U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, in his first assignment since taking office, gave him two weeks to report on the Army’s sexual assault prevention programs and an assessment of what worked and what didn’t.
Austin’s memo, which went out Saturday, meets the commitment made by senators during confirmation hearings last week. Joe Biden’s choice, a retired army general, promised to immediately address the issues of sexual assault and harassment in the ranks.
“It’s a leadership issue,” Austin said in his two-page memo. “We will lead.”
Senator after senator asked to know what Austin plans to do about the issue. According to the department’s reports, reports of sexual assaults have been steadily increasing since 2006, including a jump of 13% in 2018 and an increase of 3% in 2019. The 2020 data are not yet available.
The 2018 increase has fueled congressional anger and lawmakers have repeatedly called for action, including changes to the code of military justice.
“Do you agree that we can not do what we have been doing for the past decade?” Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, a New York Democrat, said during Austin’s confirmation hearing. “Have I committed you to being relentless on this issue until we can end the scourge of sexual violence in the military?”
Austin agrees and tells senators, “It starts with me and you can count on me getting it on day one after this.”
Austin arrived at the Pentagon on Friday, but spent his first hours in meetings with key leaders. He was in the Pentagon again on Saturday, calling peers around the world and signing the memorandum.
In his trial and in the memo, Austin admits that the military has long struggled with the problem, but that it needs to do better.
According to the directive, each leader must submit a summary of the sexual assault and harassment measures taken in the past year, which show promise, and an assessment of those who do not. And he asked for relevant data for the past decade, including efforts to support victims.
“In your report, consider new approaches to any of these areas,” he said, adding that “we should not be afraid to get creative.” Austin said he plans to hold a meeting with senior leaders on the matter in the coming days.
Nate Galbreath, acting director of the Pentagon’s Office of Prevention and Response to Sexual Assault, said last April that he was cautiously optimistic that the lower increase in 2019 would suggest a trend toward declining assaults. But he also said that sexual assaults are very rarely reported.
Galbreath and military leaders have introduced new programs, including increased education and training and efforts to encourage service members to intervene if they see a bad situation. Last year, officials announced a new move to eradicate serial offenders.
Many victims do not file criminal reports, which means investigators cannot pursue suspected attackers. Under the new system, victims who do not want to submit a public report are encouraged to provide confidential details.
Galbreath and others also argued that the increase in reports was a good sign because it shows that victims are more willing to come forward.