Washington: Army Chief of Staff, U.S. Air Force General Mark Milley on Wednesday said that his service has failed in a “significant amount” to alert the FBI to assault convict soldiers’ criminal history.
Gen. Mark Milley acknowledged last week it had failed to alert the FBI about the assault convict Devin P. Kelley- former airman, who reportedly killed 26 people in Texas Church earlier this month on 5 November.
In his statement, he said that this failure made it possible for the former soldier to acquire weapons that federal law prohibited him from buying or possessing after his 2012 conviction.
He said, “There are gaps and failures on our part to report in to the FBI.”
“We have a significant amount of omissions,” he added. “It clearly tells us that we need to tighten up.”
Though he did not specify the kinds of cases or the number of cases his department has omitted in notifying the FBI but he did say “the percentage is too high” and that it needs to be addressed.
He said, “It’s probably in the 10 to 20 percent” range, adding that he would provide further firmer information once he has the data.
“It’s not just an Air Force problem. This is a problem across all the services where we have gaps in reporting criminal activity of people in service.”
Defense Secretary Jim Mattis had earlier ordered the Pentagon’s inspector general to review the handling of criminal records in the Kelley case a day after the Texas church shooting.
The former airman was convicted of assaulting his then-wife and stepson.
He was discharged in 2014 with a bad conduct after he was sentenced to 12 months in jail.
US: Army chief Gen acknowledges failure to alert FBI about Kelly
