Lawmakers press for continued funds, staff to combat military sexual assault

WASHINGTON (SOA) — In Washington, D.C., there are new promises from the Pentagon, as old concerns continue to linger when it comes to sexual assault among our troops. According to the latest data, there were 8,195 reports of sexual assault in the military in 2024, a slight decrease from 2023. Some credit the decline to a massive overhaul of how the military handles sexual assault in recent years. Now, lawmakers want to ensure the reforms that were launched continue to progress.

For years, Spotlight on America has chronicled the stories of troops who were sexually assaulted, feeling betrayed not just by their attacker, but the institution they dedicated their career to.

The voices include Erin Scanlon, a former U.S. Army soldier turned military legislative assistant in the House of Representatives. Her accused assaulter was part of an elite military unit. She filed criminal charges with police, but the military took over the case and later found him not guilty.

"The biggest betrayal wasn’t the perpetrator, it was the military," Scanlon said.

Haleigh Creedon was sexually harassed by her supervisor, who was convicted in a historic case last fall.

"I think a lot of women suffer in silence," she told us.

It comes as the Army is in the middle of its largest sexual assault case in history. A military doctor, Michael Stockin, sexually assaulted dozens of male patients at Joint Base Lewis-McChord under the guise of medical exams. The Army is accused of allowing it to happen.

In exclusive interviews with Spotlight on America, victims described being inappropriately touched, leaving them confused, disrupting their families and careers and shattering their faith in the medical profession.

The way the military handles sexual assault cases has been overhauled in recent years, with reforms to the justice system, criminalizing sexual harassment, and devoting new resources to the Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office, or SAPR.

But some lawmakers are concerned that the reforms could be rolled back under the new leadership.

Just last month, a bipartisan pair of leading senators, Democrat Kirsten Gillibrand and Republican Lisa Murkowski, sent a letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, citing reports that SAPR could be on the chopping block and expressing "deep concerns" about the "mere possibility" of changes to the program.

The DoD told Spotlight on America that SAPR "will not be eliminated" and its policies remain in "full effect." You can read the military's response to all of our questions at the bottom of this article.

Gil Cisneros is a military insider, a Navy veteran, and former Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness. In 2022, he was tasked with implementing the very infrastructure designed to reform the military's handling of sexual assault. Many of them were from a 300-page independent review that launched a 7-year, $4.5 billion plan, including hiring a civilian workforce to help combat and address sexual assault.

"We need to make sure that everybody can work in a safe environment," Cisneros told Spotlight on America. "And that's part of the culture shift that I was pushing when I was there, and I'm afraid that it's not going to continue."

In a hearing in late April, Cisneros, now a Congressman from California, asked military leaders where the implementation of his plan stands now.

Officials responded by acknowledging the hiring freeze has impacted the civilian workforce, with Lt. Gen. Brian Eifler, Deputy Chief of Staff for the US Army, saying, "We have not gotten where we need to be on sexual assault prevention."

Recent reports found that job cuts across the DoD will delay plans to hire at least 1,000 civilians to help prevent, among other things, sexual assault in the military.

"We need to put people first," Cisneros said. "And if we are not going out and hiring the people that they need to talk to, the people that they need there for support, the people that can provide the training, then, to me, that doesn't say we're putting people first."

It's a sentiment shared by Congresswoman Marilyn Strickland. She's on the Armed Services Committee and represents Tacoma, Washington, home of Joint Base Lewis-McChord, where Dr. Michael Stockin assaulted dozens of his patients.

She told us she plans to ask for a list of staff for SAPR and to ensure that all programs are in place.

"The people who serve our military should never feel like they're at risk among their own colleagues," Rep. Strickland said. "But it's up to us as members of Congress to keep track of this."

She sent a letter to Secretary Hegseth after reports that SAPR training was paused at the start of the new administration. She received assurances that the "mission" regarding SAPR is intact, but she's not taking it at face value until Secretary Hegseth appears before her committee.

"A letter is just a letter," she said. "This should be a non-partisan issue."

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Below is our exchange with the Department of Defense, including specific questions about the SAPR program and staffing:

Q1. What is the current status of the SAPR program?

o Is it possible that SAPR could be eliminated?

o Is it currently being “reviewed” and/or “revised?”

o If so, when can we expect the revision to be complete?

o Which part(s) of SAPR are currently under review?

A1. No. The Sexual Assault Prevention and Response (SAPR) program will not be eliminated. It is an important element of our efforts to counter sexual assault, maintain high standards for our Military Departments, and strengthen our fighting force.

The Department of Defense (DoD) remains committed to providing Service members with recovery assistance and holding offenders appropriately accountable. We recently reviewed SAPR policy and federal regulations to ensure consistency and alignment with Executive Orders. SAPR policies were reissued in March 2025 and are available under the “Policy” section of our website.

DoD SAPR policies remain in full effect in accordance with existing law, federal regulation, and Executive Orders.

Q2. What is the scope of the reduction in force at SAPR? How many DoD employees whose scope of work includes SAPR have been offered buy-outs, retired, or been terminated since the new Administration began?

A2. SAPRO continues to assess the impact of the Department’s ongoing efforts to optimize the workforce in support of the mission, including the Deferred Resignation Program (DRP) for civilian employees. We have no further details to provide at this time.

Q3. Has Sec. Hegseth responded to the recent letter from Senators Gillibrand and Murkowski regarding the topic of funding to address sexual assault in the military? If so, please send the document.

A3. As with all Congressional correspondence, the Department will respond directly to the author.

Q4. Has Sec. Hegseth appointed a senior-level official tasked with addressing sexual assault?

A4. As required by Public Law 111-383 (FY2012 National Defense Authorization Act), Section 583, the Director of the DoD Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office (SAPRO) has been the senior leader dedicated to sexual assault prevention and response since August 2011. DoD SAPRO is currently led by a member of the Senior Executive Service. Learn more.

Q5. Can you confirm published reports that personnel cuts will delay hiring of at least 1,000 civilians to help prevent sexual assault, suicides, and other behavior problems within the military?

A5. Consistent with DoD leadership direction, we are taking the opportunity presented by the hiring freeze to further assess our workforce, identifying efficiencies, gaps, and ways to optimize our employees, programs, and resources in support of our critical prevention and response missions.

Q6. How do the changes being implemented with regards to SAPR ensure that victims have access to necessary services and continue the mission of preventing victimization?

A6. The Department continues to offer assistance to victims. Members of the military community, based in the U.S. and abroad, may contact their local Sexual Assault Response Coordinator (SARC) for help or reach out to the DoD Safe Helpline 24/7/365 for support understanding their reporting options, identifying available local services, and making a direct connection with a SARC or other assistance provider.

In addition, our prevention workforce remains available in each Service to assist and advise leaders, helping them to identify and address risks and protective factors related to sexual assault and other harmful behaviors.

The Department remains committed to preventing harmful behaviors, supporting victims of sexual assault, holding offenders appropriately accountable, and continuing the SAPR program.