How can Navy stop sexual assaults? First, admit they happen, admiral says.
Two to three sexual assaults were reported daily in the Navy in 2010, and alcohol was a key factor in most cases, the admiral says, adding that the attacks erode trust and readiness in the force.
Two to three sexual assaults were reported daily in the Navy in 2010, and alcohol was a key factor in most cases, the admiral says, adding that the attacks erode trust and readiness in the force.
On the heels of a boozy pool party that led to the firing of a US Navy captain for skinny dipping with subordinates, top Navy officials say that they need to take a tougher look at the 鈥渃ommand climate鈥� that could contribute to sexual assaults, saying they erode trust and readiness throughout the force.
The key, says Adm. John Harvey, Jr., head of US Fleet Forces Command, is that commanders simply acknowledge that such events are not 鈥渁 remote possibility but a likely possibility鈥� and recognize those situations that can lead to their taking place.
Two to three sexual assaults were reported daily throughout the Navy in 2010, the most recent year for which figures are available. Of those, more than half 鈥� 55 percent 鈥� are 鈥渂lue on blue,鈥� or an assault perpetrated by a sailor against a fellow sailor.
鈥淢ore staggering, these were only reported cases,鈥� says Admiral Harvey, who estimates that 鈥渢here could be 60 to 70 percent more鈥� sexual assaults annually throughout the force.
听
The net impact of these assaults is devastating, eroding 鈥渢he trust which holds us together as a Navy,鈥� says Harvey, speaking Tuesday at a roundtable discussion with reporters at the Pentagon. 鈥淚t destroys 鈥� I want to emphasize that word 鈥� destroys the readiness of the force.鈥�
听
Such frank acknowledgement of the prevalence of sexual assault is beginning to lead to key policy changes that could eventually begin to bring down the incidents of the crime.
听
This week, the Government Accountability Office issued a report that found that the Department of Defense has now fully put into place half of the GAO鈥檚 recommendations regarding the reporting, documentation, investigation, and training in sexual assault prevention.
听
鈥淥ver time, the Pentagon has notoriously ignored the advice of experts, including its own task forces and studies 鈥� so it is encouraging that the DOD is taking steps to implement the GAO鈥檚 policy recommendations,鈥� says Anu Bhagwati, a former Marine Corps captain and director of the Service Woman鈥檚 Action Network.
听
Yet some critics say the Pentagon must take further steps to address a culture that might lead to such assaults. Harvey acknowledges that it鈥檚 important to not 鈥減retend that because we鈥檝e set some training out there you鈥檝e completely mitigated the possibility鈥� that assaults could occur.
听
In most cases, 鈥渢he key factor involved was alcohol,鈥� he adds. 鈥淭his is larger than just the Navy or a fleet issue,鈥� he says. 鈥淚t is cultural 鈥� it is what we believe about ourselves and how we act.鈥�
听
Yet even in the midst of efforts to prevent sexual assaults, the admiral says, 鈥渨e haven鈥檛 moved the needle鈥� in terms of bringing down the number of rapes in the force or focusing in on some of the factors that might contribute to assaults.
听
The key is that commanders must acknowledge that assaults are 鈥渁 likely possibility,鈥� adding, 鈥淚t鈥檚 the human thing when you put men and women together.鈥�
听
For this reason, it is the commander鈥檚 responsibility to begin to 鈥渋nterrupt鈥� the chain of events that can lead to assault. 鈥淩arely are these spontaneous events that don鈥檛 have a trail.鈥�
听
He cited as an example a group of sailors too young to drink alcohol legally who might come into a port of call and decide to get a hotel room and have someone buy liquor for them. 鈥淚 know getting three to four people together requires planning,鈥� and people might overhear this planning, Harvey says. In many cases, this group might include at least one female soldier. 鈥淏ad decisions start to get made,鈥� Harvey says.
听
The key is for leaders within the Navy to keep their ears open and stop it. 鈥淲hen you鈥檙e the captain of a ship and you ... come into port, do you think of all that bad things that could necessarily happen?鈥� Harvey says, or 鈥渟omeone in the crew who鈥檚 made a target of the young female sailor and is waiting for a target of opportunity?鈥�
听
In most cases, 鈥測ou tend to mentally say, 鈥楾his wouldn鈥檛 happen in my ship, squadron, submarine.鈥� 鈥澨�
听
鈥淏ut it鈥檚 happened two or three times a day across our Navy for the last couple of years.鈥澨�
听
So, he adds, commanders have to think, 鈥淥kay, no matter how great I think my sailors are, we鈥檝e got an issue here that I鈥檝e got to deal with.鈥澨�