Hagel: Fight Against Sex Crimes ‘Must Be Personal’

Each man and woman in uniform must step forward and take action when they witness or experience sexual assault, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel told an audience at a Jan. 16 conference on prevention of the crime at Joint Base Andrews, Md. Commitment to end sexual assault in the military “must be personal,” Hagel said. “It won’t get fixed in Congress, in the White House, or anywhere else.” He also reiterated that ultimate responsibility lies within the chain of command. “It’s your responsibility to step in and deal with it – stop it, or if you can’t stop it get somebody who will stop it.”