Report of the Defense Task Force on Sexual Assault in the Military Services
Abstract
The Task Force on Sexual Assault in the Military Services was established on October 3, 2005, pursuant to Section 576 of Public Law 108-375, the Ronald W. Reagan National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2005, to examine matters relating to sexual assault in which members of the Armed Forces are either victims or commit acts of sexual assault. The Task Force consisted of five members from the Department of Defense (DOD): one civilian official from the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) and one Service Member from each Military Service; and five members from outside the Department of Defense. In compiling this report, the Task Force gathered and analyzed information from two detailed data calls to the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD), the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), the Combatant Commands, and the Military Services. We conducted site visits at sixty installations in the United States, the Middle East, the Pacific Rim, and Europe, including deployed locations. During these site visits, we interviewed key decision makers and service providers responsible for addressing sexual assault. We also conducted focus groups at each site to assess Service Members' understanding of sexual assault, as well as military sexual assault prevention and response programs, policies, and practices. With the assistance of the Defense Manpower Data Center (DMDC), the Task Force developed, administered, and then analyzed results of surveys of Sexual Assault Response Coordinators (SARCs), their supervisors and Victim Advocates (VAs). Within the realm of military justice, we conducted extensive interviews with prosecutors, defense counsel, military judges, convening authorities, and senior policy officials, and we made site visits at the US Disciplinary Barracks (USDB) at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, Naval Consolidated Brig at Miramar, California, and Department of Defense forensic laboratory at Fort Gillem, Georgia.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 01, 2009
- Accession Number
- ADA545871