american express open forum. this is what membership is. this is what membership does. welcome back to taking the hill. i m patrick murphy. today we re talking about how the military can be an agent of social change. president truman desegregated the armed services 16 years before the civil rights act was signed. the military recognizes now same sex marriage but civilians in only 17 states and washington, d.c. have similar rights. now the military face as new challenge. sexual assaults. can it set an example again? joining me now are three veterans who are serving as advocates, congressman tim walls a member of the veterans affairs committee and retired command sergeant major in the army national guard.