Additional information
by Subcommittee on Personnel of the Committ (Author)
Sexual assaults are very traumatic events for victims, traumatic events that have long-lasting, frequently lifelong consequences, including PTSD and suicides. There is zero doubt that sexual violence is occurring at an unacceptable rate within our military. Too often, our service men and women find themselves in the fight of their lives not in a theater of war, but in their own ranks, among their own brothers and sisters. While Congress is not in full agreement on the extent of the reforms required to solve this crisis, last year's National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) took positive steps forward, including 36 separate provisions to address sexual assault in the military, which were supported unanimously, and additional important legislation is still under consideration, including my bill, the Military Justice Improvement Act. No matter where any one person falls in this debate, we can all agree that we must fully understand the long-term psychological toll on the survivors of sexual trauma in the military and the best practices for effective treatment.
