Hagel ends furloughs for SHARP staff
I guess the Pentagon is completely married to this idea of having a sexual harassment/assault response program, because according to the Stars & Stripes, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has mandated that SHARP staff is immune from furloughs;
Hagel last week ordered the military to review and recertify all 25,000 personnel working in programs to prevent sexual assault and help victims. The announcement followed a Pentagon announcement last week that a sexual assault response coordinator at Fort Hood, Texas, was being investigated for pandering and sexual assault. And earlier this month, an Air Force officer who oversaw that service’s sexual assault response branch was charged with sexual battery, accused of approaching a women in an Arlington, Va., parking lot and grabbing her breasts and buttocks.
Among other measures, Hagel also ordered a DOD-wide search of work areas for “degrading, offensive materials” and told the Pentagon’s acting general counsel to evaluate a program to provide military attorneys to advocate for victims.
It kind of reminds me of anti-gun legislation – they’re trying to look like they’re doing something, anything just to look busy – like those staff NCOs who walk around all day with clipboards and a scowl so people think they’re busy when they’re only making circuits to the snack bar. But it’s good that Hagel is really working to spend his dwindling budget in a way that contributes to national defense instead of something stupid. That was sarcasm, in case you missed it.
Category: Big Army
Inspection! Down with the girlie shots!
Inspection ended. Up with girlie shots!
Time was being an admitted homosexual or being found with a 60 watt bulb in your butt was a no go for enlistment. Nowadays, it’s encouraged–anything to reduce the male on female claims!
And yet they are closing the base libraries at Davis-Monthan and Kirtland AFB’s……
Now if there is twenty five thousand DOD/military personnel working on this problem, and the latest I’ve read is an estimated twenty six thousand were assaulted at some level last year, or about one victim per worker bee, it would seem to me that if each one of those personnel only investigated one claim and got all the facts, witnesses and pertinent info, then everyone went to some sort of special court martial, this could be cleard up in a couple months. But if there is one investigative personnel to a claim, it also seems to me this will just be another boondoggle to throw money at and never resolve the problem. JUST LIKE THE VA BACK LOG of CLAIMS.
I was being somewhat sarcastic too, but seriously if there is no prosecution, there are no consequences. Many of the assaults were homosexual attacks but only the man/woman kind is getting the big press. If the gov’t can afford to put up this smoke screen, and then do noting it’s all a waste of time. Like securing the borders and any other problem congress or our “leader” has no clue what to do.
So this means I can’t tape those naked combat warrior centerfolds on the inside lid of my foot locker any more?
Dammit, I was hoping this “sequester” would be good for something! But no…….gotta keep those damn PowerPoints coming, huh?
geee…
25K infantry in Afghanistan would not only curb this problem almost entirely because it’s all male, but it might actually contribute to the purpose of the military during a war.
lol @ community organizing in actions.
Why won’t this bad dream end?
Firing all 25K of those folks would reduce the number of assaults by how much?
Meanwhile, just saw a headline somewhere about homosexual assaults in the military having skyrocketed.
Action in the absence of leadership is chaos. Maybe Hagel should take up golf and let one of the adults take charge?
Nawwww, nobody’s going to let a captain run DoD!
If you’re convicted of a sexual assault type crime in the military, do you have to register as a sex offender? Maybe there should be a national registry for sex offenders, since I don’t think every state has one.
Can’t imagine that most registries would kimit where or by whom one was convicted of a sex crime.
or even “limit”
I was a UVA as a secondary duty back in the day.
And I am scratching my head.
They bring in a bunch of civilian liberal(s) women to educate us male IN on what to do. Not prevention, but response.
A VERY terrible duty, I might add.
Just confused on their approach.
Do not get me wrong, punish and imprison the men/women that commit this crime.
But I would argue the social science experiment needs to be ended. Before it gets worse.
Sorry, but this is how I feel.
But they seem take a more
RE: “Hagel also ordered a DOD-wide search of work areas for “degrading, offensive materials”.
Do pictures of Dear Leader count? I certainly think they are degrading (of the Office of the Presidency) and offensive.
Scratch the last statement.
Was not paying attention.
@11, 12
I don’t know if it’s the case, but if you are registered on one sex registry, does that register you for all?
Either way, I think a member of the military that is convicted of the appropriate type of crime they should be registered in all states.
Except for rapists. Kill those fuckers. A serial rapist will never “get better”.
And no, it’s not a deterrent. Horse thieves were punished by hanging, back in the day. People still stole horses. While it might not stop someone else from raping someone, it’ll make damn sure the convicted never does it again.
Heard on the steampipe you might have an Elvis poster in your wall locker too, PH-2. Better hide it as well. lol
Maybe if we deployed all the SHARP idiots to A’stan, they could bore the Taliban to death. PowerPoint-the new weapon of mass distraction
Just when the country’s level of stupidity seems to peak, another kick in the head comes around. Just think what these 25,000 folks could accomplish if they were in an operational setting vice taking this number out of hide for some feel good program. Does anyone think these folks are bought and paid for just for being sexual assualt program experts.
Don’t get me wrong, I do have extreme sympathy for assaulted and abused individuals but the SHARPs and other untrained individuals (attending some week long BS series of lectures does not make one trained) in the mix does not provide value added. Let the victims be treated by the medical professionals and the CIDs, NCIS and other real legal or law enforcement agencies handle the paperwork.
I’m still convinced the questions asked in the polling and other data sources have been skewed to show the liberal left what they want to hear, not what they should. I’m certain that some number of she said, he said incidents and Monday morning buyer’s remorse of weekend events come into play. I just can’t believe the numbers having seen the professionals I worked with over a 30 yr career. I really get pissed off when I see three supposed leaders of the nations legislature call our professionalism and morality into question when members of their own body (Congress and Senate) are not exactly squeaky clean.
@Streetsweeper: Elvis? No. Not Elvis. I do admit to Claude Akins, Warren Oates, Sean Bean, Kenneth Branagh, and occasionally, George Peppard.
(Sigh.) I really wish that the TV networks would wise up and put Tight Pants Night back together.
@16 – Not sure how the sex registry thing works for folks in uniform. I presume the school of thought is if your convicted of a sex crime, some sort of discharge should follow and the servicemember gets sent home. What happens after that is anybody’s guess.
I don’t see anyone being convicted of a sex related crime being allowed to stay in uniform for too long, but the question is: How is it reported to authorities?
Right, nice to see Hagel put his mind to something and, as usual, come to exactly the wrong conclusion…
It would be ridiculous for any one in the nation to think that with all the budgetary concerns facing the nation and the military, that the Secretary has determined sexual harassment/assault to be the military’s most pressing concern. The last time I checked there were still troops being wounded and killed overseas.
I have indicated in the past that statistically this issue is not insignificant, but in no way is it the front runner with respect to the need for resources. Apparently Hagel can’t resist a little pandering to the folks who gave him the job, thanks for nothing Chuck. You had an opportunity to let the military know where you stand, you could have stood for the troops instead of standing for your boss.
There would be nothing wrong with admitting that this issue is a concern but it’s hardly the number one concern. Because if it is the number one concern, where is the outrage over this issue in the civilian sector where it occurs ever 6 and a half minutes? Where’s your boss on that one Chuck? Oh that’s right he’s busy diverting attention from the plethora of scandals currently surrounding his feeble administration so you Mr. Hagel thought it would be best to place a shiny object on the table and distract the reporters. They won’t bite this time, too much background noise from the White House. Do your f$cking job Mr. Hagel and stand up for the troops even if it means finding your testicles somewhere south of your belt buckle and standing up TO your boss, d1ckhead.
Maybe they should try something new. Let’s give the Starship Troopers method a try. Shower and live together all the time. Hard to rape a person when you have sixty other people in the same room. Hell make the CAC have full body naked pictures. Institute mandatory morale pin up sessions with everyone posing. Make a calender with your platoon…
Oh man that shit would be hilarious to watch now that I think of it.
Hey, as a GS employee involved in training of active duty personnel, if Chuck needs my paycheck to make sure the rapin’ stops, then furlough the SHIT out of me!!!
@ #23: Your scenario makes no less sense than what they are doing!