Commander of remote Army base under investigation for allowing sexual favors between his officers and soldiers

Head of Alaskan anti-missile base accused of creating 'toxic environment'

Lieutenant Colonel Miley investigated earlier over racy soldier calendar



The Army commander of a remote Alaskan base is under investigation for sexual misconduct, after allegedly allowing officers to have affairs and for permitting scantily clad women soldiers to pose for a calendar.

Soldiers at the anti-ballistic missile base claimed Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Miley had created a 'toxic environment' by turning a blind eye to cases of sexual misconduct.

It was claimed that women soldiers at Fort Greely were also being allowed to trade sexual favors for favorable treatment from officers.



Target: Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Miley's wife, Tracey, featured as the August picture on a racy calender he approved of women at the base

Even if sexual misconduct is consensual, the Army forbids commanders to have relationships with their subordinates.



Marco Morales, spokesman for the Space and Missile Defense Command, confirmed the commander was under investigation in an email obtained by Bloomberg .

Incidents of inappropriate sexual relations between officers and soldiers had increased because no disciplinary action was being taken, according to three sources, who spoke to the news agency on the condition of anonymity.



Lieutenant Colonel Miley declined to comment about the allegations when contacted by Bloomberg, referring the news agency to unit’s public affairs office.



The spokesman there directed queries to the Space and Missile Defense Command.



An anonymous complaint was made against Lieutenant Colonel Miley earlier in the year, after he promoted a racy calender featuring his wife Tracey as the August shot, alongside women from the base.



An alleged inappropriate relationship had formed between the soldier who took the photos and one of the soldiers who posed in it.

The owner of a bar near the base, defended the $25 charity calender for the American Cancer Society as 'tasteful' and said it had been selling well.



Family values: Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Miley, with his wife Tracey, and daughter

Criticized: Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Miley, pictured with his wife Tracey and child, is accused of creating a 'toxic environment'

Patsy Ewing, co-owner of Clearwater Lodge, told Army Times she had received no complaints about the calendar, which features a shot taken in her establishment.



She added however, that the bar did not attract conservative customers.



Lieutenant General Richard Formica, of the Army Space and Missile Defense Command, said the allegation would be investigated, but that he did not believe there had been any 'wrongdoing', according to the Army Times.

He added that any potential impact on the command and its family readiness group would be monitored.

In an email to Lieutenant General Richard Formica, head of the Space and Missile Defense Command, soldiers at the base complained that Commander Miley’s alleged condoning of sexual affairs left them fearing 'for our wives and even our children in this toxic environment'.

At least 16 women serve at Fort Greely, a launch site for anti-ballistic-missile missiles, such as the ones the U.S. fears are being developed in Iran and North Korea.

Military officials told NBC News that by allegedly condoning the behavior Lieutenant Colonel Miley had, in effect, created an 'open season' when it came to sexual activity among troops.

One official said: 'It's as if that was the only thing to do' at the remote base.



It comes as the Department of Defense increases its efforts to prevent sexual assault, after reporting this month that the number of cases has increased in the past year.

Remote: The Army's Fort Greely anti-ballistic missile base is located in the Alaskan wilderness

Defense: Fort Greely is a launch site for missiles capable of taking down long-range weapons

On Friday, President Obama called on Naval Academy graduates in Maryland to 'live with integrity' to improve trust in the military.



'Those who commit sexual assault are not only committing a crime, they threaten the trust and discipline that make our military strong,' he said at the graduation in Annapolis.

Figures released by the Department of Defense estimate there were 26,000 cases of unwanted sexual contact, from groping to rape, in 2012. This was a 35 per cent rise in the number of cases reported in 2010.

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel is due to address West Point graduates on Saturday, three days after a Sergeant at the academy was charged with secretly filming and photographing women there.

Two Army officers assigned to prevent sexual assault are also currently under investigation for alleged attacks, according to CNN .

An Army sergeant first class, who worked at Ford Hood's sexual assault prevention unit in Texas, is being investigated for alleged sexual assault, pandering, abusive sexual contact and maltreatment of subordinates.

In Arlington, an Air Force officer responsible for an assault prevention unit has been charged with sexual battery after allegedly fondling a woman in the car park near his office.

Force for good: President Obama calls on Naval Academy graduates in Maryland to help restore trust

A Fort Bragg soldier who helps run the Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Program at the North Carolina base, said sexual assault damaged the strong bonds within the Army.



'This crime of violence, soldier upon soldier, it breaks your trust,' Sgt First Class Josalette R. Simmons, said.

'A lot of victims are young soldiers who have left home for the first time and they come in thinking they're going to be part of another, bigger family, then this happens. It's almost as bad as being sexually assaulted by someone from your own family, just breaks that bond of trust,' the 25-year-old who won official recognition for her efforts, added.



In an open letter to troops this month, Army Chief of Staff General Raymond T. Odierno said the Army was failing in its efforts to prevent sexual assault.

He said: 'It is time we take on the fight against sexual assault and sexual harassment as our primary mission.'