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 U.S. military is maintaining a beefed-up presence in the Middle East, including fighters and air defense assets, following the U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities June 22 and subsequent retaliation by the Iranians against Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar.
