Two Missouri drill sergeants are facing possible court-martial after Army investigators found evidence that they abused their authority over trainees and engaged in sexual misconduct, an official from the Army’s Office of Special Trial Counsel confirmed Thursday.
Staff Sgt. Michael Serrano, 34, and Sgt. 1st Class Brian Sullivan, 38, face charges of sexual assault of a trainee, abuse of a training leadership position and three counts of conspiring to engage in prohibited activities with a trainee, according to Michelle McCaskill, the office’s director of communications.
Both soldiers are assigned to Company A of the 3rd Chemical Brigade at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri.
Serrano also stands accused of sexual harassment, failure to obey a lawful order and two counts of obstruction of justice, charges that were preferred by the Office of Special Trial Counsel, or OSTC, on Oct. 21. Sullivan’s charges were preferred on Oct. 16.
Preliminary hearings for both men resulted in the recommendation of a general court martial and the OSTC will decide if the case proceeds as such. Right now, both soldiers are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
A general court martial is the military’s most serious level of trial and can result in prison sentences and dishonorable discharges. If the cases are referred to court martial, a military judge will be assigned and dates set for arraignment, pre-trial motions hearings and the trial.
The investigation appears to have been ongoing for over a year.
“I’m told that [The Army’s Criminal Investigations Division] was made aware of the crimes on 7 Aug 2024. In the course of the investigation, it appears that the alleged actions by both the accused were committed in the last week of July-first week of August 2024,” McCaskill said in an email.
Drill sergeants have near total authority over trainees, and Army policy strictly prohibits any personal relationships between instructors and recruits.
Congress in 2019 established a standalone offense in the Uniformed Code of Military Justice for drill sergeants — and other soldiers in positions of power — who breach trust by engaging in sexual misconduct with recruits.
The Army has imposed strict rules on drill sergeants, to include forbidding them from “friending” or connecting on personal social media accounts, according to updated regulations published in August.
Eve Sampson is a reporter and former Army officer. She has covered conflict across the world, writing for The New York Times, The Washington Post and The Associated Press.