The 2nd Cavalry Regiment headquarters in Vilseck, Germany, is shown on Oct. 2, 2025. The regiment is investigating a spate of allegations by soldiers and their families, including complaints about toxic leadership, quality of life issues, bullying and reprisals. (Matthew M. Burke/Stars and Stripes)

VILSECK, Germany — The U.S. Army’s 2nd Cavalry Regiment is investigating accusations of toxic leadership in the Germany-based unit, some of whose soldiers have lodged complaints about an operational tempo they say fails to account for their well-being.

Regimental commander Col. Donald Neal Jr. “appointed a preliminary inquiry to look into the allegations raised, including those of toxic leadership, and will inform the V Corps commanding general of the outcome,” V Corps spokesman Lt. Col. Cain Claxton said Sept. 29. “They’ve appointed an investigating officer to look at these allegations.”

The informal inquiry will be led by a major from within the command, and there is no timeline for completion, he said. The unit is also conducting its annual Defense Department command climate surveys, Claxton added.

“Those results will inform the next possible actions,” he said.

V Corps confirmed the probe after Stars and Stripes sought comment in connection with multiple complaints.

Discontent at Rose Barracks spilled into public view Sept. 3 as the 7th Army Training Command posted on Facebook about the start of Saber Junction, a five-week, 15-nation annual exercise with a new emphasis on electronic and drone warfare.

The exercise also brought travel restrictions, a ban on alcohol and a 9 p.m. curfew for many soldiers — steps which aren’t uncommon for large drills.

“Why have these soldiers not had a single day off in 23 days? In garrison and ‘peace time’?” one Facebook commenter said.

Another added, “So glad you guys pretend everything is fine when your soldiers have been worked to exhaustion and their mental health so bad some are trying to take their own lives.”

V Corps declined to provide command climate surveys from the regiment and referred Stars and Stripes to Army officials at the Pentagon for unit suicide and attempt data, but those officials did not respond after the initial request.

It’s unclear how widespread the allegations range within the regiment of about 5,000 soldiers. The “Dragoons” are spread among seven squadrons, including Stryker infantry and cavalry, engineers, artillery and support.

A U.S. soldier assigned to 3rd Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment listens to the radio during a live-fire exercise as part of exercise Saber Junction at the Grafenwoehr Training Area in Germany on Aug. 26, 2025. (Collin Mackall/U.S. Army)

Three soldiers and two spouses who spoke with Stars and Stripes described poor morale due to unnecessarily long work hours and toxic leadership.

The soldiers’ ranks ranged from specialist to staff sergeant. All spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal.

The spouse of one soldier said she has seen her husband become tired, dispirited and quick to lash out since joining his squadron. She said the soldiers in his unit work until late at night, rarely have days off and spend weeks at a time in the field in Poland and Germany. When they are given a rare day off, work calls often come in, she said.

She recounted one recent weekday when the unit got back from the field and was supposed to be released at 2 p.m. She made plans to meet her husband.

When the time came, the soldiers were left sitting in a parking lot until after midnight. The family rescheduled plans to the weekend, but those had to be canceled due to restrictions.

“They’re always preaching we have to be mission-ready,” she said. “But if their brains and mental health are suffering, then are you really ready?”

The 2nd Cavalry Regiment, whose headquarters at Rose Barracks in Vilseck, Germany, is seen here on Oct. 2, 2025, is investigating allegations of toxic leadership, bullying and reprisals, among others, after soldiers and their families expressed their displeasure in recent weeks. (Matthew M. Burke/Stars and Stripes)

A U.S. soldier assigned to the 3rd Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment delivers suppressive fire for a tactical movement during Project Flytrap at Bemowo Piskie Training Area, Poland, July 30, 2025. (Christopher Saunders/U.S. Army)

Claxton said the unit’s operational tempo is similar to that of previous years.

“As the only permanently forward-deployed maneuver unit aligned with (U.S. Army Europe and Africa and U.S. European Command), 2CR is often called upon to provide units to train with multi-national partners on relatively short notice,” he wrote in an emailed statement.

Another soldier said he attempted suicide after being bullied by his troop commander. A troop is equivalent in size to an infantry company, which broadly varies between 100 and 200 soldiers.

The soldier’s spouse witnessed a conversation that she says reflected a lack of concern.

“So what’s wrong with you?” the spouse recounted the captain saying. “Why do you want to kill yourself?”

The soldier was then deployed, where he had access to loaded firearms, the couple said.

A female soldier alleges that she has been bullied by her leadership for having to pick up and accommodate her small child. She also said a noncommissioned officer violated her privacy, though higher command did take action to address that concern. She previously filed an inspector general complaint.

“My (NCO) wanted me to prioritize work over my child,” she said. “It’s awful here. It’s a hellhole, to be honest.”

She rarely sees her child or her husband due to the long work hours, which include weekends, she said.

Claxton said that over the past year, Neal has followed unit family time policies and programs, which are designed to get soldiers off work by 3 p.m. on Fridays.

But the soldiers disputed that they receive adequate time off.

At least three Equal Opportunity complaints were filed before Saber Junction with the V Corps inspector general and provided to Stars and Stripes.

They include a complaint by one of the soldiers interviewed for this story and two others from soldiers who declined comment.

The complaints reported instances of being sent to the field for an extended period of time during a documented health crisis, bullying, discrimination and retaliation for seeking mental health support.