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The Army's review of 20,000 "positions of trust" among its sexual assault response coordinators, recruiters and drill instructors has disqualified 588 soldiers from those positions for infractions ranging from sexual assault to prior DUIs.The number of soldiers disqualified from the positions was a significant increase from the 55 the Army reported last August after a quick review of personnel files. The Army's latest figures for disqualifications were first reported by USA Today.
Last May, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel ordered the military services to screen their ranks of sexual assault counselors for individuals who should not be assigned to those jobs because of unethical or bad behavior, even criminal behavior.
The move came in the wake of several high-profile sexual assault incidents that made national news because the personnel involved were service members assigned to help sexual assault victims. Around the same time, the Pentagon also released figures estimating 26,000 incidents of unwanted sexual contact in 2012, a 35 percent increase from the previous survey two years earlier.
More: Army Disqualifies 588 Soldiers From 'Positions of Trust'