First-ever Female Army Drill Sergeant Fights To Get Job Back

Command Sgt. Maj. Teresa King claims racism and sexism stole her job

Command Sgt. Maj. Teresa King made headlines in 2009 when she became the first black woman, and first woman ever to be named an Army Drill Sergeant at Fort Jackson, the Army's largest training installation.

And then the haters came.

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Last year after a trumped up, unwarranted investigation by two of her superiors, Maj. Gen. Richard Longo and Command Sgt. Maj. John Calpena, King was suspended from her post. To this day, the Army has yet to say just exactly what they were investigating, only saying it had something to do with her conduct. But records show that leading up to her suspension, King only had favorable remarks in her career.

"It's abundantly clear that there was nothing to warrant her removal. The Army should reinstate her and restore her honorable name," says King's lawyer James Smith.

"My instincts tell me that if I were a male, that none of this would have happened." said King in a formal rebuttal to her suspension.

King plans on fighting the suspension and getting King her job back through an Article 138 complaint under the Uniformed Code of Military Justice, the law under which the military operates.

The Army is also dragging their feet in the "investigation," which leads Smith to believe that they hope to force her into retirement when she becomes eligible later this year. King is 50 years old.

King's deputy, Sgt. Maj. Robert Maggard, says he witnessed repeated incidents of sexism and disrespect directed against King in meetings. He also says many were simply jealous of the media attention King was receiving. Maggard said no action was taken after he told his superior, Calpena, about the treatment.

King's lawyer also has signed affidavits from colleagues saying they think it was a "disgruntled good ol' boy network" and possibly jealousy from another black within the ranks that led to King's unfair suspension.

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