Drill instructor discharged
A military jury in San Diego sentenced a Marine drill instructor to six months in the brig and gave him a bad-conduct discharge for abusing 23 recruits, the Associated Press reported Thursday.
Sgt. Jerrod M. Glass, 25 also received a reduction in rank to private
and pay forfeiture. He was facing a maximum sentence of 10 years of
confinement, dishonorable discharge, reduction in rank and forfeiture
of pay and benefits.
The prosecutors recommended he spend two years in the brig and receive a
bad-conduct discharge. The instructor's attorney had asked jurors to
take into account Glass's previous exemplary record and sentence him to
60 days of restricted duty and reduction to a rank of their choice.
"There's ways to deal with Sgt. Glass without throwing him out," Capt.
Greg Jensen said. "This wasn't meaningless, senseless violence," Jensen
said of the alleged abuse. "It was done with the intent to assist
[recruits]."
On Wednesday, Glass was found guilty of eight counts of cruelty and
maltreatment, destruction of personal property, assault and violating
orders on how to properly treat recruits. He was relieved of drill
instructor duty at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot in February.
Glass was accused of ordering one recruit to jump headfirst into a trash
can and then pushing him farther into the container. He was also accused
of striking recruits with a tent pole and a heavy flashlight. None of
the recruits was seriously injured.
Glass' father, Jerry Glass, tearfully criticized the Marines' handling
of the case.
"I thought the Marine Corps stood for, 'Leave no man
behind,"' he told reporters. "I think they had their head in the sand or
they are not being honest with the public."
Produced by Washington and Lee journalism students.
Lead supervisor: Prof. Brian Richardson
Reporting supervisors:
Technical supervisor: Michael Todd