Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel reiterated his commitment to “stopping sexual assaults in the military,” during a recent visit to the Rape, Abuse, Incest National Network. During the visit, Hagel praised RAINN workers for raising awareness of sexual assaults and for providing victims a strong support network, states an April 21 release. “You are changing the world for the better,” he told RAINN employees. More than 300,000 people have used the “military-centric” Safe Helpline for information regarding sexual assaults, since it was launched three years ago. More than 22,000 people have sought anonymous one-on-one assistance and crisis support during the same time period through online chat, telephone, and texting helplines, states the release. “The connections we’ve seen on [Safe Helpline] are pretty powerful,” said Jennifer Marsh, the network’s vice president for victim services. “People leave feeling like they’re not alone and like they’ve helped somebody else, which we know is a big part of the military.”
F-35As from the Vermont Air National Guard have deployed to Puerto Rico in recent days, continuing a major buildup of U.S. Air Force assets in Latin America aimed at combating drug trafficking and pressuring the regime of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro.
