Authority Memo

OFFICE OF THE UNDER SECRETARY OF DEFENSE
4000 DEFENSE PENTAGON
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20301-4000

APR 3 0 2025

PERSONNEL AND
READINESS

MEMORANDUM FOR SECRETARIES OF THE MILITARY DEPARTMENTS
CHAIRMAN OF THE JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF
CHIEFS OF THE MILITARY SERVICES
CHIEF OF THE NATIONAL GUARD BUREAU
COMMANDERS OF THE COMBATANT COMMANDS
DEFENSE AGENCY AND DOD FIELD ACTIVITY DIRECTORS
SUBJECT: Actions to Address and Prevent Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment in the
Military
The warfighter ethos values respect for one's comrades in arms. Sexual assault and
sexual harassment are antithetical to that ethos and divide the force. The DoD's unwavering
commitment to preventing sexual assault and sexual harassment is essential to maintaining a
unified, mission-ready military.
The DoD Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 Annual Report on Sexual Assault in the Military
highlights the Department's progress in preventing sexual assault, enhancing victim care and
support, and ensuring compliance with policy and law. Furthermore, the Department's oversight
efforts have identified opportunities to take additional steps to counter sexual assault, assist
Service members and their families in their recovery, and improve available support resources.
Therefore, I am directing the following actions:

•

Identify the prevention actions with greatest impact undertaken by the Military
Service Academies (MSAs) Climate Transformation Task Force (CTTF). While
progress has been considerable at the MSAs, we must capitalize on this effort by
identifying those practices that also have promise for the Total Force. To assess
sustained impact of investment, the Office of Force Resiliency (OFR) will evaluate
the CTTF efforts and will incorporate MSA On-Site Installation Evaluations (OSIEs)
to be conducted in Academic Program Year 2026-2027 as part of the CTTF
evaluation process. Report back on the plans for the CTTF evaluation and MSA
OSIEs no later than September 30, 2025.

•

Continue the Sexual Assault Response Workforce transformation. The
Department has identified considerable efficiencies in reducing the collateral duty
burden on Service members by moving to a full-time workforce. To that end, I direct
the Secretaries of the Military Departments and the Chief of the National Guard
Bureau to continue executing, consistent with Administration priorities, the plans
developed in FY 2024 to reduce reliance on collateral duty personnel and improve the
training, skills, and availability of full-time Sexual Assault Response Coordinators,
Sexual Assault Prevention and Response (SAPR) Victim Advocates, and SAPR
Program Mangers to assist victims of sexual assault in their recovery. The Military
Departments and National Guard Bureau will provide me, through the DoD Sexual
Assault Prevention and Response Office (SAPRO), an update on the status of this
task no later than September 30, 2025.

•

Develop a recovery plan for sexual assault reporters. Department research shows
experiencing sexual assault is correlated with negative career impacts and health
outcomes, resulting in far too many Service members who experienced sexual assault
to leave military service. Therefore, I direct DoD SAPRO to devise a non-clinical
recovery program that will allow first responders to support Service members seeking
assistance with restorative strategies to aide their return to health and resilience. DoD
SAPRO will brief me on the plan to develop such a non-clinical recovery program no
later than July 31, 2025.

•

Address resourcing and training for Special Victim Counsel (SVC). The SVC
Program is one of the most used, highly rated services provided to military and family
member victims of special crimes. However, survey data indicates that the SVC
attorneys may benefit from improved resourcing and preparation. To reinforce
continued quality victim representation, I direct the Secretaries of the Military
Departments to work with their respective Judge Advocate General Offices and the
Staff Judge Advocate to the Commandant to assess and revise, as needed, SVC
Program resources and training. I request the Secretaries of the Military Departments
to provide me, through DoD SAPRO, with a joint briefing on their review and plans
for their SVC Programs no later than September 30, 2025.

•

Improve collaboration and coordination of victim services in operational
environments. As we restore our military, we must ensure that we stand ready to
support Service members regardless of their operational environment. My office will
work with other DoD Components, as appropriate, to ensure sexual assault prevention
and response capacity sufficient to respond in contingency and wartime conditions.
DoD SAPRO will provide me with a briefing on their plans for actions to be taken on
these efforts no later than October 31, 2025.

•

Continue establishing an Integrated Primary Prevention Workforce (IPPW).
Considerable progress has been made in hiring and training the Department's IPPW.
In light of recent budgetary and hiring constraints, I direct the Secretaries of the
Military Departments and the Chief of the National Guard Bureau to provide me,
through OFR, an update on their progress and planned actions with respect to the
IPPW no later than September 30, 2025.

It is imperative that the Department care for its Service members. With your help, we
will accomplish this task by taking decisive action to address challenges facing our policy and
programs, apply meaningful solutions, and make good on our commitment to Service member
safety, assistance, and recovery.

~ w Hvn-,iJ!L
Jules W. Hurst III
Performing the Duties of the Under Secretary of
Defense for Personnel and Readiness

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