Army officials
are investigating allegations that members of the
celebrated 82nd Airborne Division appear on a gay
pornography Web site, a spokeswoman said Friday.
Authorities at Fort Bragg, N.C., have begun an
inquiry into whether the paratroopers' actions violated the
military conduct code.
Division spokeswoman Maj. Amy Hannah declined to
say how many paratroopers are involved or identify
their unit within the division. A defense official
speaking on condition of anonymity said up to seven
soldiers are involved.
Hannah said soldiers questioned will be allowed
to seek legal assistance, but she declined to say if
any one had been charged. "Once the investigation is
complete, the chain of command will take appropriate
action," Hannah said.
The military-themed Web site does not appear to
make any direct reference to the 82nd Airborne or Fort
Bragg. The registered owner of the Web site's domain
name lists an address in Fayetteville, the city that
adjoins Fort Bragg. E-mails to the registered owner were
returned Friday as undeliverable, and the phone number
listed on the domain-name registration is no longer in service.
The Web site includes a disclaimer, asking users
to agree that they are not agents of the U.S.
government, Department of Defense, members of law
enforcement, or reporters.
Martha Rudd, an Army spokeswoman at the
Pentagon, said soldiers accused of homosexual activity
might be removed from their units, although she did
not have specific information about the investigation of the
82nd. When asked if the soldiers involved had been
moved out of barracks, Hannah declined to comment. "We
are concerned about the privacy and rights of each
trooper involved and that they are treated with dignity
and respect," Hannah said.
Maj. Todd Vician, a Defense Department spokesman
in Washington, D.C., said the military's "don't ask,
don't tell" policy states that "homosexual orientation
alone is not a bar to service, but homosexual conduct
is incompatible with military service." Added Vician: "We
define homosexual conduct as homosexual acts or verbal or
nonverbal communication that a member is homosexual."
The 82nd Airborne is one of the most celebrated
units in the military. Its 15,000 troops are trained
to deploy anywhere in the world within 18 hours.
Soldiers from the division have served extensively in Iraq
and Afghanistan, and several thousand troops remain
overseas. (AP)