A New Hampshire National Guard officer who commanded a battalion deployed to the U.S.-Mexico border now faces a general court-martial amid allegations of assault and sexual harassment, among other charges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lt. Col. Mark B. Patterson led the 941st Military Police Battalion, headquartered in McAllen, Texas, as part of the federally controlled National Guard mission supporting the Department of Homeland Security in the region. His unit deployed to the border in October 2022, falling under the control of the Pentagon through U.S. Northern Command and Joint Task Force-North, according to spokesperson Edd Natividad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But less than three months later, Patterson came under administrative investigation and was suspended from command on Jan. 26, said Maj. Micah Maxwell, a spokesperson for U.S. Army North. His removal became permanent on May 3 after the administrative investigation concluded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now Patterson faces criminal charges for his alleged conduct. Maxwell said the former battalion commander, who is temporarily assigned as a staff officer at his brigade headquarters, is accused of: assault consummated by battery; sexual harassment; maltreatment of subordinates; conduct unbecoming an officer; and violating general orders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The accused officer\u2019s civilian attorney, Joseph Jordan, told Army Times that \u201cnot everything is as it appears,\u201d implying that \u201cindividuals…are not telling the complete truth.\u201d Jordan added that he\u2019s working toward \u201cthe best resolution possible under the circumstances.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Because Patterson has not been arraigned, Maxwell said the command is not authorized to release more information on his charges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The 941st MP Battalion\u2019s sector of the border has proved troublesome for Guardsmen deployed there as part of the federally controlled border mission. In 2021, three soldiers assigned to a Guard task force based in McAllen died, and leaders temporarily disbanded a cavalry unit in the area due to misconduct and command climate problems, according to an Army Times investigation<\/a> that sparked an investigation by U.S. Northern Command<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\t