Inspector General’s review is ordered by the Secretary of the Air Force following CBS News investigation By Norah O’Donnell I have concluded that the Air Force must do more to build trust with domestic violence victims in the early stages of reporting and investigations.
Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall review order After a September 2021 CBS News investigation into domestic violence in the military included stories Survivors who reported abuse to the Air Force.
As a result of the review, Kendall directed a new 90-day review evaluating how victims are supported in the Air Force. According to an Air Force spokesperson, the effort includes partnering with outside organizations and former military spouses who have experienced domestic violence to ensure that the Air Force provides appropriate services to potential victims.
Over the past year, the Air Force has also launched multiple initiatives to address domestic violence, including creating an online system that allows domestic violence advocates to keep longer records to better identify repeat domestic violence offenders. The Bureau of Special Investigations also engaged 86 other special agents to investigate the violence.
“Domestic violence has no place in our Air and Space Forces – it breaks our service family bonds, it destroys individuals, families and our communities, and it is illegal,” Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall said in a statement to CBS News. Friday.
“While we have taken action to improve victim response and support programs, there is more work that needs to be done to earn and maintain survivors’ trust,” Kendall said.
CBS News’ two-year investigation of the Domestic violence in the military found it Almost 100,000 incidents Domestic violence has been reported to the military since 2015. About 40 domestic violence survivors told CBS News that the military failed to protect them.
Among those who spoke to CBS News was now-retired Staff Sergeant Erica Johnson, who told Air Force leaders in 2019 that she had been physically and sexually assaulted. Johnson said the Air Force Office of Special Investigations launched an investigation, but it “has not gone anywhere.”
Kendall ordered a review of domestic violence cases in the Air Force within days after the CBS News investigation aired on CBS Evening News with Norah O’Donnell in September 2021.
Nora O’Donnell, Kristin Steff, Adam Verdugo and David Martin contributed to this report.
CBS News investigation into domestic violence in the military:
‘It was an extreme betrayal’: Survivors say the military failed to address domestic violence
A woman reported domestic violence to the Air Force. This is how her investigations were revealed
The Pentagon has spent $1 billion on a program for domestic violence victims since 2015. Survivors say they have not been able to get help
The domestic violence crisis in the military worsened after 20 years of war
