Female Army commander fired after male soldiers say she sexually assaulted them

US Army Col. Meghann Sullivan was fired from command of a unit based at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state following allegations of sexual assaults against male subordinates and sexual harassment.

According to an Army spokesperson, Sullivan served as commander of the 5th Brigade Engineer Battalion, 5th Security Force Assistance Brigade and was the first woman to take command of an SFAB battalion.

She was relieved of command on Oct. 13, but her termination was not revealed until now. Sullivan was let go reportedly, because of a “lack of confidence.” She allegedly kissed one of the male soldiers and grabbed another below the belt without consent.

In April, Military.com reported Sullivan had been suspended pending an investigation into her conduct, which revealed systemic problems, including counterproductive leadership and morale struggles in the unit.

Sullivan was reportedly reassigned to I Corps at the base and does not appear to be facing a court-martial.

Male subordinates accused the former commander of assault and harassment, with some of those incidents allegedly related to alcohol.

She allegedly kissed one of the male soldiers and grabbed another below the belt without consent.

As the first woman to lead to the SFAB battalion at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Tacoma, Washington, Sullivan was promoted on the basis of being a “phenomenal engineer.”

Major General Scott Jackson said at the time of her appointment, “As a senior, female advisor, she will also be a great example of the power of inclusion as she engages with militaries throughout the Indo-Pacific region.”