Fort Bliss, Texas, won’t set up a noncommissioned officer tapped for the publish’s senior enlisted place after an investigation supported allegations that he had misused authorities assets, in keeping with Army officers.
Sgt. Maj. Samuel Rapp was set to interchange Command Sgt. Maj. Michael Williams as the highest NCO for the first Armored Division. A deliberate ceremony earlier this month meant to mark the change developed right into a retirement ceremony for Williams after the allegations towards Rapp got here to mild.
“Lately, the Commanding Basic of the first Armored Division and Fort Bliss acquired notification of a possible concern associated to the improper use of presidency assets by Sgt. Maj. Samuel Rapp and instantly initiated an administrative investigation beneath Army Regulation 15-6 to find out the info and circumstances surrounding the incident,” stated a unit press launch offered to Navy.com by Bliss officers Monday.
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“The investigation is full, and the investigation decided the allegations to be based,” it continued. “Because of this, Maj. Gen. James P. Isenhower III determined to not set up Sgt. Maj. Rapp as the first Armored Division command sergeant main.”
The announcement got here final week and the press launch was dated March 16, two weeks after the alleged misconduct was revealed to senior management.
Command Sgt. Maj. Steve Devot, the first Armored Division artillery command sergeant main, is serving because the interim senior enlisted adviser. A full-time substitute has not been chosen, in keeping with a spokesperson at 1st Armored Division.
“We shouldn’t have a timeline [for a replacement],” the spokesperson instructed Navy.com on Monday. “We’re nonetheless potential candidates.”
The spokesperson stated that Isenhower discovered concerning the alleged misconduct on March 2, the day earlier than the change of accountability ceremony was speculated to happen.
The alleged misuse of assets didn’t happen at III Corps, Rapp’s earlier task at Fort Hood, Texas, in keeping with Stars and Stripes. The unit spokesperson didn’t launch additional particulars concerning the investigation or the alleged misconduct to Navy.com because of “Privateness Act concerns.”
The first Armored Division, or “Previous Ironsides,” is dwelling to almost 20,000 troopers and has the most important coaching heart of all bases within the U.S. It employs three Armored Brigade Fight Groups and their help items.
In 2019, Rapp relinquished accountability for the third Armored Brigade Fight Workforce, 4th Infantry Division, in Colorado after almost two years, in keeping with an Army press launch. The unit deployed to Kuwait in help of Operation Spartan Defend beneath his management.
Rapp joined the Army in 1994 as a soldier within the Armor department. Since then, he deployed to Macedonia, Bosnia, Iraq and Afghanistan — amongst different excursions — in keeping with a biography listed in a army management weblog the place he and one other NCO gave tricks to staff-level field-grade officers.
“We count on Troopers to stick to our Army Values and abide by our moral obligations beneath federal regulation,” the press launch stated. “And senior leaders of the first Armored Division are not any exception.”
— Drew F. Lawrence might be reached at drew.lawrence@army.com. Comply with him on Twitter @df_lawrence.
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