Strip search riles Guard commander; Claims tattoo check had ethnic
Army officials said the searches last May of 58 New Mexico National Guardsmen in a unit called Task Force Cobra were proper and legal.
But Brig. Gen. Kenny Montoya, head of the state National Guard, said he believes ethnicity played a role in the episode — the unit is 55 percent Hispanic.
“I said something wrong was done there, and it was because of race, and I want to make sure it will not happen again,” Montoya said.
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The search was prompted by an unsubstantiated allegation from a soldier in another unit who complained about gang activity among soldiers in Kuwait. The soldier claimed to have seen gang tattoos among members of Task Force Cobra’s parent unit.
The search turned up no gang tattoos. After the incident, the Army recommended discipline against three New Mexico soldiers who objected to the searches. Maj. Kenneth Nava said those three were counseled but not otherwise punished.
New Mexico’s congressional delegation demanded a full investigation from the Army.
Maj. Anne Edgecomb, an Army spokeswoman, said the Army had just received the call for a full investigation and had yet to respond.
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“The U.S. Army, one of the most ethnically diverse organizations in our nation, provides equal opportunity to all our soldiers regardless of race, ethnicity or gender,” she said.