-19 in Stillwater, Okla., and hosted by Oklahoma State at the par 72, 7,095-yard Karsten Creek Golf Course.

The course is a familiar one to the Crimson Tide as it was the site of UA's national runner-up finish in 2018. That year, Alabama reached the finals before falling to Oklahoma State on its home course in the championship match. Seniors Wilson Furr and Davis Shore were both freshmen on that team.

With this year's selection, the Crimson Tide will make its 16th consecutive appearance in NCAA Regional play under head coach Jay Seawell, and the 24th appearance overall. The 2020 NCAA Men's Golf Championships were not played due to the global pandemic.

Auburn University Alumni Spotlight: Elizabeth Benson

We're kicking off our Alumni Spotlight series with one of the best to compete for the Tigers – Elizabeth Benson Long! She put together a prolific career with Auburn, helping the program win two national titles (2013, 2016) and its first Southeastern Conference crown in 2016.

Benson concluded her collegiate career as a five-time All-American and a six-time All-SEC performer. She finished with a 52-13-0 record in Fences with 14 MOPs, while totaling a 46-15-0 record in Flat with 12 MOPs.

Years competed: 2012-16

Current job: "Client Services Manager at MOBE, a Minneapolis-based company that combines data analytics with one-to-one personalized health guidance to improve health and wellness."

Advice to current and future Auburn riders: "Don't blink! Four years go by so quickly. But aside from that, trust your gut, trust your teammates and trust your coaches. Coach Williams, Coach Braswell and Coach Meneely have a passion that is unmatched, and their love for AUET comes from the core.  What I would do for a pep talk or a golf cart ride with CW!" 

What does Auburn Family mean to you?: "It means everything! I met many of my closest friends (and my husband!) at Auburn...I have so much to be grateful for. The Auburn Family helped shaped who I am personally and professionally and my four years at Auburn housed some of my most special memories. It's not just something you hear about, but it's something that you feel whether you're a current student or an alum."

LSU's Gusters to attend 2021 USA Basketball Women's U19 World Cup Team Trials

BATON ROUGE | LSU women's basketball's Hannah Gusters is one of 27 players invited to attend the 2021 USA Basketball U19 World Cup Team Trials May 14-16 in Denver, Colorado. 

Team trials will be held at Metro State University. The 12-member team will compete on August 7-15 in Hungary.

"This is definitely a unique year for our committee after not getting to evaluate this age group of players in last summer's U18 trials and competition," said Jennifer Rizzotti, chair of the selection committee and Connecticut Sun president. "We do, however, feel confident that we've invited a very talented, diverse, and exciting group of players. We've identified both some of the best college freshmen that make the age cut-off as well as some of the best high school players ready to make their mark."

UCLA head coach Cori Close is serving as the 2021 USA U19 World Cup Team head coach, and college head coaches Aaron Johnston from South Dakota State University and Joni Taylor from the University of Georgia are assistant coaches for this year's U19 squad.

Gusters, a 6-foot-5 center from DeSoto, Texas, was one of the top-rated centers in the 2020 recruiting class, ranked the No. 16 overall prospects in the nation and second in her position. She earned multiple All-America honors in high school, including being named to the prestigious McDonald's All-America Team, the Naismith All-America Team, and the Jordan Brand Classic All-America.