Pentagon orders new steps to prevent sexual assault in the ranks

[seabeyond]

"It is clear that the department must continue to do more to prevent sexual assault, especially in initial military training environments," Little said. "Our newest service members are the most vulnerable and most likely to experience a sexual assault."

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Last year, 3,192 sexual assault were reported across all branches of the military, though the Defense Department says the true number of incidents was closer to 19,000 because most sexual assaults go unreported.

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In April, Panetta ordered that sexual complaints be handled by higher ranked officers -- a colonel or officer of equal rank -- to improve accountability. In the past, a service member’s local unit commander would evaluate charges and decide whether to pursue disciplinary action. Service members who report a sexual assault also were given the option to quickly transfer from their unit or installation to get away from an alleged assailant.

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"We're really excited to see the secretary stepping out with leadership, saying 'OK I want to get a snapshot to see what's going in these schools'," Jacob said of the training review. "But as long as commanders are making those decisions you're never going to have completely unbiased dispositions coming out that command -- unless they kick it over to a criminal prosecutor."

http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/09/25/14100631-pentagon-orders-new-steps-to-prevent-sexual-assault-in-the-ranks?lite


a start. another thing about this adminst as opposed to previous, they are at the least, addressing. recognizing they have more to do. but, at least they are making progress.

[seabeyond]

1. listening to NPR. they put a female in charge of training with airforce incident

and marines have a female trainer for their women.

[CrispyQ]

2. ~gasp...

Last year, 3,192 sexual assault were reported across all branches of the military, though the Defense Department says the true number of incidents was closer to 19,000 because most sexual assaults go unreported.

I would have to be desperate to consider the military as a young woman or a young gay person.

It''s a baby step, but at least a step. Perhaps it will lead to the bigger question of how we ended up in a place where men serving their country think it's OK to assault women serving their country. How patriotic is that?

[seabeyond]

3. 8 yrs of bushco mentality, women dont belong, encouraging christian coalition to run airfoce

where women do not belong, bullying rules, legitimate, honest, forceful rape mentality, looking the other way or blatantly ignoring, macho man mentality.

[One_Life_To_Give]

4. Sounds like more of the same old response

Require another training class because the last six versions didn't fix the problem. Still misses fundamental flaws. Holding each individuals immediate commander accountable for improving behavior/performance is good only to a point. Eventually admitting that one has a much bigger problem in the subordinates has to be more detrimental to ones career than continually trying to coach improvement and avoid reporting the problem.

All branches have had dedicated outside the chain individuals to report assaults/harrasment to for decades. And still people have to go to outside organizations for help/support. It should be a national embarrassment when any senior officer has to spell it out that silence and/or failure to come to a fellow shipmates aid is unacceptable. Reading accounts of what some of these brave women have had to endure is appalling.

[Major Hogwash]

5. They should have done this over 20 years ago.

After the Tailhook sex scandal back in 1991, it was obvious that some men thought their rank gave them privileges they did not have.

Today the news of a General who was stationed over in Afghanistan is the latest example of a man to have been caught using his rank and power of position for no good.

[seabeyond]

6. start at the top, set strong boundaries, prosecute and fire. it is not hard.

there will always be some, but it can be greatly reduced with strong, clear, leadership.

footie footie football.

what i have watched develop in the football games last three weeks, players able to get away with stuff they hadnt with other referees and stating out loud they are free to break the rules feeling no conscious about the wrong of it is a clear demonstration of what i talk about. and how quickly and easily the rules disappear when there is no longer leadership to hold others to the rule. i told hubby yesterday when refs come back, they need to start calling the holds and helmet tackles immediately. each and everyone. to show the strong boundary of what is not allowed, and the repercussion of the behavior.

du. i am seeing people flabbergasted of what is being allowed on du. how so much misogyny is allowed, but we are also seeing racism and homphobia allowed. this is a micro of the whole of society. we condition acceptance in this behavior.

i think these are good first steps. i always worked in companies that took hostile sexual environment seriously. surprise... we had none.