#AskBuck how many more soldiers need to be sexually assaulted before Congress investigates Lackland and legislates fundamental reforms?

The Air Force announced on Saturday that a woman has been selected to lead basic training at Lackland Air Force Base amid the ongoing sexual abuse scandal. Protect Our Defenders President Nancy Parrish put out this statement in response:

"Hopefully, Col. Deborah Liddick will do a great job. But, Lackland is but a small of example of a much broader problem endemic throughout all the services. The majority of the sexual assault victims in our armed forces are male. According to the military's own reports, there are 10,000 male victims a year of unpunished rape and sexual assault throughout the military. Yet only 13.5% come forward out of fear of retaliation and of those who come forward 80% would not do so again if given the chance. Congress must investigate, modernize the military code of justice and offer legislative solutions.

As the House Armed Services has rightfully said in announcing open hearings about sexual abuse scandal at Lackland, 'there are a lot of policy questions that arise from this scandal that the committee should rightly address.' It is the job of Congress now to not only look at Lackland but all branches of our military as they have said they will and offer legislative solutions. The military has proven incapable of fixing the problem on their own -- as decades of failure and hundreds of thousands of victims demonstrate. Now, it is time for Congress to do what we elected them to do and protect our brothers, sisters, daughters and sons."

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/woman-lead-air-force-training-sex-scandal-17246420#.UFdP-hjvaly

Protect Our Defenders would like to thank everybody for supporting Tailhook Whistleblower, Paula Coughlin-Puopolo's petition calling on Congress to hold open hearings about the sexual abuse scandal at Lackland Air Force Base. Today, we can declare victory. House Armed Services Chairman Rep. Buck McKeon's Sr. Advisor, Jaime Cheshire just announced that he will be "holding hearings once the prosecutions have wrapped."

Thank you for supporting Paula's petition and our brave men and women in uniform. We did it!

We could not have done this without you. Please share the victory by clicking here:

http://www.causes.com/causes/787301-protect-our-defenders-foundation/actions/1683289

- Protect Our Defenders

An Air Force colonel at Lackland AFB has stepped down, days after increasing reports of sexual violence on the base. But a change in leadership won't stop widespread military rape.

Here's our take, as reported in the San Antonio Express-News: "The abuse at Lackland and throughout our military did not begin with this most recent scandal. And it will not end by removing three colonels," said Nancy Parrish, founder of Protect Our Defenders, a victims advocacy group. "The military culture and broken legal system is so heavily weighted against the victim, that structural changes are required to fix this systemic crisis."

http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/military/article/At-Lackland-a-wing-commander-s-quick-exit-3839714.php#ixzz25eixqkZf

Sen. Cornyn has blocked the nominee for Air Force chief of staff because of the Lackland sexual abuse scandal. "My hold on General Welsh will remain until I feel the Air Force is adequately addressing the unacceptable situation at Lackland," Cornyn said.

More than 5,000 Americans on Causes have now signed Tailhook whistleblower Paula Coughlin-Puopolo's petition demanding the Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, Rep. Buck McKeon investigate the Lackland scandal. And the #AskBuck Twitter campaign is taking off, hundreds have taken the #AskBuck pledge asking Rep. Buck McKeon to hold a Lackland hearing. Have you asked your friends to #AskBuck: http://bit.ly/lacklandpledge