A training instructor at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland is facing court-martial for having sex with three trainees he supervised, the 37th Training Wing said.
Staff Sgt. Davonte Hardaway, a basic military training instructor with the 324th Training Squadron, is accused of “improper relationships with students.”
The charges include three allegations of “prohibited sexual activity with students.”
Hardaway has been with the 324th Training Squadron since October 2023, but is “not currently performing MTI duties,” according to a wing spokesperson.
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The Air Force Office of Special Investigations investigated the allegations, and the wing’s commander referred the case to trial by special court-martial under the Uniform Code of Military Justice.
According to the Air Force legal docket, he is charged under Article 92, unprofessional relationship, and Article 93a, prohibited activities with recruit or trainee.
His trial is set to start June 8 and run through June 13.
He faces multiple penalties if found guilty, including forfeiture of part of his pay, a bad conduct discharge or reduction in his rank.
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The training wing noted that the charges against Hardaway — who the Air Force noted is innocent until proven guilty — come from part of the Air Force provision regarding professional relationships, which “prohibit instructors from developing personal relationships with trainees within six months after a trainee completes initial skills training and reports to their first permanent duty station or follow-on training program.”
The 37th Training Wing did not provide additional details on the charges or Hardaway’s service record, citing a need to not interfere with ongoing proceedings.
Hardaway is the first training instructor to face such charges in more than a decade.
In the early 2010s, the Air Force was rocked by a massive scandal involving nearly three dozen instructors at Lackland Air Force Base.
They were investigated for allegations of having sexually assaulted or abused more than 60 trainees between 2009-2011.
Multiple commanders were relieved of their positions during the course of the investigation.
The 37th Training Wing, based out of Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, is part of the Air Education and Training Command and is the largest training unit in the Air Force. More than 30,000 recruits train there each year.
As this case unfolds, the nation is reminded that the integrity of the training pipeline depends on clear boundaries and swift accountability.
Under President Trump and with Secretary of War Pete Hegseth at the helm, leadership should be unwavering in defending those boundaries and restoring trust in the armed forces.
The focus must remain on protecting recruits and ensuring that those who serve are governed by standards that cannot be compromised.
Accountability in this arena is essential because it sends a message that service members at every level answer to the same rules, regardless of rank or role.
The ongoing proceedings will test that commitment and shape how the force reinforces discipline across its training programs.
The outcome will likely influence how commanders at Lackland and beyond approach supervision, mentorship, and professional conduct in the years ahead.
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