Sexual Assault And Sexual Assaults

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The US Military has been one of the most powerful and respected fighting forces in the world; it is also a hotbed for sexual assault. Each year, thousands of men and women take an oath to serve and protect their country and each thousands of military service members are sexually assaulted. “Earlier this week, Pentagon officials released a new report which estimated more than 70 sexual assaults occur in the military each day.”(Shane III) Fear of retaliation, both personal and professional, and humiliation stop many service members from reporting their sexual assaults. Those few that make the bold choice to report incidents of sexual assault often finds themselves disappointed by the outcome; assaults that do get reported have an incredibly low rate of conviction of the offender. The US Military has proven over time that they are incapable of effectively dealing with the sexual assault problem that it faces.
“The total number of reports of sexual assaults is up 11 percent over the previous year, and 70 percent over 2012, but officials said increased reporting is a sign of better confidence in the system.”(Hlad)
The US Military has created an environment that allows those who commit sexual assault to roam freely without any real fear of legal consequences; this can only be stopped if civilian court is allowed to handle and process all US Military sexual assault cases.
The US Military has a long history and jaded history of issues with sexual assault. The number of women sexually assaulted in the US Military is 5% higher than that of women in the ficivilian population; there are an estimated 20,000 sexual assaults on women service members each year. This is not, however, a strictly female problem; it is estimated that nearly half of...

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...ese predators will be back in the civilian population and with no criminal record of sexual assault, they will pose a risk to many Americans.
Each year, thousands of people raise their right hand and swear an oath to serve and protect this country; they make a promise to give their lives if that is what they are called to do. Each year thousands of these same people are having their own basic rights violated and those in charge are not taking the necessary steps to bring about justice. The US Military and its chain of command have had years to fix their broken system and have failed to do so. It is time for the US Military hand over the reins and allow civilian courts the right to process and punish sexual assault cases that occur in the military. This is the only way we can guarantee that those who serve our country will be able to get the justice that they deserve.

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