Army General Says 'Sorry' for Making Guardsmen Strip for Gang Tattoo Search

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — "A top Army investigator has apologized to New Mexico National Guard soldiers who were ordered to strip to their gym shorts and were searched for gang tattoos while they were on duty in Kuwait.

No tattoos were found on the 58 members of Task Force Cobra, made up of soldiers from Guard units around New Mexico.

Task force members and the commander of the New Mexico National Guard, Brig. Gen.Kenny C. Montoya, have alleged the unit was targeted because of its large number of Hispanic soldiers.

In a letter Thursday, Brig. Gen. Rodney L. Johnson apologized "for the manner in which this investigation was conducted and the loss of trust that has resulted."

Johnson, provost marshal general of the Army and commander of the Army's Criminal Investigation Command, said he knew the investigation had been "gravely mishandled" when he read in a newspaper that the May 2006 search led one task force member to say he "didn't feel like an American today."

"Although the search was lawful, it is also critical that my agents ensure that all soldiers are treated appropriately and respectfully," he said. "I sincerely regret that we failed to do so in this case and want to assure you that we have learned from this experience."

The search was prompted by an unsubstantiated allegation from a soldier in another unit who complained about gang activity among soldiers in Kuwait.

An Army investigation conducted shortly after the tattoo check concluded that the search was lawful and authorized, and that a special agent of the Criminal Investigation Command acted appropriately. An internal inquiry by the command also cleared the agent of wrongdoing.

However, Montoya said in a June 1 letter to Gen. Peter Schoomaker in the office of the Army chief of staff that the unit "was racially targeted and illegally searched for body tattoos just because the unit consists of a large number of Hispanic-surnamed soldiers."

The state's congressional delegation asked the acting secretary of the Army, Pete Geren, to investigate the claims of racism. In a joint statement Monday, the delegation said Johnson's apology was a welcome first step."

Sweet mother of pearl but this is the MILITARY. A superior tells you to drop trou, you drop trou. There's no union to run weeping to about someone being mean to you, and what if the allegation had been true? And lives where lost or compromised? Get OVER IT. Stand up and be a man, not some sniveling dress-up-and-play-soldier jerkwad who thinks his "rights" have been violated. You have no rights. Your ass is ours. If acting like a full grown adult male is too difficult then by all means pull the pin and find some less stressful line of work. Lots of cities are looking for Meter Maids from what I hear tell.

Memo To General Montoya: You're an asshat. Sir.