Tatyana Jordan breathed a sigh of relief, maybe her biggest, as she learned the outcome of a months-long internal Army investigation.
Military.com was the first to report how Jordan, 30, of Columbia, S.C., alleged that her superior made derogatory and racist remarks toward her in 2025 as she worked at Fort Jackson. Jordan, a Black female U.S. Army captain and Adjutant General (AG) officer, came to the Chaplain School in January 2025 on active duty and served as a force management officer.
She claimed that on Aug. 13, 2025, her supervisor, Chaplain Maj. Edward Blackledge, purportedly made a remark involving having her “tied to a tree.” Official internal documents obtained by Military.com showed two sides of the story, leading to an official investigation that culminated on Aug. 14, 2025—almost one year later, to the exact day.
Jordan told Military.com on Friday, Aug. 14, that the investigation was substantiated for counterproductive leadership, and appropriate action was taken against the individual (Blackledge) involved.
The information was relayed to Jordan in person by Maj. Gen. Daryl O. Hood, the Fort Jackson commanding general.
“The investigation is complete, appropriate action was taken, and we consider this matter closed,” Christopher Surridge, a U.S. Army spokesperson, told Military.com.
It’s unclear what specific action was taken against Blackledge. Military.com inquired but received no direct response.
In May, roughly one month after Military.com broke Jordan’s story and allegations, the Army reopened a 15-6 investigation into Jordan’s claims and the alleged actions by Blackledge.
The reopening of the fact-finding mission, conducted by an appointed investigating officer (IO) to discover any misconduct or improprieties, followed a prior Equal Opportunity complaint not being initiated—as well as a previous 15-6 coming back as “unfounded,” with results never originally shared with Jordan.
“Speaking up was so frightening, and this process was very long,” Jordan told Military.com. “I know many times I questioned whether or not continuing was worth it, but I do want to let everyone know out there—keep going, because at the end of the day, accountability matters, leadership matters, and every service member deserves to serve in an environment where dignity, professionalism and respect are more than just in the oaths that we recite and words on paper.”
Allegations and a Fractured Relationship
The remarks came after a quick-fix operation that day last summer, according to documentation.
Blackledge had reportedly instructed a religious affairs noncommissioned officer (NCO) to patch a hole in a shared office. But since the NCO had sustained an injury, Jordan volunteered to do it instead. She vowed to complete her TRADOC (U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command) analysis later that same afternoon.
That was when Blackledge made the alleged remark.
“You need to focus on getting that spreadsheet done before the meeting, or I’ll need to tie you to a tree and beat you,” he said.
The remark caused Jordan anguish not just due to her race and history, but also due to her former relationship with Blackledge.
She previously told Military.com about one month after starting in the Chaplain School, her daughter’s lungs collapsed during a medical procedure and it led to a Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) stay. There, Blackledge prayed over her and Jordan acknowledged “a good working relationship” at that juncture.
Aftermath and Investigation
The day after the purported remark, Jordan reported the incident to Military Police (MP) to ensure that the incident was officially documented.
She also wanted to protect her safety, as well as that of her family—which at the time included a 4-year old and a 2-year-old set of twins. Jordan also filed an Equal Opportunity (EO) complaint.
But she said MP characterized the incident as a “bad joke.” And when called the Inspector General’s Office, the “IG wanted nothing to do with it.”
She then discovered that rather than initiate an EO investigation, the 165th Brigade commander decided to initiate a 15-6—an Army fact-finding mission conducted by an appointed investigating officer (IO) to discover any misconduct or improprieties.
Weeks later, Jordan found out that the 15-6 result came back as “unfounded.” She also claimed that the brigade commander never informed her of the results when they were finalized.
The friction between her and Blackledge led to Jordan being moved to a G3 OIC (Officer in Charge) role.
But CG Hood’s involvement helped calm some nerves and assured that the investigation would play out as intended, Jordan told Military.com on Aug. 14.
“He has an objective personality, so he holds people accountable,” she said. “And he holds people to a standard, so I knew that him being involved—it was going to be a big deal, and it did bring me a sense of a sense of feeling that justice would be served.
“In the process of the investigation, I was very anxious surrounding what would be next, right? Obviously, there is the possibility that the opposite [occurs], and the effect that would have on me and my family. I’m just blessed that things turned out the way they did.”
She added that once she left his office on Friday, she “realized that I was carrying a weight that wasn’t meant for me to carry.”
“I just felt lighter,” she said.
Help From Outside Sources
Feeling like she was “helpless” and at a dead end in her military career, Jordan ultimately sought the help of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF), which represents in excess of 100,000 current and former military personnel.
“I want to express my sincere gratitude to Mikey Weinstein and the entire Military Religious Freedom Foundation for standing beside me throughout this fight,” Jordan said on Friday. “You listened to me when I needed to be heard. You believed that what happened deserved attention. Most importantly, you were willing to advocate for me when I felt like I was fighting an incredibly difficult battle.”
Weinstein told Military.com on Friday that he and his organization commend CG Hood for seriously investigating the “horrific complaint” made against Jordan, and the eventual outcome of her case.
“We salute the intrepidity, courage, steadfastness and bravery of our client, Capt. Jordan, in never giving up and, in fact, standing up to this wretched, personal tyranny,” Weinstein said. “Her brilliant example should significantly buttress the motivation of any other military members to likewise stand up to the misogyny and white supremacy, Islamophobia, antisemitism, transphobia and homophobia of Christian nationalism, which so tragically pervades the entire U.S. military.”
Public Opinion, and What’s Next For Jordan
While Jordan’s risk, to both her family and career, paid off, the year-long process has admittedly been “exhausting and isolating.”
Asked how others, both inside and out of the military community, have treated her, Jordan told Military.com that she’s received both unbridled praise and harsh criticism.
“There were both sides,” she said. “There were many people that supported me, and it gave them the courage to speak up about things that they were experiencing.
“But on the other side of things, I did receive a lot of a lot of hate, a lot of racist messages, and it was very hurtful. But it also highlighted the fact that these things do still exist, further proving my point, if anything. But I tried not to let any of that get to me, and stuck to the positive things that were coming in.”
She said the situation served as a reminder for her and others to not stay silent when they sense something is wrong.
“Intimidation, being mistreated, being retaliated against, being afraid that no one’s going to hear you or that your voice doesn’t matter—those aren’t good things, and they’re not conducive to a healthy leadership environment,” she said.
When asked about where her military career goes from here, Jordan said she is actually planning on exiting the armed forces.
“I’m not sure what’s next yet,” she said. “I’m still trying to figure that out, but I do want to continue to advocate for service members in some shape or form.”
The Blackledge situation directly impacted her future plans, she added.
“This really did take a toll on me mentally, and I still haven’t recovered,” Jordan said.
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