LANSING — A top Michigan National Guard official who was singled out for praise in Gov. Rick Snyder's last State of the State address is the subject of a police investigation in connection with an alleged incident involving "unwanted sexual advances" at a bar near the Fort Custer Training Center, officials confirmed Thursday.
Command Sgt. Maj. Daniel Lincoln is the senior enlisted adviser of the Michigan National Guard, working closely with Maj. Gen. Gregory Vadnais.
He's on personal leave while the Kalamazoo County Sheriff's Office investigates an incident that took place the night of March 19 at a bar, Custer's First Stand, on the Battle Creek-area base, Capt. Corissa Barton of the Michigan National Guard confirmed Thursday.
"The Michigan National Guard takes allegations of this nature seriously and complies with all Department of Army and National Guard policies to address such behavior," Barton said.
"CSM Lincoln is currently on personal leave," Barton said. "The agency will re-evaluate his status once the Kalamazoo County Sheriff's Department has completed its inquiry."
Lincoln could not be reached for comment.
Undersheriff Paul Matyas said Thursday it's not clear the investigation is completed, but there does not appear to be evidence of a sexual assault.
A deputy went to the base on March 23 to take a statement from a woman connected with the base who alleged "unwanted sexual advances" by Lincoln at the bar a few days earlier.
However, "there was no contact that would constitute a charge of criminal sexual conduct," and the issue may be more suited to military discipline than for the criminal courts, Matyas said.
The alleged incident happened as Soldier of the Year competitions were under way at Fort Custer the weekend of March 19.
As of Thursday, no report had been sent from police investigators to the Kalamazoo County Prosecutor's Office.
During his State of the State address on Jan. 19, Snyder asked Lincoln and two other Michigan National Guard leaders who were seated in the House chamber for the formal speech, to rise and be recognized for the success of a recent deployment to the Mideast of the Guard's 127th Air Wing out of Selfridge air base in Macomb County.
Ari Adler, a spokesman for Snyder, declined to comment.
Lincoln, born in Eaton Rapids, enlisted in the Michigan Army National Guard in 1972 and has held his current post since November 2012, according to a biography on the website of the Michigan Department of Military and Veterans Affairs.
"His assignment as State Command Sergeant Major and Senior Enlisted Advisor is the culmination of 26 years of challenging and diverse leadership positions," the biography says. "CSM Lincoln deployed as the Task Force Peacekeepers CSM from 2010 to 2011 with the 46th Military Police Command, in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, Bagram, Afghanistan."
The Michigan Army National Guard's Fort Custer Training Center, about 4 miles west of Battle Creek, is used by armed forces branches throughout the Midwest, as well as police organizations.
Contact Paul Egan: 517-372-8660 or pegan@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @paulegan4.
