Fort Bragg, NC --One common thread among the women testifying thus far - all were petite, physically fit and either had combative skills or had taken boxing lessons.
One could also argue that these women were each enamored by the general officer in their own way, and that some of the women possessed low self-esteem, making them easier to be preyed upon.
Before a lunch recess three female officers testified that the nature of their relationship with the general officer started off as strictly professional but moved to personal 'friendships' in a short time, after he gained their trust and mentored them.
A married captain testified that Brig. Gen. Jeffrey Sinclair repeatedly asked her to send him nude photos of herself, which she said made her uncomfortable. She finally downloaded pornographic photos of other females and cropped off their heads making him believe it was her.
Another female major that testified is a Medical Service Officer. The major was already punished and forced to testify for inappropriate actions consisting of sending voluntary post-op photos of herself and also a video to him, taking both their professional and personal banter to another level.
"I was seeking validation from him, after undergoing an elective surgery," said the female major. "His opinion mattered to me, and I valued and respected him."
The one-star general also made it clear that he was well connected and he made a few telephone calls on her behalf to try to get her a slot into the highly competitive ILE school for Medical Service Officers.
When cross examined by the defense, the female was questioned about her knowledge of the ongoing relationship between the general and his executive officer, the captain accusing him of sexual assault.
"I told him to walk away," she said. "I thought he was too deeply connected to her."
Another lieutenant and team member under Sinclair testified that their relationship also began strictly professional with an occasional email before moving to a more personal nature which included frequent texts.
While the texts might not seem inappropriate as other testimony heard earlier in the week
, the general officer chose an unusual way to 'mentor' these young female subordinate officers."It was like an intel game," said the lieutenant about the frequent texts. "It was a way to share personal information. He would start a sentence and leave it open to fill in the blank. Afterwards, he would reply back either 'correct' or use it as a teaching tool."
The lieutenant conveyed that she did not like to disappoint the general because it was either happiness or aggravation with him.
"He was very up front and blunt if he was not happy," she said.
On one occasion the platoon leader was the acting commander during a live fire exercise when she received a personal email from Sinclair inviting to a horse farm outing because he stated he wanted to impress her. The farm was south of Raleigh, where the couple that owned the ranch 'respected' the general and he said they also cooked up a great breakfast.
"It did not make sense to me, I did not know how to respond," she said. "It would have been awkward."
Sinclair could be forced to retire, have his rank reduced and could face life in prison if convicted at courts-martial on the most serious charges at the end of the Article-32 hearing. Recommendations will be made by Maj. Gen. Perry Wiggins to the convening authority, Lt. Gen. Daniel B. Allyn.
Reported by Patch 2 hours ago.