Army Commanders Strategize On Reducing Sexual Assault And Harassment

WASHINGTON (AP) — Fresh off a training session on preventing sexual assault and harassment in the military, Army commanders are now charged with finding ways to get troops to protect one another. It's an effort to change a culture that's led to 26,000 service members reporting some type of unwanted sexual contact or sexual assault, based on a survey conducted last year.

Army Vice Chief of Staff General John Campbell says sexual abuse is now considered an "insider threat," and will not be tolerated. He says respect and discipline, along with education, are part of the solution.

At the end of last year, after lengthy negotiations with the Pentagon, lawmakers passed legislation that beefs up legal rights for victims and strips military commanders of their ability to overturn jury convictions. But, defense officials beat back efforts to allow victims of rape and sexual assault to go outside the chain of command for prosecutions.