A look at this case led to a larger conversation about indiscipline in the BDF. Now, indiscipline surrounds all of us in our daily lives - and, however lamentable, it appears it may be a scourge of the time, or maybe a national disposition. All that may be debatable by sociologists - but for a disciplined force like the BDF - it makes managing soldiers on the daily a doubly difficult task.
We asked Loria about some outstanding cases of indiscipline:
Jules Vasquez
"Sir, but you know they had a sergeant at Fairweather Camp in 2019 who had a negligent discharge of his firearm and he shot a soldier but he's still an active duty. No sanction has been taken against him I am asking about if the BDF is fostering a culture where there is a low level of accountability?"
Azariel Loria, Brigadier General
"In 2019. there was this sergeant Valerio that committee that. He was tried by the then General Ortega, for some reason the the documentation didn't end up very ought to or where it was intended to be, but then about a month ago we started to research on what disciplinary cases we have that are still pending. We found out that he was one of them and indeed he was recommended to be reduced in rank He was not by then, so he has now been reduced in rank."
Jules Vasquez
"We had received a report that a sergeant here at this camp had gone into the room of a female Coast Guard officer who was here for training and was accused of raping her."
Azariel Loria, Brigadier General
"Yes. Yeah, that was in the news too, and I think that I have been asked about that That case I can speak about that now because that that case has came in front of me and I dealt with it and I recommended the person well, I reduced the sergeant to private and recommended for him to discharge The documentation it has gone to our defense board and it is presently now at SSC for their intervention because I could only recommend the discharge of anyone in the Force."
Jules Vasquez
"Should he be discharged?"
Azariel Loria, Brigadier General
"If we found that there is enough evidence and grounds for him to be discharged. And in the case of sexual assault, harassment, we have in our books, in our regulation, that that is zero tolerance and we will not accept that."
"So once a person is found guilty of such an offense, zero tolerance, he has to go or she."
Reporter
"And the officer, the Coast Guard officer, chose not to go the route of the police, correct?"
Azariel Loria, Brigadier General
"Correct. She reported it to us and it's sexual harassment."
"Should it be rape then she would have no choice if she wanted for it to be treated internally. rape cases as to go to the police."
