Why are Army leaders failing so abysmally to implement a successful SHARP?

CPT (Join to see) In 1973, I arrived at Fort Hood having just finished basic and AIT. Those were troubled times racially, but we always seemed to have MORE trouble right after one of the interminable race relations briefings.

There's almost nothing that can't be screwed up, once people are involved. Simple example is the Communist slogan, "From each according to his ability; to each according to his need." It's great, until people get in the way, and NO ONE produces according to their ability without something extra from themselves, and EVERYONE wants more than they need.

And we can get more modern with Hillary saying that in the case of assault, the woman should be believed. And yet that doesn't apply to Paula Jones and the other women molested by Slick Willie.

Some women want to be fully integrated into the military; treated so that their sex is immaterial. And that's not a bad thing to hope for. But two people go out drinking. They wake up the next morning in bed. Suddenly the stories are different. The woman was taken advantage of. The guy thought she was making a play for him. Who is right and who is at fault?

Our sexual harassment briefings often show a woman falling down drunk, and put the onus on a man to see she gets safely to bed. Are women so weak and unintelligent that they need a minder when they go out drinking?

There's also the "sexual revolution" that has been going on since the 60's, so long that almost no servicemembers today were alive when it started. The basic premise is that going to bed is no different that shaking hands. "If it feels good, do it!" (And no, I'm not claiming to have been perfect. I have been falling down drunk, and I've had one night stands. The thing is, if that's the NORM, and gender doesn't matter, then it's the NORM for women too.)

The simple truth is that going out and getting falling down drunk is a really STUPID thing to do, regardless of your sex. But that's what many of our servicemembers choose to do with their off time. And drunk servicemembers do really stupid things that cause them to spend a night in jail and spend the next few months on extra duty. How did this situation become something different just because women wanted to get in on the fun?

We have a strange culture. On St Patrick's Day, you can wear funny clothes, stick a leprechaun's pipe in your mouth, get falling down drunk, and everyone laughs. If you try that on Cinco de Mayo, wearing a Frito Bandito moustache, you are a racist. There are people who are convinced that the Stars and Bars means the holder favors slavery, and others who think it mourns the loss of State's Rights and the 10th Amendment to the Constitution. We tell Aggie jokes, and dead baby jokes, and Polack jokes, and Ethiopian jokes - at what point does that cease to be fun and become racist? NCOs say, " Don't call me Sir! I work for a living!", and officers say, "Don't call me Sergeant! I have a college education!" Are those discriminatory or just good, clean fun?

I don't think reprisals are a good response, but I can't help wondering as the commander must wonder, if this is a case of rape or buyer's remorse. There's an old saying, "No one was ever raped on an upper bunk." What that means is that unless their is bruising or some other damage, its hard to determine which story is the true one. One thing I am sure of. Equality must come with thicker skins, or it isn't about equality.

I do not have a solution. But I don't think we can say, "boys will be boys", when it's the guys going out and getting stupid, and then make it a federal crime when a girl goes along. I think women are smart enough to have a dedicated driver, and to make sure a trustworthy female friend goes with them when they are going to drink. And I think we need swift investigation of allegations, and investigators who know when to say, "I cannot judge between the two stories. Both are at least partially at fault."

Philosophically I agree with SSgt (Join to see). In these types of questions I always try to think of demographic data and how that would be tied in. Each year we recruit ~60,000 new Soldiers in the total Army. Most of them kids out of high school or from a college campus (slightly more mature).

A 1-2 hour powerpoint semiannually or quarterly will not change how the human body and psychology operates. I'll speak for men as I am one: 900,000+ years of evolution has dictated the animal instincts of how human mating happens. That isn't changed with a power point. A modern civilization such as ours is still owned and operated by people who, on an evolutionary scale, are a shade above neanderthal.

Anyway, we know better because our mothers raised us so. Instead of cave manning our way to the win ...when we see something we want we try to engineer a situation to get it. In proper engineering a date, flowers, chocolate, chivalry, time, and all the good things that go into good human relations happens. In bad engineering alcohol (or rank or whatever) is poured into the mix and its forced.

I'm going to guess as every year we add 60,000 new Soldiers to the force NOT All OF THEM will be the best of social engineers. In my SHARP style training I try to name and call out this type of behavior. Prevent bad things from happening by recognizing that you (or your buddies) are poorly engineering a situation.

Preserve human dignity, SHARP will never replace damn good leadership.

What is your definition of "abysmally" failing? In the last two years, I've dealt with three SHARP cases which were investigated fully by CID after the victims came forth and all victims were treated with dignity and respect. Good leaders make the difference and based on purely personal observations, I have to disagree with us leaders failing our Soldiers.

Thanks for raising this question which still has not been adequately answered, even tho I believe for the most part, the services are sincere in eliminating this horrible problem which has existed since the beginning of time no doubt. If one reads the various report from DOD to Congress they paint a fairly rosy picture of progress being made on all levels. Yet there are still disturbing reports on the other hand of less than satisfactory progress. Depends on who you want ot believe. Speaking out may be the most powerful way to put a lie to the rosy reports and make people recognize the truth where it lies.

My cynical side tells me it's because people know when they're being BS'd.

We can all generally agree on two things: sexual harassment = BAD; sexual assault = VERY BAD.

So where do we go from there? The Army has chosen to conduct regular blocks of training that may or may not (I think not) do anything about the problem. After an overview of what constitutes harassment and what constitutes assault, focusing on the areas that might lack fidelity ("what exactly is "quid pro quo?"; "she was drunk, so she didn't say 'no'!), we're done with training, and are now in the penalty phase.

Commanders and other leaders have to create climates that don't allow the conditions amenable to harassment and assault to fester and grow, but seriously, no one but no one thinks rape is okay, and if they do, an hour block of instruction won't fix that.

Like everything else I see in today's military, SHARP is "Band-Aid program" that fails to get to the heart of the issue. I have been accused of being a "knuckle dragging Neanderthal" and an old school officer out of the stone age, but I see even the need for a SHARP program as pathetic attempt to paper over several social engineering attempts forced upon the US military while it is trying to fight a GWOT. Actually the problem goes way before 9/11 but the solution has been and still is LEADERSHIP down to the individual fire team, The Army Values, and the Warrior Ethos.

Now, in full disclosure, I have been involved in raising four daughters (adopted and step) and I see no reason why men and women can not serve side by side. I say involved because, face it men, it takes a Dad's love to raise a wholesome and empowered woman....but they need a lot of a Mother's instruction and modeling to round them out and make them effective powerful people. Frankly, most young women today are still defining who and what they are....and what they want. They are told they can have it all and that men are not necessary. But at the same time their hearts, minds and perhaps body is at odds to those messages. I for one can see women in combat roles so long as the meet realistic standards that have not been watered down for political purposes. BUT is this what they really want...or is it the fact that the opportunity exists should they so choose?

At the same time, I see a generation of young men who are confused and full of misconceptions as to what a man is and is not. You can blame liberalism, feminism, the breakdown of the family, forty years of failed liberal policies, the rise of gangs & gangsta music, the decline of religious teachings and morals, of our subpar educational system, unlimited access to porn and the list goes on. But once you step outside of Christian-Judah ethics and roles the role of a man in society is very much in flux. Women for some men are to be objectified and to be manipulated for sexual and emotional use and abuse. On the flip side is the new castrati who milk toast for most woman.

All this is a cauldron stew for a major clash of the sexes. BUT THE FACT REMAINS the whole society has been in turmoil since the late 1960's to the present. We have "collectively" lost the ability to see beyond ourselves and respect others as individuals. Then when you throw in the military environment where there are the inherent pressures of rank, chain of command, missions and life-death situations...are we expecting too much of everyone?

Yes and No....By my definition "Sexual Assault" is at its core is the word "assault" which the total disregard of the individual. The assailant does not care about the other person and possibly does not see them as a person. Rather they see them as a means to an end...be it sexual gratification, power or something else. If YOU as a commander or senior NCO are not fostering an environment where every individual in your organization is respected, valued and validated, you fail as a leader or commander. Look in the mirror and I think you will agree. As a Band-Aid, SHARP is trying to force feed sensitivity and awareness on an organization whose mission is to kill people and destroy things of our enemies. But it is the leadership team of your organization that has to provide the backbone and support to that sensitivity and awareness. Actions, not works can only accomplish that.

AND YES ... I was born in the 50's so what do you expect...my perceptions are those of an "old man" who grew up with "Leave It To Beaver" and "Father Knows Best" and has no idea what is going on....yea...Right!

OPINION:
62% of victims reporting receive reprisal...what % of those actually are victims. There are deeper stories here. Do I believe there is sexual harassment in the military yes. Do I believe it is wrong yes. But how many guys report the fact that they were also drunk the night they had a one night stand that wasn't super awesome. I believe this is a one sided sword that yes there are some victims but I believe there are also fake victims. I believe the reprisal may actually be punishment for false reporting. punishment for and against is very hard. If you report and you were a victim then you have to be a witness against the other person. If you aren't a victim and you accuse someone that person has to defend against a heavy handed anti sexual harassment Army.
Then we get into what I call "No Good Witness" ("NGW") as a victim your past is slightly protected however if you were sleeping with 5 guys(or girls) in one night and the fourth guy(or girl) you were too sure about...kind of hard to make a great case.

I'm currently only an AROTC cadet so take this with a grain of salt but it reflects the kind of people going into the army's leadership so I think it counts. We've had to do SHARP training here and quite frankly everyone treats it like a joke. There is almost nobody who takes it seriously to include the Army personnel in charge of us cadets. Its hard to make us, male and female, take it seriously because the training is so laughably bad. Its usually just a female officer reminding us that sexual assault, rape, and harassment are bad, which we already know. It just becomes harder and harder to take it seriously as it goes along. This might be solved by having it become a JAG program so that its outside of the chain of command and it could be made more anonymous but I just know that my classmates, who will make excellent Army officers in every other way, are not being properly trained to handle these kinds of issues because they are more complicated than can be taught in a classroom along with all of the other subjects that are also being taught.

There is a problem. But like everything else, we are overthinking it. Not sure if you are familiar with a book called the "Power of Habit" by Charles Duhigg, but if you have the time, read it. In a nutshell, if your core processes are out of control, you will see lots of problems that might at first seem unrelated. However, fix the foundation...and like magic, all the other problems fix themselves. The best example I can give from the book is when ALCOA's new CEO Paul O'Neill made his first speech to the shareholders, he didn't talk about taking over the world, expanding product lines or production or anything like that. He said "I intend to make Alcoa the safest company in America. I intend to go for zero injuries." He was of course met with huge criticism and doubt. However, he insisted that the goal be zero accidents. What nobody else saw was that making that the one single goal changed the entire culture of the organization. Workers were given a target they could see and hit and more importantly, understand. That ONE change in safety habits improved several processes in the organization. When he retired, 13 years later, Alcoa's annual net income was five times higher than when he started.

As Soldiers, we keep looking at the symptoms and not at the problem, which is our culture. Our culture should NOT tolerate sexual harassment, rape, laziness, complacency, toxic leaders, unsat personnel, or any of the MANY issues we complain about with the military which mainly stem from a failure of cohesive leadership at the very top levels. When we fix that and find our "zero accident safety goal", then we won't need SHARPS or any other Band-Aid approach to our problems.

Why are the Chain of Command failing... because they are the Chain of Command and not Law Enforcement. Its a CRIME so let Law Enforcement deal with it.... tell commanders to get that thier star PT and Weapons expert is really a POS oh and the MPs are coming to pick him up and put him in pretrial confinement. Everyone knows SHARP is a crime but CoC think they know better than Law Enforcement. I have said it before and will say it again.. Untill we see Senior Leaders treated the same as junior Soldiers and walked out of their offices in cuffs they will continue to do this.

A organization must have a culture that does not allow perpetrators to act with impunity. Accountability is the key. The "make it go away" style of leadership leads to perpetrators having a free-for-all, and then getting pushed on to become another unit's problem.

It really boils down to power in the wrong place, and an outdated chain of command requirement. When I was in the ARMY, I complained about sexual harassment and was told that everyone is "treated differently as a woman". This was from a female commander who called in my female platoon sergeant to agree with her. I was told to go to mental health, where they promptly, although "honorably" chaptered me out of the ARMY for "preexisting conditions". The problem was that we were the military police, and when I arrived from basic training my company was already under investigation for sexual violations (things like high ranking soldiers sleeping with the newly arrived teens and even marrying them). Needless to say, the commanders do not want to appear like they are not fixing problems like these. When I complained about ridiculous comments and refused to work with a certain sergeant, I was first threatened with jail. I said, "I work in a prison (USDB), jail would be a step up." So then, they sent me up the long and useless chain of command where a First Sergeant told me I had been having a "stellar" career, and tried to cajole me back to my post without further "problems". I eventually ended up in a doctor's office telling me he could "get me out of the Army". I thought: "ow about, you get the pervs out?" But by the end of a tortuous "therapy" attempt to fix "my" issues, I was writing Congress to speed up the discharge. Anyway, as long as the people who are molesting you and your rights are your superiors or reflections of their performance, crap will always roll right back downhill to you. Policies that link the chain of command in a criminal and civil liability charge if they don't take immediate action to protect you from further injury and personal suits for damages will work to break this ridiculous pattern. Of course it could backfire and cause the higher ups to more ferociously deny responsibility. By the time you reach someone powerful enough and courageous, not alone concerned enough to care, you've been victimized by multiple people. We simply need more power to immediately remove ourselves from the situation. One idea is that a report of sexual harassment results in a temporary, but immediate leave of absence (or possible transfer) for the accuser, while an objective investigation takes place by investigators from another post.

I believe that the primary challenge with SHARP as it is currently implemented focuses so much on the categorization of violations and empowering the victim that there is little room for discussion regarding the underlying cultural issues in the profession of arms and no room for subsequent instruction on basic interpersonal relationships and mutual respect. Instead it produces an atmosphere of fear and political correctness that can reduce the unit cohesion that the training is supposed to enhance. Refusing to ignore the elephant in the room...the redefinition and introduction of new (accepted) categories of sexual attraction and behavior causes the backdrop of these issues to be more complex and confusing for leaders and subordinates alike. Taken together, the potential for meaningful progress in this arena continues to diminish.

I want to add to my earlier comments. Back in the 70'sI was a troop during the transition to the All Volunteer Army. Later as a young "save-tail" Infantry LT, I had to deal with the "Rep-68" Soldiers as well as the new volunteers. I am here to tell you it was no "cake walk" as both a troop and young officer. Over the years I transition into the Reserves and into co-ed units. Many of us were the blind leading the blind while learning to lead in this new "leadership environment." As we went from mission and assignment to another the central elements was "Mission First - Soldiers Always". I can tell you the Army has come a long way from what some of you "old timers" experienced and that is a good thing.

Yes there are "leadership challenges" with young troops and biological hormones raging is chief among them. But again, Leadership has to give a SH#% and work to create an environment where every Soldier, regardless of sex/race/background/orientation is respected, is valued and validated. We talk about making units safe....that is how you do it. As a leader you have to live, breath, and instill the Army Values and the Warrior Ethos. We now know more about how to integrate and blend diversity into a cohesive and effective unit...and it starts with maintaining standards of conduct as well as performance....and giving a SH#%.

Can you fight biology? Nope! If only because when men and women get together there will always be those that want to pair off and scratch the itch or fall in love/lust (retired about the same time DADT was being retired). As a leader, all one can do is meet with them, counsel them, and document the process once it hits your radar. In many cases the individuals can act as mature and drama-free adults. But some can't and in those cases the chain of command above you has to be "pro-actively" brought into the loop. If they are within the same unit and "good order and discipline" is in jeopardy (for any reason) then removal of one or both from the unit is in order.

It is a balancing act and the commander and the NCO core of the unit have to in sync on this issue or you will quickly have a "tar baby mess" on your hands. And no one comes clean.

Because they are always the people who are SHARP violators.

in my opinion the implementation of our SHARP program has been successful. I received a brief by my regiment commander, as well as classes during the year.

I think most people are upset because sexual assaults and sexual harassments are still happening. People expect this utopia society in the military where nothing bad happens (sexual assault). But the reality is that you will never ever eliminate sexual assaults.

CPT (Join to see) You asked a great question.... before I respond form mw retired fox hole . with a Lady Vet standing at my side for the last 24 years..so her experience as well.... . I d ask you the same.... as one of the newest members of the US Army (couple of years now, but still relatively new)
Having gone though likely countless SHARP briefings now, perhaps even given one your self... What are YOUR observations?

While I know there is a problem in society, surely it exists in the military, maybe even at a higher rate. I served along side of women for the last 8 years of my career, I was a CSM for that period. I never heard of or saw backlash, and as a CSM I was at the apex of those issues for assessment and determination, advising BDE level Commanders and the General Officers. All issues were taken seriously and reviewed at the highest level, not the lowest. This is a topic that requires maturity and a clear understanding of the issues at large, and the impact it can have on both individuals and the morale of an entire organization if handled incorrectly.

If Soldier know that Commands take this and all other issues seriously, They also know that they must stand back, follow protocols, and ensure good order and discipline, with this or any other case.

It is when young Commanders believebtgay can handle this type of very complex issue on their own, or when senior Commands have policy in place that states it will be handled at the lowest level, is when problems begin. Don’t get me wrong, the Company and Battalion leadership exercise legal authority, the higher Command provides over-site and resources in these cases.

In closing, where there is backlash, there is a lack of proper authority. Where there is backlash, there should be further punishment. Even if it is determined to be a false claim, backlash is against good order and discipline.

Thank you for your service.

I just think that it's a systemic issue that crops from 1) Socio-cultural attitudes that is not just in the Army but is across the Country as a whole, it's the same way legal cases are handled Country-wide. 2) The Commanders and Leaders, are not really equipped to address these issues on a practical and realistic level.
3) The SHARP/SARC currently use a cookie-cutter solutions to all allegations.
4) The sentimental nature of the issue; sentimental issues often cause leaders to be overly careful to act in a particular direction due to the multichotomous nature of the issue fed with biases from different schools of thought; As a Country our moral judgment darts into different directions.
5) Granted that some cases are obvious, but some have to be investigated in detail to verify the authenticity of claims that are not really obvious.

As a country our society is reactive rather than proactive, hence most of the classes we take in the Army are designed to make us aware of symptoms. I believe that TRUE PREVENTION ; SHARP has to be directed at building and developing our value system towards simple RESPECT for others. It becomes impossible to do in an institution like the Army or any other Institution in the general society. It goes back to our homes.

All of us have the ability to bring out the Good, Bad & Ugly attributes; but I'd like to believe that our individual upbringing plays a big role in what we become.
Nonetheless, we just have individually do our best in our individual roles to deter, avoid, prevent, mitigate and eventually control this ugly monster that has come to eat out on the fabric of our Military Brotherhood. If you think that you're a victim or a reverse-victim, you need to speak out to the IG, SVJA and even the Chaplain. Never give up; keep fighting!

1LT, I am sorry to hear that you have experienced reprisal or know those who have. I have worked with several commands and have never seen what the law deems reprisal for a report. If you feel that you or another person is a victim of reprisal, see your Special Victims Judge Advocate, the IG, or go to the highest commander in post and voice your concerns.