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The Intercept
14-04-2025
- Politics
- The Intercept
Pentagon Considers Cutting Its Sexual Assault Rules
The Pentagon is considering scrapping key regulations intended to address sexual assault within the military, according to a memorandum obtained by The Intercept. Advocates for sexual violence prevention and awareness in the armed forces argue that removing these rules would not only potentially violate federal law, it would also have a 'chilling effect' on survivors. On February 19, President Donald Trump issued an executive order directing federal agencies, in coordination with Elon Musk's so-called Department of Government Efficiency, to review and potentially cancel regulations that the administration might deem unconstitutional, that inhibit innovation, or are too onerous to small businesses, among other grab-bag categories. In response to Trump's order 'Ensuring Lawful Governance and Implementing the President's 'Department of Government Efficiency' Deregulatory Initiative,' Deputy Secretary of Defense Stephen Feinberg called on top officials at more than a dozen Defense Department agencies. Feinberg ordered them to comb through their organizations' regulations — identified in a spreadsheet attached to the memo — and specify whether any rules flagged in the executive order apply to them and indicate whether they should be altered or rescinded. One of the regulations under review created the Sexual Assault Prevention and Response program and the Sexual Assault Prevention and Reporting Office, which oversees the SAPR program. SAPR provides military survivors of sexual assault with mental and physical heath care services, advocacy services, and legal assistance. In addition to offering support to victims, the program also provides trainings on how to prevent sexual assault and collects data on sexual violence within the military. The program and the office implementing it emerged from a 2005 Department of Defense initiative looking into sexual violence in the military. Later that year they were effectively codified by the National Defense Authorization Act, which required the military to create a victims services program. The program was expanded by the 2006 NDAA, with more oversight provided to Congress. Ever since, the Pentagon has been required to provide a comprehensive report on sexual violence and the efforts it is taking to prevent it to Congress. Experts in military sexual violence argue that while the program is far from perfect, losing it would set justice for survivors back decades. They also raised legal concerns over any efforts to potentially shutter the program, noting that it's mandated by Congress. 'Framing this like another pointless initiative is dangerous,' said Erin Kirk-Cuomo, co-founder of Not In My Marine Corps, a group of current and former service members working to end sexual violence in the military. 'It's a misunderstanding of number one, the law, and also the lived reality of what it is to be a sexual assault and harassment survivor in a military uniform.' Kirk-Cuomo said that without SAPR, armed forces culture would revert to the days of the 'Tailhook' scandal: an infamous incident of mass sexual violence in the military that sparked national outrage and action. She fears a return to a time when 'sexual assault survivors are ignored, inappropriately discharged to silence them, and at worst, pushed into self-harm.' Even with these regulations in place, sexual violence remains underreported in the military, especially among male service members, said Kirk-Cuomo. The military estimates that in 2023, roughly 29,000 military personnel were sexually assaulted. But research from Brown University suggests that the real number is likely 2.5 times higher than estimated. A 2021 investigation by The Intercept found that sexual assault of U.S. military personnel in Africa was far more common and widespread than the Pentagon reported to Congress. Between 2010 and 2020, the Pentagon's Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office counted 73 cases of sexual assault in the U.S. Africa Command, or AFRICOM, area of operations. Yet criminal investigation files, obtained by The Intercept via the Freedom of Information Act, show that military criminal investigators logged at least 158 allegations of sexual offenses in Africa during that same period. The case files also revealed that charges of sexual misconduct involving U.S. military personnel occurred in at least 22 countries in Africa, including 13 nations that did not appear in annual Defense Department reports. 'He's exactly the type of service member who consistently marginalizes the voice of survivors.' This isn't the first time the Trump administration has hinted at dismantling SAPR. Earlier this year, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and military leadership rolled out cuts to several SAPR programs, which they later walked back. Kirk-Cuomo said it isn't shocking that Hegseth in particular, would have it out for SAPR. 'He's exactly the type of service member who consistently marginalizes the voice of survivors,' she said. Hegseth faced allegations that he sexually assaulted a woman in 2017. He denied it, saying it was consensual. No charges were filed. He has acknowledged paying a settlement to his accuser. The spreadsheet of regulations under review was developed by the Office of the Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Privacy, Civil Liberties, and Transparency, according to Pentagon spokesperson Eric Pahon. Among those tasked with conducting reviews of their regulations include the under secretary of defense for personnel and readiness, which oversees the Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office; the Office of the Inspector General, the Defense Department's watchdog; and the departments of the Army, Navy, and Air Force. Feinberg directed officials to complete their review and submit their recommendations by close of business April 18, so it's too early to tell which regulations might ultimately wind up on the chopping block. The regulations under review run the gamut, from providing protections to vulnerable individuals and groups to rules necessary to shield national security and safeguard taxpayers from fraud and abuse. These include regulations governing the protection of human subjects in biomedical research, assistance to victims and witnesses of crimes, and defense contracting. The memo comes as Pentagon leadership makes life more difficult for marginalized communities serving in the U.S. military, going so far as to temporarily erase the achievements of nonwhite service members, including Jackie Robinson, from their website. The Pentagon would not clarify when final determinations on rules to be modified or terminated would take place. 'All reviews and decisions on those regulations will be made in accordance with EO 14219,' Pahon told The Intercept, referring to Trump's February 19 executive order. Josh Connolly, senior vice president of Protect Our Defenders, said it seems as if the Trump administration is conflating 'wokeness' with sexual violence prevention, an issue that impacts service members of all genders. 'Just taking him at his word, he doesn't want women to serve in combat roles. Sounds like [Hegseth] thinks they've gotten unfair treatment to their benefit and to the detriment of men in the military,' he said. 'And so through that lens, I'm concerned.' Connolly pointed out that a key part of the regulation requires the military to track incidents of sexual violence, a vital part of taking this issue seriously. 'They would truly be sweeping this issue under the rug,' he said, 'and it would send a profoundly chilling message to survivors of sexual assault, harassment without question.' Ultimately, the responsibility to protect this program lies with Congress, said Connolly. 'Congress must play a role in this, because they help set up and stand up this office to begin with,' he said. 'This is happening on their watch.'
Yahoo
12-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
'Not Only Irresponsible But Also Dangerous': Democrats Demand Answers on Paused Military Sexual Assault Training
Democratic women on the House Armed Services Committee are demanding the Defense Department explain why at least some military services have paused sexual assault prevention training amid of a review of whether materials run afoul of President Donald Trump's orders to scrub anything related to diversity and gender identity. In a letter Monday to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, the lawmakers noted the sexual assault prevention training is required by law and called on him to answer how exactly Trump's orders led to the pause. "This decision is not only irresponsible but also dangerous, sending a clear signal that leadership is willing to deprioritize a systemic issue that continues to harm service members," the lawmakers wrote in the letter, a copy of which was obtained exclusively by "Given the military's well-documented struggles with addressing sexual violence, pausing this critical training is indefensible and raises serious questions about the commitment to protecting those who serve." Read Next: In One of the Marines' Most Iconic Jobs, a Stunning Pattern of Suicide The letter was organized by Democratic Reps. Sara Jacobs of California and Chrissy Houlahan of Pennsylvania, who is the ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee's personnel subcommittee and an Air Force veteran. It was co-signed by all the other female Democrats on the House Armed Services Committee. On his first day in office last month, Trump signed an executive order demanding an end to all "diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility" programs across the federal government. The executive order did not define what that means, which has led to a scramble across government agencies to remove any references to women and minorities that might upset Trump and his appointees. A separate order Trump signed on his first day in office eliminated the federal government's recognition of transgender people and deemed anything related to gender identity to be impermissible "gender ideology." In the military, the diversity order initially led to assurances from officials across the services and Pentagon that, after years of congressional restrictions on diversity measures, the order would have little to no impact. But in reality, the order led to widespread confusion, as well as concerted efforts to curtail outreach to minority groups. In some cases the removal of materials has been short-lived after public outcry or key words were deleted. For example, Army and Navy webpages that featured histories of female soldiers and sailors were recently restored after being briefly offline. In the case of the Navy site, the word "diversity" was removed from the web address when it was restored. Business Insider first reported last week that Navy and Marine Corps training for sexual assault prevention and response, known as SAPR, was paused amid a review of whether the training complied with the executive order. The Navy confirmed to that it quietly paused all its SAPR training last week. An email from the Navy's top base commander that was provided to reporters and posted online said that he was "advised to stand down ALL SAPR training until we receive further guidance" by a senior lawyer. Destiny Sibert, a spokeswoman for the head of the Navy's Installations Command, confirmed that the email was authentic and that the sea service halted the training "in order to complete a review of the internal curriculum to ensure compliance with recent executive orders." While Sibert said that the goal was to keep the pause as short as possible and there would be no disruptions for sailors, she wouldn't say what was being targeted for removal and didn't answer request that the Navy share what was removed once the review was complete. The Army, meanwhile, reviewed its training and found it to be in compliance without pausing it. Officials at the Pentagon stressed that only the trainings were being paused and "sexual assault prevention and response programs and policies remain in place." One official who spoke on the condition of anonymity told on Tuesday that the Defense Department was "revising content to remove references to 'gender,' 'gender identity,' and 'gender ideology' and replacing these terms with 'sex.'" "These changes in terminology required a thorough review and administrative edits to SAPR policy, programs and training, but their critical work in the mission continues without pause," the official added. The SAPR training has been required by law for more than a decade as part of Congress' efforts to stamp out sexual assault in the military. It is required for incoming service members, new commanders, first responders, victim advocates and as part of professional military education. Despite the efforts by lawmakers and military officials, sexual assault rates in the military have remained troublingly high. The Pentagon's most recent sexual assault report, released in May, found that military sexual assaults were down in 2023 compared to 2021, the first time in nearly a decade there was reduction in assaults. But that still meant that about 29,000 service members were sexually assaulted. During his confirmation process, Hegseth faced pointed questions about his commitment to fighting military sexual assault -- in large part because he himself faced allegations of sexual assault in 2017. Hegseth maintains the encounter was consensual, and he was not charged. In written answers to questions about how he plans to prevent military sexual assault, Hegseth said during his confirmation process that his "ambition would be to drive sexual assaults in the military down to zero and any steps we can take toward that goal I will consider." In their letter to Hegseth on Monday, the House Armed Services lawmakers were at a loss for how Trump's executive orders could apply to SAPR training. "There is nothing in the executive orders published to date that would remotely lead to this result," they wrote. The lawmakers demanded to know the rationale behind pausing the training, how long the pause will last, and if any lawyers weighed in on whether the pause violates the law requiring the training. They also asked for information on how many victim advocates are missing out on training, whether any steps are being taken to ensure reporting of sexual assault doesn't decline during the pause, and whether the trainings are being restructured. "The safety and well-being of our service members must remain a top priority," they wrote. "The DoD has a duty to maintain a safe and professional environment amongst all branches of our military, and this move signals a disturbing lack of commitment to that mission." Related: Military Effort to Scrub Diversity Programs Leads to Dead Websites and Confusion
Yahoo
07-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Some military services are pausing their sexual assault training to make sure it fits Trump's new orders
Military units pause training amid compliance reviews with Trump's directives. The pause is also affecting some courses that train troops to help victims of assault. Military sexual assault rates persist, though some services report a decline. President Donald Trump's executive orders targeting government diversity, equity, and inclusion activities and "gender ideology" appear to be throwing a wrench into some military sexual assault prevention education programs. Some units have paused their sexual assault prevention and response, known as SAPR, training efforts amid ongoing reviews of program compliance with Trump's orders. In response to the orders, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) sent out memos on implementing the president's orders, each referencing relevant training. Destiny Sibert, a Navy spokeswoman, told Business Insider Thursday that "in compliance with OPM guidance, Commander, Navy Installations Command (CNIC), which oversees the Navy SAPR program, has temporarily paused training for SAPR staff." A review of the curriculum is underway to "ensure compliance with recent executive orders," she said. Sibert added that the "necessary revisions will be completed and updated materials will be provided to the sexual assault response workforce soonest." The SAPR training pause does not extend to support services provided to sexual assault victims, Sibert said. "CNIC and the Navy SAPR program are committed to providing quality care, advocacy and support to the Navy community." A spokesperson for the Marine Corps, which falls under the Department of the Navy, told Business Insider that "as of February 4, SAPR-related training was temporarily paused to review and ensure compliance with Executive Orders and directives." Training is expected to resume this week. Neither the White House nor the Army and the Air Force responded to Business Insider's request for comment by time of publication. Sexual Assault Prevention and Response (SAPR) was created in 2005 to be "DoD's single point of accountability for sexual assault prevention and response policy and program oversight," according to the program's website. The mission is to prevent assault by educating troops, and to provide support to victims. US military personnel are required to receive sexual assault prevention training every year. The training is geared toward various rank blocks— for example, junior enlisted troops receive different education than senior enlisted troops or officers. These annual sexual assault prevention trainings normally last around one hour. US military sexual consent education is often the first time that junior service members receive formal instruction on what constitutes consent, as most states lack consent education in K-12 grade school curricula, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a sexual health and reproductive rights research and policy organization. The people who teach service members about consent are usually other uniformed personnel who have attended a short course to become a "uniformed victim advocate." The UVA position is most often a collateral duty for troops who are also expected to assist victims of sexual assault in the wake of an assault. Such assistance can include liaising with commanders, mental health professionals, and legal services to advocate on behalf of the victim. Military sexual assault rates have remained a persistent problem within the armed forces, though reports last year indicated that rates may be on the decline for the first time in years for some, but not all, military services. Many military assaults are never reported. Read the original article on Business Insider
