In his first directive since taking office, United States Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin gave his senior leaders two weeks to send him reports on programs to prevent sexual assault in the military and an assessment of what worked and than it didn’t work.
Austin’s memo, which came out on Saturday, fulfills a pledge made to senators last week during confirmation hearings. The choice of Joe Biden, a retired army general, promised to immediately resolve the problems of sexual assault and harassment in the ranks.
“This is a leadership issue,” said Austin in his two-page memo. “We will lead.”
Senator after senator demanded to know what Austin planned to do about the problem. Reports of sexual assault have steadily increased since 2006, according to department reports, including a 13% jump in 2018 and a 3% increase in 2019. Data for 2020 is not yet available.
The 2018 increase fueled the ire of Congress and lawmakers repeatedly called for action, including changes to the Military Justice Code.
“Do you agree that we cannot continue doing the same thing that we have been doing for the past decade?” Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, a Democrat from New York, said during Austin’s confirmation hearing. “Do I have your commitment to be relentless on this issue until we can end the scourge of sexual violence in the armed forces?”
Austin agreed, telling the senators, “It starts with me and you can count on getting it after that on the first day.”
Austin arrived at the Pentagon on Friday, but spent his first hours in meetings with key leaders. He was at the Pentagon again on Saturday, making calls to counterparts around the world, and he signed the memo.
In his hearing and memo, Austin acknowledged that the military has long struggled with the problem, but they must do better.
The guideline asks each leader to send a summary of the promising sexual assault and harassment measures taken last year and an assessment of those that do not. And he asked for relevant data from the past decade, including efforts to support victims.
“Include in your report consideration of new approaches to any of these areas,” he said, adding that “we should not be afraid to be creative”. Austin said he plans to hold a meeting on the issue with senior leaders in the coming days.
Nate Galbreath, acting director of the Pentagon’s Sexual Attack Prevention and Response Office, said last April that he was cautiously optimistic that the minor increase in 2019 suggested a downward trend in aggression. But he also said that sexual assault is underreported.
Galbreath and military leaders have implemented new programs, including increased education and training and efforts to encourage the military to intervene when they see a bad situation. Last year, authorities announced a new move to eliminate serial criminals.
Many victims do not file criminal charges, which means that investigators cannot pursue prosecutors. Under the new system, victims who do not wish to make a public report are encouraged to provide confidential details.
Galbreath and others also said that the increase in reports was a good sign, as it showed that the victims were more willing to report.