By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, May 8, 2012 – Despite years
of concerted effort, the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the commandant of the Coast
Guard are dissatisfied with progress made in reducing sexual assault in the
military, and have released strategic direction to increase the emphasis on
combating the crime.
The chiefs released a “32-star” letter
to commanders and leaders, titled “Strategic Direction to the Joint Force on
Sexual Assault Prevention and Response.” In the past two years, service members
have reported 6,350 cases of sexual assault.
In what is mandatory reading for all
commanders and leaders, the letter says the mission is to reduce and ultimately
eliminate incidences of sexual assault, and establish an environment of mutual
respect and trust, and a work place where the act is not tolerated.
Sexual assault is a crime that erodes
the bonds of trust essential for military units to succeed and puts all members
of the military team at risk. The chiefs stressed that prevention and response
must be emphasized in all aspects of planning, training and mission execution
-- requiring actual leadership, not just a “checking-the-box” mentality.
The chiefs have been working diligently
for months on the strategic direction, officials said.
“Sexual assaults endanger our own,
violate our professional culture and core values, erode readiness and team
cohesion and violate the sacred trust and faith of those who serve and whom we
serve,” the document’s introduction says.
“As military professionals we must fully
understand the destructive nature of these acts, lead our focused efforts to
prevent them, and promote positive command climates and environments that
reinforce mutual respect, trust and confidence,” the letter reads.
Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of
the Joint Chiefs of Staff; Navy Adm. James A. Winnefeld, the vice chairman;
Gen. Ray Odierno, Army chief of staff; Adm. Jonathan W. Greenert, chief of
naval operations; Gen. Norton A. Schwartz, Air Force chief of staff; Gen. James
F. Amos, commandant of the Marine Corps, Air Force Gen. Craig R. McKinley,
chief of the National Guard Bureau and Adm. Robert Papp Jr., commandant of the
Coast Guard, signed the letter.
Officials said they wrote the guidance
to synchronize efforts to combat sexual assault.
“Commanders and leaders must personally
read, understand and implement this strategy, the chiefs wrote. “We are fully
committed to supporting your efforts to put this strategic direction into
action and operationalize [sexual assault prevention and response] within your
commands across the joint force.”
Evidence clearly shows gaps remain
between the precepts of the Defense Department Sexual Assault Prevention and
Response Program and full implementation at all levels of command. The
strategic direction calls on commanders to close these gaps, “by exercising the
full measure of their authorities, options and resources.”
The direction looks to “imbue a culture
and cultivate a climate and environment that is resilient to the risks and
vulnerabilities associated with sexual assault,” the document says.
Service members need to understand that
sexual assault is a crime under the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Four
distinct offenses -- rape, sexual assault, aggravated sexual contact and
abusive sexual contact -- are contained in Article 120. These and two other
offenses -- forcible sodomy and attempts to commit these offenses – are sexual
assault crimes within DOD’s Sexual Assault Prevention and Response program.
Commanders need to work with military
lawyers to understand the legal ramifications of these crimes, the chiefs
wrote, and need to communicate them to members of their units.
The letter emphasizes that prevention
always is better than prosecution. “Commanders must train service members to
ensure they understand, for example, that consumption of alcohol can impair the
judgment of both parties and the consequences of an alcohol-related sex crime
can have a significant and long-lasting impact on the victim, offender, unit
cohesion and ultimately the readiness of the joint force,” the chiefs wrote.
The chiefs look to instill this call to
action at all levels of professional military education, from recruits entering
the service to general and flag officers, officials said.
The chiefs set out five lines of effort:
prevention, investigation, accountability, advocacy and assessment. The lines
of effort will be governed by overarching tenets – leadership, communication,
culture, integration and resourcing – that will guide how the lines of effort
will be implemented.
Sexual assault in the military is a
problem that all service members must face, the chiefs said. The top uniformed
leaders have set goals for themselves, too, and spelled out their tasks in the
strategic direction.
The chiefs will engage commanders,
leaders and service communities worldwide to promote the health and discipline
of the force. They will work with the combatant commanders to identify
additional requirements that may be needed and examine how to improve sexual
assault prevention in forward-deployed locations.
Also, the chiefs will work closely with
the Office of the Secretary of Defense to resource the Sexual Assault
Prevention and Response Program and will establish a quarterly executive
council “dedicated to a candid and enduring dialogue designed to assess the
effectiveness of operationalizing [Sexual Assault Prevention and Response] into
commands across the joint force.”
Posts
