Military

The Deputy Commander for the Joint Base San Antonio network of installations said the city and military are connected in ways that cannot be counted. A recently released study showed the military had an economic impact of $27.7 billion in 2011.

Leaders say it’s only the statistical side of the equation, and when examining the social side of the issue, Dr. Steve Nivin of the SABÉR Research Institute, who studied the fiscal impact, said the overall impact seems immeasurable.

Another Air Force instructor under investigation is headed to an Article 32 hearing at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland this morning.

Staff Sgt. Eddy Soto of the 323rd Training Squadron is accused of rape and sexual assault in the case of one former trainee and of sexual assault against another. He also is accused of lying to officials and committing adultery, violations of the Uniform Code of Military Justice.

There are 20 military training instructors are now under investigation for inappropriate relationships with trainees at Joint Base San Antonio; five have already been court-martialed. This week, the Air Force set up a special hotline for trainees and others to report cases of sexual abuse.

The Air Force Office of Special Investigations said it has arrested two people in a conspiracy to steal and resell military equipment.

The OSI doesn’t describe the stolen property, or which branch of Joint Base San Antonio the equipment came from, but Joint Base Spokesman Brent Boller said seven federal search warrants were executed at a San Antonio tattoo parlor Tuesday afternoon.