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Alabama Guard chief resigns

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Maj. Gen. Mark Bowen resigned Thursday as the commanding general of the Alabama National Guard, one day after the Army released a report that Bowen had an improper relationship with a female officer in his command.

Gov. Bob Riley said in a news release he had accepted Bowen’s resignation but did not mention the report from the Army Inspector General’s office.

“General Bowen has served the state over six different decades in the National Guard and has done a good job. I respect his decision to leave at this time,” Riley said.

The governor, who like Bowen is from Clay County, said Wednesday that Bowen told him earlier that he planned to retire and that he would not ask Bowen to step down immediately because of the report. The Army’s report concluded that Bowen had a relationship with the female officer that included visits by Bowen to her home, more than 700 phone calls over five months last year and Bowen giving the woman financial assistance.

The report said she “received preferential treatment because of her relationship with MG Bowen.” The woman’s name was blacked out in the report. It went on to say that the officer was promoted by Bowen when she was ranked 24th among 39 people eligible. The report also said that at one point Bowen gave her a new job and failed to consider 13 other applicants for the position.

The report concluded that there was no evidence that Bowen and the woman had a sexual relationship, “although there was evidence of physical contact between MG Bowen and [the woman] when he hugged and kissed her,” the report said. It said there was evidence that Bowen kissed the woman on her lips in his office during the summer of 2006 and hugged her at an Army physical fitness test in May 2006.

The report said that phone calls and e-mails between Bowen and the woman were inappropriate because they were personal in nature.

The report said there were 10 witnesses who indicated that Bowen and the woman maintained a close personal relationship that was known throughout the Alabama National Guard.

“Evidence indicated the perceptions had a negative effect on the [command] and morale in the [Alabama National Guard],” the report said.

The report said the woman was uncomfortable with “the vast amount of calls she received from him” but continued the relationship until Bowen “got physical with her.”

The Inspector General did not recommend any disciplinary action against Bowen.

Bowen was retired in 2003 when Riley became governor and asked him to return to active duty to serve as adjutant general, a Cabinet position.