Help break the silence

“My supervisor told me not to tell my commanding officer. … When a report was made, they tried to keep it as quiet as possible.” — Jimmy Coats, who served in the Navy for eight years
The accounts by survivors of sexual assault recently detailed in The New York Times are exactly why real reform is needed in the military justice system. There were an estimated 26,000 cases of sexual assault last year, but only 3,000 were reported.
And when a survivor does file a complaint, the commander in charge has the ability to set aside guilty verdicts, return the attacker into the ranks, and in some cases even promote the attacker.
We need your help to change the system right now. Tell your Senators you won’t accept anything less than a strong solution for military survivors of sexual assault.
While your Senators are home and looking to hear from their constituents, they need to hear that you support legislation, introduced by Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, which takes the decision to prosecute these cases out of the chain of command and puts it where it belongs — in the hands of trained independent military prosecutors. We’re almost there, and you can help push this through.
Help us stand up for service members everywhere by writing your Senators and telling them you support the Military Justice Improvement Act.
This legislation transcends party politics — with Republicans and Democrats signing on to support the bill. They understand that our service members deserve better, and they’re willing to work together to make it happen.
We need to keep up the pressure on our Senators to support this legislation. And we need your help to do it.
Tell your Senators you won’t accept anything less than a strong solution for military survivors of sexual assault.
Sincerely,