‘I no longer trust this organization’ How the New Hampshire National Guard failed to protect women | CNN Politics

Lt. Col. Mark Patterson was charged and convicted in a military court-martial for sexually harassing four women in his battalion over several months .

Patterson is expected to retire as a major, one rank below lieutenant colonel, by November 1 .

He sent a junior female officer a picture of a sexually themed “ Beer Garden Babe” costume suggesting she wear it for Halloween .

In June 2023 , the New Hampshire National Guard’s most senior commander, Maj . Gen. David Mikolaities , temporarily suspended Dupuis , citing “medical issues” that were interfering with her performance.

A few months earlier , she received the highest rating of “outstanding” for her work overseeing victim support services and training.

Experts say change can take longer to sink into National Guard units because they are largely made up of part-time troops, who are often not subject to same federal regulations as active-duty counterparts.

CNN found at least six civilian police reports involving sexual assault, harassment, stalking, and hazing allegations within the New Hampshire National Guard .

The National Guard has particular challenges in enforcing change because of the power of TAGs in their states, a report says.

The report says the National Guard faces “unique challenges” in preventing assault or harassment.