"What Politicians Don't Say About the Military's Sexual Assault 'Epidemic'"

[SGT_Kat]

It's about time some start speaking up about this.

breitbart.com -Big-Peace -The Military's Sexual Assault Epidemic in Context "What Politicians Don't Say About the Military's Sexual Assault 'Epidemic'"

In that Army we have SARP training 3-4 times a year and nearly monthly reminders on the policies. In every other job I ever had on the civilian side, I never had the intense sexual assault prevention training that I have in the military. Nor in my civilian jobs did the employee express (and prove) they are there to actually help the victims. Instead of going to the boss if something happens we can go to someone who is completely dedicated (it's the soul purpose of their job) to help the victim.

SARP makes sure we know our rights, the laws, and ALL the resources available to us.

 

[OriginalShroom]

Another point they seem to be ignoring..

Half of the complaints last year came from men. Yet they are acting as if all the complaints came from women.

 

[g5000]

It's about time some start speaking up about this.

breitbart.com -Big-Peace -The Military's Sexual Assault Epidemic in Context "What Politicians Don't Say About the Military's Sexual Assault 'Epidemic'"

In that Army we have SARP training 3-4 times a year and nearly monthly reminders on the policies. In every other job I ever had on the civilian side, I never had the intense sexual assault prevention training that I have in the military. Nor in my civilian jobs did the employee express (and prove) they are there to actually help the victims. Instead of going to the boss if something happens we can go to someone who is completely dedicated (it's the soul purpose of their job) to help the victim.

SARP makes sure we know our rights, the laws, and ALL the resources available to us.

After transitioning to civilian life, I was surprised at the near total lack of sexual harrassment training, racial discrimination awareness training, and every other social training we had gotten in the military.

I was also surprised at the lack of the observation of things like Black History Month, etc.

 

[bodecea]

Knew there would be an increase in reports after DADT went away...due to women not being afraid to report rape....like they used to, with the fear of being labeled a lesbian and kicked out.

 

[waltky]

Granny says, "Dat's right - too much hanky-pankyin' goin' on...

Documents reveal chaotic US military sex-abuse record in Japan
February 9, 2014 — After a night of heavy drinking at the Globe and Anchor, a watering hole for enlisted Marines in Okinawa, Japan, a female service member awoke in her barracks room as a man was raping her, she reported. She tried repeatedly to push him off. But wavering in and out of consciousness, she couldn't fight back.

A rape investigation, backed up by DNA evidence, ended with the accused pleading guilty to a lesser charge, wrongfully engaging in sexual activity in the barracks. He was reduced in rank and confined to his base for 30 days, but received no prison time. Fast forward a year. An intoxicated service member was helped into bed by a male Marine with whom he had spent the day. The Marine then performed oral sex on the victim "for approximately 20 minutes against his will," records show. The accused insisted the sex was consensual, but he was court-martialed, sentenced to six years in prison, busted to E-1, the military's lowest rank, and dishonorably discharged.

The two cases, both adjudicated by the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, are among more than 1,000 reports of sex crimes involving U.S. military personnel based in Japan between 2005 and early 2013. Obtained through the Freedom of Information Act, the records open a rare window into the world of military justice and show a pattern of random and inconsistent judgments. The Associated Press originally sought the records for U.S. military personnel stationed in Japan after attacks against Japanese women raised political tensions there. They might now give weight to members of Congress who want to strip senior officers of their authority to decide whether serious crimes, including sexual assault cases, go to trial.

The AP analysis found the handling of allegations verged on the chaotic, with seemingly strong cases often reduced to lesser charges. In two rape cases, commanders overruled recommendations to court-martial and dropped the charges instead. Even when military authorities agreed a crime had been committed, the suspect was unlikely to serve time. Nearly two-thirds of 244 service members whose punishments were detailed in the records were not incarcerated. Instead they were fined, demoted, restricted to their bases or removed from the military. In more than 30 cases, a letter of reprimand was the only punishment.

Among the other findings

See also:

Admiral: Its time to focus ‘in a big way’ on preventing sexual assault
February 7, 2014 — The U.S. Navy admiral in charge of sexual-assault prevention told victims’ advocates here the time has come for the Navy to “shift rudder” and focus more on prevention.

In a meeting with about 30 advocates on Naval Support Activity Bahrain Thursday, Rear Adm. Sean Buck praised them for helping the Navy build a “world-class response system,” describing it as a benchmark in holding perpetrators more accountable than ever before. Buck, director of the Navy’s 21st Century Sailor office, said that for the past two years “we have thrown the kitchen sink at response.” He pointed to a variety of efforts, including increasing the number of Naval Criminal Investigative Service personnel probing such cases, and attorneys specifically trained to prosecute perpetrators. Buck said that in Norfolk it now takes about 81 days for Naval Criminal Investigative Service to investigate a sexual assault case, compared with 300 days in the past.

Buck told the group of servicemembers and civilians now is the time to focus on prevention in “a big way.” “I don’t think we have focused on it enough yet,” Buck said, adding that a two-year strategy to make a priority of prevention and to sustain the current response system will soon be published. Navy officials say the plan will factor alcohol misuse into the equation and target destructive behavior that can potentially lead to sexual assault. “I think I can try to prevent bad guys from within from going after our sailors ... so stand by if you’re a bad guy,” Buck said.

He said his goal is to eliminate sexual assaults but acknowledged that the reality of human nature means the problem will always exist in the Navy. Buck asked the victims’ advocates what tools and resources they need to do their job. One answered they needed money to buy spare clothes for the victims because all of a victim’s clothes and other items are taken as evidence. “That’s exactly what I need to hear,” Buck responded.

Petty Officer 3rd Class Robert Gerwitz, who attended the meeting, asked Buck for more high-impact training to combat sexual assault. “I don’t think sexual assault is taken as seriously as it should be,” at the work center level, he later told Stars and Stripes. The training needs to focus more on sexual assault being seen “as something that is done to a person and not done to a statistic,” explained Gerwitz, who said he appreciated the admiral’s willingness to have an open dialogue and candid conversation with the group. The fact that he turned the chair backward and sat down, “made me feel comfortable and more able to talk,” said Gerwitz.

Admiral: Its time to focus ?in a big way? on preventing sexual assault - News - Stripes