Specialist Adam Jarrell, the only African American in a unit of 216 soldiers of the New Mexico Army National Guard, told Reuters on Tuesday that his complaints to superiors about racially motivated torment -- including racial slurs and a noose hung outside his barracks -- were ignored, and in fact led to increased harassment.

The American Civil Liberties Union of New Mexico has filed a racial-discrimination complaint with the federal Office for Civil Rights at the Department of Justice, asking for an investigation into the issue.

Jarrell says that the harassment began after he reported the physical abuse of two subordinate soldiers by an officer. Although military rules prohibited it, the officer was informed of the report, he says.

After that, Jarrell says, he was subjected to more torment, including threats of physical violence and racial slurs. The abuse culminated in a noose hanging outside his barracks door.

"That was the last straw," he said.

According to Jarrell, when he reported the incidents to his commanding officers, they ignored the issue and wrote him up for "jumping the chain of command," despite the fact that harassment claims are not subject to those rules.

While the hanging of a noose is a jarring example of overt racism, it's not actually a huge surprise that the National Guard, with so many members, would attract the occasional aspiring Klan member. What's really egregious -- and may be representative of a larger problem -- is the response (or lack thereof) Jarrell describes.

It shouldn't take a complaint to the Justice Department to get the attention of the individuals responsible for ensuring that the military is a place where a soldier can focus on serving the country rather than protecting himself from the worst of its citizens. 

Read more at Reuters.

In other news: Jennifer Hudson to Write Weight-Loss Book.

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