Addressing Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment

In July 2023, the Commandant directed a 90-day effort –the Accountability and Transparency Review – to uncover weaknesses in current Service authorities, policies, processes, practices, resources, and culture. Ultimately, the goal of the review was to strengthen our culture, consistent with our Core Values, and create an environment where every Coast Guard member feels safe and valued. The team pursued six primary lines of effort: 

This effort identified organizational improvements to instill a greater culture of accountability and transparency and mutual respect throughout the Service. The actions we are taking are designed to increase our focus on sexual assault and harassment prevention, improve skills-based training and leadership development, make more effective use of survey information, and devote more attention and resources to “Recovery” in Sexual Assault Prevention, Response, and Recovery (SAPRR) in our obligation to care for survivors.

Through the Commandant’s Directed Actions issued this past November, Coast Guard leadership is keenly focused on moving the Service forward and providing the workplace climate that all of our members expect and deserve. A workplace intolerant of harm. Of the Commandant’s 33 directed actions following the Accountability and Transparency Review, nearly half have already been completed. These actions span the following lines of effort:

• • Improve workforce training, culture, and professional development;
• • Creation of an Integrated Primary Prevention (IPP) program;
• • Incorporate our core values more thoroughly into enterprise communication, training, and evaluations;
• • Develop policies to improve accountability related to sexual assault and sexual harassment;
• • Increase oversight and greater accountability at the Coast Guard Academy; and
• • Improve transparency and access to workforce climate data and resources.

You can find more detail regarding the Commandant Directed Actions, and their current status, here: https://www.uscg.mil/Strengthening-Service-Culture/Directed-Actions/

The Coast Guard handles reports of harmful behaviors through a fair and impartial  system that ensures due process and protects the privacy of everyone involved.  

The Coast Guard takes every allegation of sexual misconduct seriously, including past cases, and encourages reports be made to the Coast Guard Investigative Service (CGIS). Reporting is the best way to ensure accountability and get the necessary support, and there have been recent improvements to the reporting options available.   

All investigations involving victims are reviewed by the Office of the Chief Prosecutor (OCP), an independent team outside the member’s chain of command. The OCP then decides whether there is enough evidence to take criminal or administrative action. 

All military branches were required to establish an OCP as part of the National Defense Authorization Act of 2022.  With Congress’ support, the Coast Guard stood up the OCP in April 2023. 

The Coast Guard changed its Military Separations policy to make it abundantly clear that sexual assault and sexual harassment will result in the offender being processed for separation from the Service. Any military member found to have committed sexual assault or sexual harassment will be processed for separation. Those separated will receive a characterization of service no higher than General (Under Honorable Conditions). Previous policy did not directly state that committing sexual assault or sexual harassment was a standalone basis for separation. This policy gap meant that commands had to connect the dots themselves, rather than requiring one consistent response to all substantiated sexual assault or harassment claims. 

Current policy is now clear:

• Officers found by at least a preponderance of the evidence — meaning more likely than not — to have committed an act of sexual assault or sexual harassment will be processed for separation for cause for moral or professional dereliction. 

• Enlisted members found by at least a preponderance of the evidence to have committed an act of sexual assault or sexual harassment will be processed for separation for misconduct.  

The updated Military Separations Instruction also clarifies the process and criteria for retired grade determinations, allowing us to “go back and retire someone at a lower grade because they have been substantiated for sexual assault or sexual harassment,” said VADM Paul Thomas (ret.) at his Congressional testimony.

Social media can be a quick, easy way to speak up about a sexual assault, and to voice concerns about process, transparency, and accountability. However, we cannot guarantee that we will see or be able to act on social media posts or other informal communications alleging misconduct.  

The best way to help ensure accountability or gain access to resources is to use the established following options:  

• The DoD Safe Helpline Chat Room offers a safe space for victims and serves as a resource for healing.  

• The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs provides free treatment for any physical or mental health conditions related to experiences of Military Sexual Trauma (MST) | Veterans Affairs (va.gov).  

• Restricted or unrestricted reports can be made to a SARC, VAPS, VVA and healthcare professionals, and they can help you connect with support services. You can find your local SARC and VAPS here.  

• Unrestricted reports can also be made to anyone in a member’s chain of command or directly to CGIS. Contact info for CGIS regional offices can be found here, or you can call (202) 372-3000. You can also submit a report online.  

 

Once lost, trust is difficult to regain. Coast Guard senior leaders are keenly aware that our members don’t want platitudes; they want action. The service has completed more than half of the 33 Commandant-Directed Actions designed to improve the system, the remainder either in progress or pending funding. Members are encouraged to pay close attention to these fast-moving changes, so they can help share accurate, up-to-date information on social media and throughout the Coast Guard community. To stay informed, bookmark and visit the new Strengthening Service Culture website. 

The EVA amplifies victim’s voices and addresses service-wide issues to help create a more effective, transparent, accountable, and victim-centric system. The EVA also serves as a focal point for victims’ advocacy groups. The Enterprise Victim Advocate is not a trained volunteer victim advocate and does not provide survivor services or confidentiality.  

Restricted or unrestricted reports can be made to a SARC, VAPS, VVA and healthcare professionals, and they can help you connect with support services. You can find your local SARC and VAPS here.  

A Sexual Assault Response Coordinator (SARC), Victim Advocate Program Specialist (VAPS), Volunteer Victim Advocate (VVA), or Coast Guard medical officer can take a report of sexual assault. Any other form of disclosure by a victim is not a report.  

Taking a sexual assault report includes two key actions:  

• Explaining the Victim Reporting Preference Statement (Form CG-6095) to the victim, and 

• Signing the Victim Reporting Preference Statement as a witness to the victim’s election for either restricted or unrestricted reporting.   

No. 

To access physical and mental care at the Veterans Affairs, no documentation of the MST experience is required, and you don’t need to have reported the MST. 

Filing a claim for Veterans Affairs disability compensation benefits does require some documentation, but not necessarily a CG-6095, (Victim Reporting Preference Statement). For help with disability compensation related to Military Sexual Trauma (MST), you can contact the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) by reaching out to the MST Outreach Coordinator at your local VBA Regional Office.  

You can find more detail regarding the Commandant Directed Actions, and their current status, here: https://www.uscg.mil/Strengthening-Service-Culture/Directed-Actions/ 

As of the end of June, 16 of the 33 CDAs have been completed, including: 

• Victim Mentor: Furthering its mission of supporting all members, the Coast Guard Mentoring Program now offers mentees the opportunity to search for and connect with a VVA-certified mentor. 

• Online Mandated Training: The mandatory training for next calendar year will have a Sexual Assault Prevention, Response and Recovery (SAPRR) online module separate from the Resiliency module. 

• Enhancing Rights of crime victims--Right to Be Heard: Victims may now be present or provide a statement during administrative separation proceedings related their Sexual Assault or Sexual Harassment (SA/SH). 

• Cadet Swab Summer: Coast Guard Academy’s swab summer now has three distinct phases: acclimation, training, and orientation. The updated program will help cadets shift from the civilian world into the military environment and make sure they’re prepared to act in alignment with the Service’s Core Values. 

• Cadet Oversight: To provide Coast Guard Academy cadets with more oversight in Chase Hall (the cadet barracks), four additional company officers and four additional company chiefs arrived before this year’s swab summer.  

• Cadet Conduct System: Numerous updates to SA/SH reporting and the Coast Guard cadet conduct system have been made at the Coast Guard Academy. 

• Resources Hub: Coast Guard has published crisis resource hubs on both MyCG and Pixel. You’ll find the same info on both platforms, so you can quickly and easily figure out how to get help if you’ve experienced harassing behaviors or are experiencing crisis of any kind. 

• On MyCG, click Crisis Support. 

• On the Pixel Dashboard, click the “In Crisis? Click Here” button on the bottom of the left-hand column. 

• VA to IPERMS Connection: The Coast Guard decreased the time some members wait for their U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) disability rating. To adjudicate claims of military sexual trauma (MST), the VA uses designated teams specialized in the unique nature of MST-related claims compared to other service-connected conditions. These teams need access to a member’s personnel file since medical records alone may not clearly reflect how a victim was impacted by MST. Now, the Coast Guard allows the VA direct access to iPERMS (interactive Personnel Electronic Records Management System) to retrieve needed records. Previously there was a significant delay in the manual transmission of the personnel file. Separating and retiring members who need to file an MST-involved claim will now receive their disability rating much sooner, ensuring they have continued access to support and medical services. 

Many victims would like to see the investigation into their allegations, as a way to support their recovery. However, the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and Privacy Act require executive branch agencies to receive a FOIA request before releasing criminal investigation records – even if the victim themselves is the requestor. The law also requires executive branch agencies to redact certain information in order to protect the personal privacy of witnesses and others who might be mentioned in the records. (You can learn more about these requirements on the Department of Justice’s Privacy Act website.)  

Once victims file their FOIA request, they deserve to receive their records quickly. The Coast Guard has been adding personnel and streamlining processes to help expedite victims’ requests.   

While the Service wants every victim to get support, we are also mindful that victims are not all the same. Every individual’s experiences and needs are unique. And some victims have clearly communicated they do not want the Coast Guard contacting them again about their case. The DHS Office of Inspector General (OIG) has also directed the Coast Guard to limit outreach to individuals involved in historic cases, to avoid any potential conflicts with the OIG’s investigation. 

Any Coast Guard victim in need of care is encouraged to reach out to their servicing Sexual Assault Response Coordinator (SARC) or Victim Advocate Program Specialist (VAPS). Members can also receive services for military sexual trauma at Veterans Affairs health care facilities. The VA will provide care regardless of whether the member reported the incident or provides any documentation. Individuals are not required to have reported the incident or provide any documentation in order to receive care.