Obama defense nominee vows to fight sexual assault in military
President Barack Obama's nominee for U.S. defense secretary, Ashton Carter, pledged on Wednesday to work to end sexual assault in the military and combat retaliation against victims who speak up."This problem with sexual assault is something that persists in our military. It's widespread in our society. It's particularly offensive in the military community because the military ethos is one of honor and trust," Carter told the Senate Armed Services Committee.He said some aspects of military life such as austere deployments and command hierarchy "also provide opportunities... for predators. So it is more offensive in military life than civilian life." The Senate is expected to swiftly confirm Carter, who would become Obama's fourth defense secretary. According to a biennial Defense Department report released in December, there were 19,000 thousand cases of unwanted sexual contact in the military in 2014, a decrease of 25 percent in total cases from 2012. The report also found 60 percent of those who reported an assault "perceived some kind of retaliation, often in the form of social retaliation by co-workers or peers."When asked about retaliation by New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, a Democrat, Carter said it is becoming more apparent "and the idea that victims are retaliated against, not only by the hierarchy above them but by their peers, is something that is unacceptable and is something that we need to combat."Women account for about 15 percent of active duty U.S. military, but their representation could increase as more front-line combat jobs are opened to them beginning in 2016. The Pentagon has recently increased efforts to end assault in the military.