WASHINGTON — Army bases with a excessive threat for sexual assault, harassment and different dangerous behaviors typically have leaders who do not perceive violence prevention, do not make it a precedence and focus extra on their mission than on their individuals, a Pentagon evaluation has concluded.
The evaluation studied 20 bases in the USA and Europe, together with 18 with among the extra extreme issues recognized in command local weather surveys. It discovered that the failures had been worse in plenty of bases in Germany and Spain the place key leaders and sources weren’t on website. Senior protection officers described the report back to The Related Press on situation of anonymity to debate the findings earlier than the evaluation was publicly launched.
At Naval Station Rota in Spain, for instance, officers mentioned the navy mission necessities “had been prioritized above and on the expense of the sailors’ well-being.” They mentioned sailors reported bullying, psychological well being points, sexual harassment and relationship issues, however typically couldn’t search assist as a consequence of their mission necessities.
In a single location, officers mentioned, they discovered that younger enlisted males had been taking steps to assist their feminine friends keep secure by protecting them away from extra senior leaders who had been harassing them.
Protection Secretary Lloyd Austin ordered the report as a part of his effort to strengthen sexual assault and harassment prevention throughout the forces, establish what applications work and guarantee high-risk bases get consideration shortly. Austin permitted the report, and in a memo obtained by the AP, mentioned it can assist the division tailor enhancements for bases the place wants could fluctuate.
“Whereas we now have made progress, we should do extra to strengthen the built-in capabilities we now have on the bottom to forestall sexual assault, harassment, suicide, home abuse and different dangerous behaviors,” he mentioned.
The report comes almost two years after Army Spc. Vanessa Guillén went lacking from Fort Hood, Texas, and her stays had been discovered two months later. Guillen was killed by a soldier, who her household says sexually harassed her, and who killed himself as police sought to arrest him.
Her demise and plenty of different crimes, murders and suicides led to heightened scrutiny on assaults and different violence within the navy, and to a collection of evaluations. An unbiased panel appointed by Austin final 12 months made greater than 80 suggestions, together with particular adjustments to enhance accountability of management, command local weather and tradition, and sufferer care and assist.
Officers mentioned Austin’s purpose is to seek out efficient methods to forestall dangerous habits, which incorporates sexual assault and harassment, suicides and home violence. They mentioned this newest report is designed to pinpoint which management and different failures contribute to increased cases of such habits and which prevention applications and different adjustments really work.
Based on the officers, 16 of the bases had been chosen as a result of a command local weather survey of almost one million personnel recognized issues there, which included issues akin to binge consuming, poisonous management, stress, and racial or sexual harassment. Whereas severe issues had been recognized at these 16 bases, the report checked out a wide range of components for every location and would not particularly characterize them because the worst within the navy.
Two different bases had been chosen as a result of the survey confirmed good outcomes, akin to excessive morale, inclusion and good management. Two others had a mixture of each high-performing and downside items.
The officers mentioned that whereas in lots of instances leaders had a real need to forestall violence, there was a “pervasive” misunderstanding of how one can do it they usually typically did not dedicate sufficient personnel or time for it or maintain subordinates accountable.
And even when they understood division insurance policies, leaders typically did not acknowledge when there was a excessive threat for violence or dangerous habits amongst their individuals.
In the USA, the bases surveyed had been: Fort Custer, Michigan; Naval Assist Exercise Saratoga Springs, New York; Fort Polk, Louisiana; Fort Bliss, Texas; Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia; Marine Corps Base Hawaii; Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska; Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, California; Laughlin Air Drive Base, Texas; Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California; Dyess Air Drive Base, Texas; Vandenberg Area Drive Base, California; the Kentucky Nationwide Guard; and the Army Reserve base in Fraser, Michigan.
The final two — the Guard and Reserve bases in Kentucky and Michigan — had been those chosen as a result of they’d much less threat and extra constructive command climates.
The abroad bases had been: Army Garrison Ansbach, Army Garrison Rheinland-Pfalz Smith Barracks; Army Garrison Bavaria; Naval Station Rota; Army Garrison Stuttgart; and the Army Garrison Rheinland-Pfalz, Kaiserslautern. All however Rota are in Germany.
For instance, the report discovered that on the Kentucky Nationwide Guard base leaders believed that their troopers got here first, and their “well-being was a part of the mission, not an adjoining effort that was secondary.” In distinction, commanders on the bases in Germany and Spain “tolerated dangerous behaviors” and it was troublesome to entry sources “as a consequence of mission necessities or geographic dispersion of companies.”
The report mentioned that the adjustments proposed by the unbiased evaluation board will assist handle the issues. These enhancements embrace establishing a devoted prevention workforce, expanded sexual assault prevention and response applications, and higher management. The finances for 2023 contains funding to rent extra personnel.
The report additionally recommends that the division set up knowledge to assist the navy companies share prevention and program assist info, maintain leaders accountable if they do not have wholesome command climates. Officers mentioned it is necessary to make sure that leaders higher perceive the prevention insurance policies and applications and that service members and workers know the place to go to get assist.
Officers additionally mentioned that there might be follow-up visits to the bases by this fall, and that comparable website visits and evaluations might be carried out each two years.
Austin is asking navy service leaders for implementation plans by early June and mentioned the division will challenge extra tips and insurance policies by early October.
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