Rep. Chu Condemns Allegations of Racism in Troubled Army Unit

Last week, the Army Times reported allegations of a practice in which soldiers were given a “free pass” to use racial slurs in a battalion that belongs to the 25th Infantry Division’s 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team at Fort Wainwright, Alaska. This is the same Army platoon that Private Danny Chen, whose suicide in 2011 was a result of hazing over his Chinese ancestry, belonged to. According to the report, soldiers set aside every Thursday as “Racial Thursdays,” and were encouraged to use racial slurs against each other, often targeting minorities. Rep. Judy Chu (CA-27), who introduced legislation to curb military hazing after racist hazing led to the suicide of her nephew, Harry Lew, serving in Afghanistan, released the following statement:

“I am shocked at the report of this behavior. Racism has no place in our ranks, especially in a unit with a such a troubling history. Nobody, least of all those making the selfless choice to serve in our military, deserves to feel the sting of hate. And certainly not from their fellow soldiers. This type of unacceptable behavior erodes troop cohesion and can lead to tragic ends.

“I understand that the Army is investigating the allegations, and I plan to personally address the issue with the Defense Department. I also encourage other soldiers to come out and share their stories. Exposing this behavior is the only way to root it out. Whether officially sanctioned or not, hate and violence against minorities in the military must end.”

During the 112th Congress, Rep. Chu introduced the Harry Lew Military Hazing Accountability and Prevention Act, which would require the Department of Defense (DOD) to develop a comprehensive plan to address hazing within the ranks. In the FY2013 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), Rep. Chu secured language that required reports from each branch of the military to report on hazing policies and incident data to Congress. Finding that the reports showed substandard tracking systems and unreliable data, Rep. Chu is continuing to urge the Department of Defense to streamline its hazing policies and incident reporting.