WASHINGTON, DC — U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) discussed the United States Armed Forces’ handling of sexually predatory behavior in its ranks with the commanders of the Air Force’s Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office (SAPR) yesterday. During her meeting with Air Force Major General James Johnson and Air Force Major General Roosevelt Allen, Duckworth also learned about the Air Force’s efforts to address and prevent sexual assault in the service.
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“As the events of this week made clear, sexual crimes are a serious and continuing problem that our military’s leadership needs to address and I will be monitoring the results of the investigation into the recent reports of Marines misconduct to ensure those responsible are punished,”said Senator Duckworth. “I also thank General Johnson and General Allen for taking the time to provide me with an overview of the Air Force’s Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office and how it educates Airmen and holds those who commit heinous acts accountable. It is essential that each branch of our military take this issue seriously by trying to prevent sexual assaults from occurring and investigating them appropriately when they do.”
Duckworth has a strong record of encouraging women to join the military and has been supportive of efforts to integrate women into combat units. She has been outspoken on the need to improve the military’s handling of sexual misconduct cases, having introduced legislation as a Congresswoman to create an independent panel to investigate sexual assault cases in the military instead of leaving investigative and punishment decisions to the sole control of commanding officers. In 2013, Duckworth also wrote an op-ed in the Chicago Tribune about the need to “stamp out sexual misconduct” in the military.
