Military

Attorneys for Staff Sgt. Craig LeBlanc at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland initiated a vigorous defense Wednesday, but the military judge denied the motion for a directed verdict on LeBlanc’s aggravated sexual assault charge.

The defense said the government had not proven the alleged victim was in fear of losing her military career. But the government successfully argued that the environment in which LeBlanc placed the woman conveyed fear: The room was almost completely dark and he was sitting in a chair, patting his leg to get the woman to sit on his lap.

Navy recruiter Juan Jose Pena has been arrested on charges of sexually assaulting a female enlistee. 

The 28-year-old sailor, who worked in a Navy recruiting office on Broadway, was arrested by Alamo Heights police Monday for allegedly getting drunk with a Navy enlistee and sexually assaulting her in the recruiting office.

Police told the San Antonio Express-News that Juan Jose Pena was arrested at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Monday. The enlistee’s cousin reportedly witnessed the assault.

Testimony got underway Tuesday in the court-martial of a former military training instructor who is alleged to have sexually assaulted one trainee and had sexual relationships with two others.

Those are the most serious of 12 charges leveled against Staff Sgt. Craig LeBlanc, the latest military training instructor to go to trial in the growing sex scandal at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland.

In a trial before the court, LeBlanc pled guilty to nine of the 12 charges, including having sex with one trainee from Lackland and a technical trainee from Fort Sam Houston.

Get your roses and resumés ready, a special hiring event for veterans takes place on Valentine’s Day, this Thursday, at the Alamodome. The event is being organized by RecruitMilitary and USAA.

While many people are thinking of ways to celebrate Valentine’s Day, many recently-returned veterans are thinking of ways they can get back to work now that they’re home.