Sexual assault in the United States military

Sexual assault in the United States armed forces is an ongoing issue which has received extensive media coverage in the past.

[3] Another investigation found that one in five women in the United States Air Force who were sexually assaulted by service members reported it, for one in 15 men.

[4] A survey for the Department of Defense conducted in 2015 found that in the past year 52% of active service members who reported sexual assault had experienced retaliation in the form of professional, social, and administrative actions or punishments.

A provision in the 2004 National Defense Authorization Act required investigation and reporting regarding sexual harassment and assault at the United States military academies.

[9] In one study, women veterans detailed how traumatic experiences such as sexual assaults from peers and supervisors and the subsequent lack of support after these incidents contributed to their decision for premature separation from military service.

[10] Many of these women see these experiences as robbing them of promised opportunities when they enlisted, and feel betrayed when the military's handling of their sexual assault cases resulted in them having to continue to work with the perpetrator.

—Any person subject to this chapter who— A 2011 report found that women in the U.S. military were more likely to be raped by fellow soldiers than they were to be killed in combat.

[2] The report indicated that commanders are increasingly likely to refer sexual assault cases to court martial compared to the prior four years.

Based on this survey, the Department of Defense estimated that 26,000 service members experienced some form of unwanted sexual contact, from groping to rape, in the year 2012.

Those who were offended by the dismissal of the case criticized the court and claimed the decision had labeled sexual assault an "occupational hazard" in the armed forces.

"[49] In 2004, the Department of Defense created the Care for Victims of Sexual Assault Task Force, whose findings indicated the need for a more powerful and centralized organization to address the issue.

Snow, continues to lead the Department's effort to transform into action its commitment to sexual assault prevention and response.

This undertaking enjoys the support of leaders at all levels, and it will create a climate of confidence and trust where everyone is afforded respect and dignity.

SAPRO is also responsible for releasing the Task Force Report on Sexual Assault in the Military Services, the most recent of which was published in 2009.

[58][59] In a six-page memorandum, Franklin outlined each piece of evidence in the case which led him to conclude that there had not been proof beyond a reasonable doubt of the accused's guilt.

[60] Helms provided her rationale in a Memorandum For Record (MFR), posted on the Air Force FOIA Website [61] In her six-page memo, she outlined why the prosecution had not proven its case for sexual assault beyond a reasonable doubt.

Her memo includes, verbatim, the specific standard of evidence directed by the military judge at trial, and her lawyer agreed with her assessment of the case.

[62] However, as noted in her MFR, she did uphold Captain Herrera's conviction for the lesser sexual crime of Indecent Act, which resulted in his discharge from the Air Force.

[63] The issue of sexual assault in the military then received new attention from President Obama and Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel, among others.

[65] Army general and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Martin Dempsey was quoted as saying, "We're losing the confidence of the women who serve that we can solve this problem.... That's a crisis."

Secretary Hagel "ordered the retraining and recertification of U.S. military personnel whose job it is to work to prevent sexual assault and assist the victims".

The act "would mean that trained military prosecutors, not commanding officers, would decide whether sexual assault cases should go to trial, according to a group of at least 16 U.S. senators and members of the House of Representatives behind the legislation.

"[66] Andrew Loya was a former Coast Guard officer who shot dead one of his female colleagues; he maintains that she made sexual advances which resulted in him getting transferred to another department.

[71] The Wounded Warrior Project strongly supported the bill, but pointed out a number of additional related challenges and problems that needed to be solved to improve the treatment of MST-related conditions in veterans.

[72] The WWP did a study of its alumni and found that "almost half of the respondents indicated accessing care through VA for MST related conditions was 'Very difficult'.

[73] This bill was named after Army Specialist Vanessa Guillen, who went missing in April 2020 after disclosing to her family that she was experiencing sexual harassment from a superior officer; her remains were found on June 30, 2020.

[73] Legislation is underway in 2021, to separate the commander of an afflicted unit from the military prosecutor's role in cases alleging sexual assault.

[77][78] This article incorporates public domain material from Report of the Defense Task Force on Sexual Harassment & Violence at the Military Service Academies (PDF).