SevenArmy soldiers and two Marines have received administrative punishments, but arenot facing criminal charges, for their part in the Secret Service prostitutionscandal in Colombia this year, The Associated Press has learned.
U.S. officials said that one Air Force member has been reprimanded but clearedof any violations of the Military Code of Justice. And final decisions arepending on two Navy sailors, whose cases remain under legal review.
U.S. Southern Command, headed by Gen. Douglas Fraser, conducted theinvestigation into the military members' involvement in the April incident,which brought shame to the elite presidential protection force and unearthedrevelations of other episodes of misconduct within the Secret Service.
The military service members, all enlisted personnel, were assigned to supportthe Secret Service in preparations for a visit to the coastal resort ofCartagena by President Barack Obama. All of the military had behind-the-scenesroles and were not directly involved in presidential security.
The U.S. officials spoke about the investigation on condition of anonymitybecause the results have not been released. Military officials were expected tobrief Congress members on the matter.
Of the nine who were given administrative punishments, three have asked forcourts martial, which would provide them with a public trial to contest thedecision, U.S. Southern Command said in a statement. Military members have theright to turn down administrative punishments and instead seek trial.
A dozen Secret Service officers, agents and supervisors were implicated in theColombia scandal. Eight have been forced out of the agency, three were clearedof serious misconduct and at least two employees are fighting to get their jobsback.
The misconduct became public after a dispute over payment between a SecretService agent and a prostitute at a Cartagena hotel on April 12. The SecretService was in Cartagena for a Latin American summit before Obama's arrival.
All the alleged activities took place before Obama arrived in Cartagena formeetings with 33 other regional leaders, but the scandal overshadowed hisvisit.
In the military, nonjudicial or administrative punishments can take a widevariety of forms, from docking service members' pay or confining them toquarters to assigning them additional duties for a certain length of time. Insome cases, administrative punishments can be career-ending, or delay orprevent promotions.
Written reprimands often are letters placed in service member's files and wouldsuggest a less serious offense. Initial reports suggested that some of themilitary members violated their curfew, but no other details were released.
Defense officials have said that Fraser was chosen to handle the investigationand hand out the punishments because the incident happened in his command areaand that it would ensure that the discipline was equal across the services.
The military usually does not publicly disclose details of administrativepunishments.