Senator Gillibrand: “This data shows a military in a crisis…We are betraying the trust of service members and their families and failing the most heroic among us.”
September 4, 2022 - Last week, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, chair of the Senate Armed Services Personnel Subcommittee, responded to the release of the Department of Defense’s (DoD) Fiscal Year 2021 Annual Report on Sexual Assault in the Military. The survey showed that 8.4% of active duty women and 1.5% of active duty men reported at least one unwanted sexual contact in the prior year, amounting to an estimated 35,900 total active duty service members – a disturbing rise from previous years.
For years, Senator Gillibrand has fought the DoD to fundamentally reform how it deals with sexual assault among its ranks. She earned bipartisan majority support for her bill, the Military Justice Improvement & Increasing Prevention Act, which was blocked from receiving a vote in the full U.S. Senate.
In response to today’s shocking numbers, Gillibrand said: “This data shows a military in a crisis. Nearly one in ten active duty women reported unwanted sexual contact during a single year, and that number rises to one in four when the service member experienced an unhealthy command climate involving sexual harassment. When service members cannot trust their leaders to uphold the values of our military services it means we are failing. Finally, the percentage of cases preferred for court-martial charges continues to drop. These results are completely unacceptable.
“We are betraying the trust of service members and their families and failing the most heroic among us. The current versions of the National Defense Authorization Act in Congress contain vital military justice reforms that I have fought for for nearly a decade, and they should be passed and enacted with the urgency this crisis demands.”
The DoD’s full report can be viewed here and below.
Source: Senator Kirsten Gillibrand
Department of Defense Releases Fiscal Year 2021 Annual Report on Sexual Assault in the Military
September 4, 2022 - Last week, the Department of Defense (DOD) released the Fiscal Year 2021 Annual Report on Sexual Assault in the Military.
This year’s report, which is required by Congress and published by DOD’s Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office, contains survey results, reporting data, and military justice case outcomes. The report also provides updates on the Department’s efforts to prevent and respond to sexual assault throughout Fiscal Year 2021.
The Secretary of Defense launched a variety of historic initiatives in 2021 to improve how the Department addresses sexual assault prevention and response. Most notably, the Secretary’s Independent Review Commission on Sexual Assault in the Military recommended over eighty improvements after conducting a wide-ranging assessment of current policies, programs, and personnel experiences. This year’s military personnel survey results underscore the Commission’s observations by finding that risk factors for sexual assault grew in military workplace climates between Fiscal Year 2018 and 2021 which likely led to increased sexual assault prevalence for women and men in 2021.
“On day one of his taking office, Secretary Austin prioritized action to improve how the Department addresses sexual assault. We are taking unprecedented action to prevent sexual assault and restore the trust of Service members in the military justice process,” said Ms. Elizabeth Foster, Executive Director of the Office of Force Resiliency. “In addition to the reforms and investments already made in 2021 and 2022, the Department will continue to implement the recommendations of the Independent Review Commission. These efforts include standing up a prevention workforce to prevent harmful behaviors and build climates of dignity and respect, establishing independent Offices of Special Trial Counsel to prosecute sexual assault and other named offenses, and professionalizing the sexual assault response workforce with enhanced skills and the independence required to support survivor recovery.”
This has been a time of action, planning, and resourcing—all aimed at having lasting and enduring impacts. The Department’s most senior leaders remain sharply focused on solving this problem.
“Across the entire Department of Defense, we are building enduring cultural change on an unprecedented scale. We are incorporating accountability and transparency into our response process while establishing a professionalized prevention workforce to reduce harmful behaviors and promote the well-being of our Service members.” said Mr. Gilbert R. Cisneros Jr, Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness. “Taken together, the efforts will set the right conditions to reduce and eliminate unwanted sexual contact, sexual assault, and sexual harassment in the Military Departments.”
The Fiscal Year 2021 Annual Report on Sexual Assault in the Military and a fact sheet with the topline results are available on https://www.sapr.mil/.
Source: Department of Defense
