Sexual Assaults in the Military

I am a retired naval officer, with over three decades of Active-Duty service. 
 
Over the last 30+ years, the Navy has changed much.  For example, in addition to decreased rates of sexual assault, we now have women who are not only serving on combat ships, they are also inspirational Commanding Officers of those mighty warships.  More recently, Lorna M. Mahlock became the first Black woman to be nominated as a Brigadier General (a one-star general) in the United States Marine Corps, a true first of its kind for the Marines.
 
Still, the last two years saw an actual surge in the number of reported sexual assaults in the American military.
 
To be sure, with regard to fundamentally changing and continuously reshaping the military culture, we must remember that our services draw upon a cross-section of America.  And, as such, regardless of the remarkable selection and rejection process, our service academies and enlisted recruiters still garner a cross section of personnel from our nation’s vast population of young people. 
 
Those young people each have their own respective talent, temperament, and traditions.  
 
Accordingly, we must inspect what we expect – something of a critically needed feedback loop.  I believe the military is facilitating this feedback loop via surveys and interviews, a rudimentary but viable feedback mechanism.
 
And yet, our nation’s military must also become more proactive and courageous on HOW we deliver messages regarding sexual assault.  And, guess what… the message is not just about “zero tolerance.”  That’s a reactive and, literally, untrue message. 
 
The message should altogether be about a shared ethic; an emotional connection; and a factual, logical discussion on not only WHY these types of events continue to happen, but also HOW to prevent them from occurring.
 
Though I am a tried and true retired naval commander, when it comes to the prevention of sexual assault, I witnessed one of the most powerful training methodologies I have ever seen while serving as the Director of Operations (Brigade S3) at the 599th Transportation Brigade, an Army command here in Hawaii.
 
          The approach to effective training was simple…
 
          But it was definitely not an easy approach.
 
The Program Manager for the SHARP program brought in a true survivor; a victim of a very real and very serious sexual assault.
 
In no uncertain terms, that young lady’s courageous stand impacted the audience in a way I had never seen before.  She was a junior soldier.  She was also the daughter of a senior Army officer.  As she unpacked her personal story to the training audience, her Truth resonated with a gravity and gut-punching reality that can only be garnered by someone who has suffered what she had personally endured.  
 
Much like the fact that fathers of only boys will never understand what it’s like to be the father of a daughter.  And much like the fact that there are some things that a woman will not know until she becomes a mother (or a grandmother) … there are subjects in life that are best taught by a select few. 
 
The qualified education that is imparted by an experienced individual is inherently invaluable.
 
Ironically, the military, with its legions of generals and admirals, colonels and captains, should understand and apply this concept in the same manner they promote and provide for the most experienced, knowledgeable, qualified, and (hopefully) insightful leaders.  After all, generals have spent years in the sandbox.  And admirals have spent years circumnavigating the earth by sea.  When it comes to their respective service missions, they can tell you how to do X, Y, and Z… literally with their eyes closed.
 
I have a life mantra that I garnered while serving a fateful assignment in the sandbox somewhere in Southwest Asia.  And if you have ever read any of my books, blogs, or short post/responses, you are likely aware of my familiar refrain of {Accept. Adapt. Achieve! ®}
 
Whenever I speak with a group of leaders, I “give” this mantra to them as a roadmap:
 
If we can accept something, we can usually adapt to the related situation, and we can then achieve a desired result.
 
Indeed, if we can ACCEPT and ADAPT, we can ACHIEVE almost anything.
 
Thus… Accept>>Adapt>>Achieve ®.
 
Yet, it is the inverse of the mantra that is the actual roadmap...

Thus... Achieve>>Adapt>>Accept.
 
Ask yourself:

• WHAT is it that we want to achieve?

 
And then, once you have answered that question, ask yourself another question:

• In order to accomplish what we want to achieve, we must adapt; we simply but surely have to change.  Most importantly, to WHAT do we need to adapt?

 
Finally, we get to the heart of the matter: in order to effect true change…

• We must first accept a few things.  And WHAT is it that I/we need to accept?

 
I caution leaders against trying to fully understand (as opposed to simply accepting).
 
I’d say that 99% of the population probably doesn’t understand how a cellphone works, but 100% of the population fully accepts what little they know… and then they use the device.
 
Likewise, if the military wants to change the culture, they must first ACCEPT a few things.
 
Unfortunately, the United States Army vigorously facilitates mounds and mounds of annual training to its force of Active and Reserve soldiers, civilian employees, and contracted personnel.  Why is this “unfortunate”?  Because the educational videos and computer-generated training programs often miss the mark.
 
          What is this “mark” of which I speak?
 
          It is the mark of empathy.
 
Indeed, the videos and computer-generated training programs all too often become a check in the ol’ Training Box.
 
As I stated in my retirement speech in 2018, in terms of a quantity of time, I own one million seconds of time in the United States Navy (1986-2018).  And by the time I was promoted to commander, I also owned a sort of upgraded citizenship.  Please understand: this “upgraded” citizenship is not a better citizenship, but rather one that comes with higher expectations. 
 
And we very well should expect more from our military.  After all, it’s where we send our most treasured assets: our sons and daughters.
 
Accordingly, it’s time for our senior military leaders to stand up and speak up about personal development as well as professional development.  It’s time to move past the sympathetic ear and the overzealous training programs.  It’s time to proactively and literally preach not only to the ears of the incoming classes of warriors, but also to the hearts and minds of every single Soldier, Marine, Sailor, and Airman.
 
We will move the needle only when we have courageously, proactively, and continuously aligned a personal and precise message that “It is our individual duty, mission, and responsibility to fundamentally change and reshape our culture.”
 
To effect such a change, we must integrate the message and the medium with the ethos, pathos, and logos that is REQUIRED for such a life-altering, mission-ending, personnel crisis that results from head-in-the-sand training regiments.
 
If the Navy wants to improve its metrics on sexual assault, it needs to improve its indoctrination of every single one of our Sailors.
 
If the Navy wants to improve its metrics on sexual assault, it needs to understand that metrics don’t tell the whole story.
 
If you truly want to know the whole story… ask a survivor.
 
© 2019 John H. Clark III. All Rights Reserved.

John H. Clark III is an optimistic realist.
 
He believes better development of leaders is what we (all) need.  And to be better organizations, we need more good leaders, not followers. To build better leaders, we must start with the individual (you, she, he, and me).
 
Described as “an innovative leader,” John teaches leaders, organizations, and individuals how to inspire each other. With a bold goal to inspire a worldwide community of optimistic realists who continuously accept, adapt to, and achieve the bold and beautiful concept of The Ideal Life, John is leading a movement to inspire people to apply his trademarked mantra {Accept. Adapt. Achieve! ®}.
 
An innovative business manager and retired naval officer, John is fascinated by leaders and organizations that make the greatest impact within their organizational culture and within the “real” world — people who “get it.” Over the course of his life as a military leader, corporate mentor, and innovative content creator, John has discovered a wealth of insight about how we think, act and communicate within our respective work/life environments. As a career naval officer, mentor, educator, and optimistic realist, he has devoted his life to sharing insights to assist in our quests to become better at what we all do – live @ work!
 
An optimist with a penchant for writing about realistic solutions to the challenges of everyday life, John is the author of 3 books: a leadership-development insider, "The Ideal: Your guide to An Ideal Life," a teen-focused guide, "Getting Out: Expert Advice for Today’s Teens," and the Christian-based book, "God’s Heartbeat: A Powerful Premise for Leading a Christian Life."
 
He delivers a unique and refreshing point of view to life's seemingly overwhelming situations. 
 
Through books, blogs, and everyday conversation, John's message resonates with an empowering blend of ideals that enrich, uplift, and “authorize” people to set and achieve goals far beyond current mindsets.  His trademarked phrase is a winner: