Colonel draws fire for study on recruit stress

Colonel draws fire for study on recruit stress

The Associated Press
Posted : Tuesday Sep 4, 2007 7:38:20 EDT

COLUMBUS, Ga. — A decorated Army colonel who served as a combat surgeon in Afghanistan is now at odds with the Army over a scientific study aimed at identifying the impact of stress on recruits.

Col. Richard Gonzales earned a Bronze Star and other Army accolades for his service and was recognized for volunteering for an extra year in the Middle East but has since been demoted and is under investigation for arranging a researcher’s no-bid contract and conducting an unapproved study, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported Monday.

Army documents show the research board that first approved the study shares blame for miscommunication and mistakes, and did not explain study requirements or properly supervise Gonzales, who was a first-time researcher. The research board is now investigating Gonzales’ team.

At issue is whether intensely private details shared by recruits — including accounts of childhood abuse and molestation — have been disclosed. In the course of the investigation, the Army removed the recruits’ private files so it could turn Gonzales’ locked study office into an employee break room without his knowledge. The Army wouldn’t tell him where the study’s computer was, according to records.
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