An army special forces commander is under investigation for allegations that he demoted a soldier over a fight in Syria and then sexed that soldier’s girlfriend.
Sergeant Maj. Chuck Ritter has been accused of sexting and explicit pictures with Sgt. 1st Class Daniel Regeimbal’s current wife, Kate.
Ritter and Kate’s interactions began in August 2021 after she confronted Ritter at a bar in North Carolina.
She claimed he “threw her fiancé in the trash in a group chat with other Special Forces soldiers,” Connecting Vets reported.
Regeimbal had been the subject of multiple investigations amid allegations of steroid use and racist text messages.
These claims were made after Ritter fired him from his post in Syria in 2019. The soldier allegedly had an altercation with a warrant officer and was sent back to Fort Bragg, North Carolina, a few weeks before his command.
Following the investigation, Regeimbal was stripped of his Special Forces tab. It remains unclear whether the allegations against him were ever substantiated.
Shortly after his demotion, Kate and Ritter began communicating.
Sergeant Maj. Chuck Ritter (left) is being investigated over allegations that he told Sgt. 1st Class Daniel Regeimbal (right) about a battle in Syria and later sent sexual messages to the soldier’s girlfriend
Ritter and Kate, who is now married to Regeimbal, were initially in touch to talk about her husband.
However, their conversations evolved and became sexual in nature, including sharing inappropriate images.
Chat transcripts between the pair, reviewed by Connecting Vets, showed the messages appeared to be between “two consenting adults.”
According to chat logs, Kate also gave conflicting information about her relationship status and told Ritter in a conversation that she and Regeimbal had split up.
In another conversation, she revealed that they got married and lived together.
Ritter – who declined to comment on the news, citing an ongoing Army investigation – also claimed Kate told him she was single when they began their text relationship.
Regeimbal allegedly had an altercation with a warrant officer in Syria in 2019 and was sent back to Fort Bragg, North Carolina, a few weeks before his command
Regeimbal (third from left) became the subject of multiple investigations amid allegations of steroid use and racist text messages. Following the investigation, Regeimbal was stripped of his Special Forces tab. It remains unclear whether the allegations against him were ever substantiated
An investigation was launched against Ritter after Regeimbal reportedly discovered chat logs between the sergeant and his wife.
He reported the news from his chain of command to 3rd Special Forces Group and the Inspector General of the Special Warfare Center, prompting an investigation by Ritter.
While under scrutiny from his superiors, Ritter reportedly contacted Kate and said, “I recently got a call from my CSM that Reggie was making a complaint and starting an investigation against me.”
He instructed Kate to “erase everything,” according to a recording of their phone call provided to the news outlet.
“Facebook messages and all that,” he added.
The sergeant also suggested Kate delete her personal messages and call logs.
Regeimbal discovered the messages between Ritter (second from left) and his wife and changed his superiors, prompting an investigation by the sergeant
Additionally, Knight Kate said he felt that Regeimbal was getting revenge on him for her sexts and believing he played a role in the soldier’s recantation.
Ritter asserts that he was not involved in the disciplinary proceedings against Regeimbal.
Special Warfare Center Janice Burton confirmed that her command is “investigating the allegations made against SGM Ritter” and declined to provide the news agency with further details, noting “After this trial I may provide you with further information.”
Although Ritter has not spoken out about the allegations against him, he told Connecting Vets that he welcomes the investigation.
“I’m open to the investigation, I’m not above the law,” he said. “If they think I need to be punished, so be it. None of us is above reproach.”
None of the parties allegedly involved in the investigation immediately responded to ‘s request for comment.