DoD AWOL on Sexual Assault Problem; Gates Must Step In

by: Brandon Friedman

Mon Aug 04, 2008 at 20:12:11 PM EDT

But there's one thing that's been bugging me since last week.  In case you missed it, the Defense Department is trying to blow off the House Subcommittee on National Security and Foreign Affairs:

There was quite a struggle in Congress this week. The Department of Defense refused to allow the senior civilian in charge of its Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office (SAPRO) to testify in Thursday's hearing on sexual assault in the military. Rep. John Tierney, chair of the House Subcommittee on National Security and Foreign Affairs, angrily dismissed Principal Deputy Undersecretary of Defense Michael Dominguez from the hearing when Dominguez said that he, the DoD chief of legislative affairs and the chief of public affairs, had ordered Dr. Kaye Whitley, chief of SAPRO, to refuse to honor the subpoena issued by the subcommittee for her appearance.

Full committee Chairman Henry Waxman called the DoD's decision to prevent Whitley from testifying "ridiculous and indicating DoD is covering something up." It could also place Whitley in contempt of Congress. Rep. Christopher Shays said the DoD's decision was "foolish."

One of the questions that would have been put to Whitley was why DoD had taken three years to name a 15-person civilian task force to look into allegations of sexual assault of military personnel. The panel was finally named early in 2008 but has yet to meet. She would have also been queried on the SAPRO program's failure to require key information from the military in order to evaluate the effectiveness of sexual assault prevention and response programs.

Here's the video of the blow-up:

Now, granted, Gates is a busy man with competing priorities--and two ongoing wars.  So maybe this hasn't crossed his desk yet.  Maybe this is an issue that hasn't risen above the Undersecretary level yet.  But if it hasn't, it needs to.

This type of conduct by the Defense Department is despicable, and it's indicative of a Presidential administration that has no respect for the American people or their elected Representatives.  Congressmen Tierney and Waxman should not only hold Deputy Undersecretary Dominguez in contempt, but they should subpoena Secretary Gates on this one.  As Congressman Waxman said, this is "ridiculous."

It's more than apparent that the Defense Department is covering up bad news here.  Otherwise, why wouldn't they want to solve the problem?  In reality, there is no reason to refuse to allow an expert to testify during a hearing described as such:

The hearing sought to ensure that the Department of Defense has adequate policies and oversight mechanisms in place to prevent, treat, and punish sexual assaults.

That's a no-brainer.  With three female troops having been murdered this year stateside, and with the long list of rapes and suspected murders in theater, it's clear that something needs to be done.  And what the Defense Department is doing now is far worse than simply ignoring the problem: They're actively attempting to obstruct Congress from investigating it.

Many of us have been pleased with the moderate (non-neo-con) stances Secretary Gates has taken since he assumed the role from Rumsfeld over a year and a half ago.  But now he must step up and show the leadership that the troops and their families expect of him.  He needs to rectify this situation.  And quickly.

If he doesn't, he will show that the Defense Department has no respect for its female troops, and, more importantly, that he's going to allow murderers and rapists to sully the name and reputation of America's Armed Forces.  And no one wants to join an organization like that.

There is a problem within the military, and we have to recognize that.  Whether it's borne of the stresses of combat, lowered enlistment standards for an over-stretched force, or something else, it is a problem for which we should have zero tolerance.  All troops must feel safe within the ranks.