US Air Force Academy official, Brig. Gen. Susan Desjardins, told lawmakers last week that the academy has “come a long way in addressing sexual assault and violence since the events of 2003 and before.” Desjardins, who is the new commandant of cadets, testified that the school first had “to understand sexual assault as a continuum of inappropriate behaviors,” and sought outside experts in the field to help the school identify the nature of the crimes and methods to use to prevent them. (Read the Air Force news release here.) The latest DOD survey of service academies showed that sexual assault and harassment has declined at USAFA.
The incoming head of the 7th Air Force will face an intense mission while relying on 4th-generation fighters to stave off looming threats from North Korea and China.