Marine Sergeant Demoted After Beatings of Trainees
A Marine sergeant accused of allowing hazing and severe beatings among trainees at Ft. Knox, Ky., was demoted to corporal and reprimanded in a plea agreement with prosecutors.
Sgt. Michael P. Whitaker, 25, of Great Falls, Mont., was one of nine Marines charged after the beating of Pvt. Maciej Lugowski, 20.
Lugowski, now a private first class, lost his spleen after several Marines assaulted him Dec. 17.
Whitaker, a tank-maintenance instructor at Ft. Knox, was sentenced Wednesday during a court-martial at the Marine Corps Air Station in Beaufort.
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