Defense
Secretary Chuck Hagel said the Defense Department has made “encouraging
progress” in its efforts to combat sexual assaults in the military, though there
is still more work to be done. Speaking Jan. 16 during his closing remarks at
the Air Force’s inaugural summit on sexual assault at JB Andrews, Md., Hagel
said sexual assault is an issue that “has to be personal.” Accountability is
the key to solving the problem, he added. “Accountability is the one system
that does work in life. Whether you’re a parent or a you’re a spouse,
regardless of your profession, everyone is accountable. And, that is as it
should be,” said Hagel. “If we come at it that way, the accountability that we
each have ... then we’re off in the right direction.” After the Pentagon
announced a
sweeping
overhaul of its sexual assault and prevention program in 2013, the Air
Force expanded its SAPR office from a staff of four to more than 30 and introduced
the special victims council (SVC) unit, which according to survivors, has made
all the difference in terms of victim support. Despite these efforts, DOD still
has “to do more work” to stop “social retaliation against” the victims of
sexual assault. “I can’t think of an issue that is more essential to the health
of the force than eradicating sexual assault in the military,” Hagel said.
(Hagel
transcript.)