Marines disciplined for physical attacks, racist and homophobic slurs aimed at recruits: report

More than 20 Marines have been disciplined since 2017 for misconduct at the service’s recruit training center in San Diego, The Washington Post reported over the weekend.

The misconduct reportedly included physical attacks and racist and homophobic slurs.

{mosads}Military officials told the Post in a statement that Marine Corps recruit training is “challenging for recruits and staff alike,” and that each drill instructor undergoes thousands of hours of training and assessment.

“There is a very small percentage that fall short and must be held accountable for their individual actions,” the statement said. “The overwhelming majority of drill instructors serve with distinction, and without any allegation of inappropriate conduct.”

The incidents at the San Diego training center included verified allegations of Marines assaulting recruits by kicking, punching and shoving — activity that is explicitly prohibited under the service’s regulations, according to documents obtained by the Post.

The Post said it obtained about 700 pages of case files related to misconduct via a Freedom of Information Act request.

In one case, a drill instructor injured a recruit by snapping two staples into the recruit’s torso, according to the documents.

“It left a wound right around where my heart is,” the unidentified recruit told an investigator. “I did not say anything because I did not want to anger him more.”

The Defense Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.