Austin still mum on whether to prosecute sexual assaults outside chain of command May 6 Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is waiting to hear what the service secretaries have to say before making his final decision. (Staff Sgt. Brittany A. Chase/DoD) An independent panel of a dozen experts has recommended that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin establish a body outside the chain of command to prosecute sexual assaults. His top uniformed adviser, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Army Gen. Mark Milley, is also open to the idea. And Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., says that after nine years pushing, she believes she has the votes in the Senate to make it law. But Austin isn’t taking a public position.
End commanders’ power to block military sex assault cases, Pentagon panel says April is Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month. (Sgt. Sarah D. Sangster/Army) WASHINGTON A Pentagon panel is recommending that decisions to prosecute service members for sexual assault be made by independent authorities, not commanders, in what would be a major reversal of military practice and a change long sought by Congress members, The Associated Press has learned. The recommendation by an independent review commission created by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin goes against decades of vehement Pentagon arguments to keep cases within the chain of command. It was among a number of initial recommendations delivered to Austin on Thursday, according to two senior defense officials.
Service chiefs will weigh in on controversial plan to remove commanders’ control over sexual assault cases 18 hours ago Slain soldier Spc. Vanessa Guillen s family has said she didn t report sexual harassment because she believed her leadership would ignore it. An independent Pentagon commission has recommended that such cases be investigated outside the chain of command. (Godofredo A. Vásquez/Houston Chronicle via AP) Now that a Pentagon review commission has made the controversial recommendation to strip commanders of their authority to oversee sexual assault and harassments cases, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin wants to get feedback from top military leaders before making any final decisions about formal changes.
Fort Sill sexual assault case stirs up the worst kind of deja vu Despite years of efforts, sexual assault scandals continue to erupt in the Army. (Sgt. Uriah Walker/Army) Multiple cadre members are under investigation at Fort Sill, Okla., in connection with the sexual assault of a trainee, though officials have not confirmed on the record how many of them and what roles they might have played in a crime. This is nothing new for the Army.
were charged for assaulting trainees in the past two years alone, those cases don’t often make headlines until a larger scandal explodes into the public sphere.
Some troops disappointed by check-the-block extremism stand-downs, others laud commanders airforcetimes.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from airforcetimes.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.