USNS Comfort Walter Reed Assault Report

A Walter Reed Navy Member Reported Sexual Assault While Assigned to USNS Comfort. The Case Closed After She Declined to Participate.

NCIS was notified of a sexual assault report involving a Navy member on temporary duty aboard USNS Comfort, but the alleged victim chose to work through Victims' Legal Counsel and signed a statement declining to participate in the investigation. With no interview, no alleged perpetrator, no location, and no crime scene, NCIS closed the case while noting it could be reopened if she later chose to participate.

Sexual AssaultUSNS ComfortVictims' Legal CounselVictim Declined Further ParticipationNo Investigative LeadsTemporary Duty

This page summarizes one Naval Criminal Investigative Service case file. The source PDF and optical character recognition transcript appear below so readers can compare the summary against the record.

What the NCIS File Says

NCIS Resident Unit Bethesda received command notification of a sexual assault allegation involving a Navy member temporarily aboard USNS Comfort.

The alleged victim elected to work through Victims' Legal Counsel. Counsel told NCIS that all investigation and prosecution communications should go through counsel, and later provided an executed Victim Preference Statement indicating the alleged victim did not want to participate.

Because the alleged victim declined to provide details, NCIS did not receive the nature of the alleged assault, the location, or the alleged perpetrator's identity.

NCIS requested that a Victim Witness Assistance Pamphlet be provided through counsel, conducted Special Victim Investigation and Prosecution notifications, ran open-source and database checks, reviewed a personnel file, and briefed command and legal officials.

NCIS closed the investigation due to lack of viable investigative leads, while noting the case could be reopened if the alleged victim chose to participate later.

Case Timeline

September 5, 2019

NCIS Resident Unit Bethesda received command notification of the allegation.

September 6, 2019

NCIS contacted Victims' Legal Counsel and conducted special-victim notifications.

September 9, 2019

Counsel provided notice of representation and a Victim Preference Statement.

September 24, 2019

The closed-only Report of Investigation was dated.

Why This Record Matters

The file shows a sexual assault report tied to a Military Sealift Command hospital ship where the public record contains almost no factual allegation because the victim chose not to participate through NCIS.

The case was documented and legally coordinated, but closed without investigators learning what was alleged, where it happened, or who was accused.

The USNS Comfort connection is temporary-duty context; the readable transcript does not prove the alleged incident occurred aboard the ship.

NCIS Source Document

This is the NCIS Report of Investigation for the USNS Comfort file. MLAA has preserved the source PDF, Bates range, and NCIS file number so readers can inspect the record directly.

First page preview for A Walter Reed Navy Member Reported Sexual Assault While Assigned to USNS Comfort. The Case Closed After She Declined to Participate.

First page of the NCIS case file.

Source type: NCIS investigation file
Command or vessel: Not listed
NCIS file number: 05SEP19-DCBE-00048-8SNA/C
Bates range: 0047-0049
Source file length: 3 pages

View NCIS Source PDF for Case 05SEP19-DCBE-00048-8SNA/C

Readable OCR Transcript

The transcript below reproduces the substantive report text from the NCIS file in readable form, including the executive summary when one appears in the source. Paragraph numbers come from the original report. Redactions are shown as [REDACTED]. Because the text was generated from OCR, verify exact quotations against the source PDF.

NARRATIVE

1. This reactive investigation pertains to an alleged violation of Article 120 (Sexual Assault) of the Uniform Code of Military Justice.

2. On 005SEP19, NCISRU Bethesda, MD received notification from [REDACTED], Executive Officer, Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command (NMRTC), Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (WRNMMC), regarding the alleged sexual assault of [REDACTED], NMRTC, WRNMMC.. [REDACTED] made_the report while on temporary duty aboard the USNS COMFORT (T-AH-20) [REDACTED] reportedly elected to engage with a Victims’ Legal Counsel (VLC) prior to contact with NCIS personnel. No additional information was provided at the time of notification.

3. On 06SEP19, Participating Agent (PA) [REDACTED] established contact with [REDACTED] JAGC, USN, VLC. [REDACTED] reported she formed an attorney-client relationship with [REDACTED], and requested all communication relative to an investigation and/or prosecution be made through her. Moreover, [REDACTED] advised RA\[REDACTED] wish to participate in the investigative process, to include submitting to a formal interview with NCIS. As such, no information regarding the nature of the alleged assault, location, and/or perpetrator was provided. Consequently, PA b [REDACTED] coordinated with Supervisory Special Agent (SSA) [REDACTED] regarding the usage of a Victim Preference Statement (VPS). PA [REDACTED] also requested a Victim Witness Assistance Pamphlet (VWAP) be provided to [REDACTED]

4. On 09SEP19, [REDACTED] provided PA[REDACTED] with a VLC Notice of Representation pertaining to yc), as well as an executed VPS. The VPS was signed by} (py) [REDACTED]on 09SEP19 indicating her desire not to participate in the captioned investigation, Exhibits (1) and (2) pertain.

5. On 24SEP19, Reporting Agent (RA) conducted a review of [REDACTED] Official Military Personnel File (OMPF). The review did not yield any information of investigative significance, Exhibit (3) pertains.

6. On 24SEP19, RA conducted open source queries for [REDACTED] queries yielded no results readily affiliated with [REDACTED]) Exhibit (4) pertains.

7. It is unknown whether [REDACTED] obtained a Sexual Assault Forensic Examination (SAFE) in conjunction with the subject allegations, Exhibit (5).

8. The date, time, and location of the alleged assault are unknown. It is also unknown if alcohol was a factor. It was requested that a VWAP be provided to [REDACTED] her VLC as [REDACTED]}declined to engage with NCIS. No crime scene was identified, nor was a Military Protective Order (MPO) issued.

9. On 06SEP19, 24 hour Special Victim Investigation Prosecution (SVIP) notification and 48 hour SVIP collaboration were effected with [REDACTED](4), [REDACTED] GAGC, USN, Senior Trial Counsel, Region Legal Service Office-Naval District Washington, and [REDACTED], Sexual Assault Response Coordinator (SARC) NSA Bethesda. As (p\6) yc) was deployed aboard the USNS COMFORT at the time of notification, and reportedly assigned a Victim Advocate (VA) aboard the ship, the identity of the VA is unknown. Efforts to identify the VA via VLC [REDACTED] SARC [REDACTED] yielded negative results.

10. On 09SEP19, database queries were conducted for [REDACTED] following databases: National Crime Information Center (NCIC), Defense Central Index of Investigations II), ( ), Department of Defense Data Exchange (DDEX), Joint Personnel Adjudication System (JPAS), NCIS Knowledge Network (KNET), and the Department of Defense Person Search (DPS). JPAS revealed [REDACTED] maintains a Secret level security clearance. No derogatory and/or relevant information pertaining to [REDACTED] found.

11. On 09SEP19, [REDACTED], Commanding Officer, WRNMMC, and [REDACTED] +~= AGC, USN, STC, RLSO-NDW, were apprised of the closure of this investigation due to a lack of viable investigative leads.

12. Subsequent to disclosure of the alleged sexual assault, [REDACTED] received an expedited transfer back to the Washington DC area. As [REDACTED] elected not to provide any information in furtherance of the investigative process, no viable leads were identified. Consequently, this investigation is closed. Should [REDACTED] decide to participate in the investigative process, this investigation will be re-opened.