Fight MSA and Trauma

IAVA's Policy Agenda for the 117th Congress

Current Policy Priorities

IAVA has recommended specific policy priorities to address the issues that matter most to post-9/11 veterans.

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Modernize Government to Support Today’s Veterans

GET UP TO SPEED ON MODERNIZING GOVERNMENT TO SUPPORT TODAY’S VETERANS

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WHAT IS IAVA’S PLAN?

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Modernize Government to Support Today’s Veterans

In recent years, VA has made incredible strides to modernize its internal and external operating systems. The implementation of new interoperable electronic health records is underway, allowing VA and DoD clinicians to share health data, ensuring continuity of care for transitioning servicemembers. Additionally, VA has updated its website to be more interactive and intuitive, allowing veterans to quickly find the information they need. These are major accomplishments and a system slowly but surely moving to the 21st century is a win for all veterans.

Each generation of veterans, including the post-9/11 generation, rely on VA for both health care and benefits, and an agile system capable of accommodating them is critical. About 49% of all veterans are enrolled in VA health care. Among IAVA member survey respondents, 84% are enrolled in VA health care, of whom, 85% rated their experience at VA as average or above average. IAVA members have been clear that access to VA care can be challenging, but once in the system, they are satisfied with their treatment. Further independent reviews of VA health care show that the quality often exceeds the private sector.

Providing today’s veterans with a system willing to adapt to them will take the full coordination of the executive branch, Congress, state and local government, and stakeholders in the private and nonprofit sectors. We need a system that leverages the use of new technologies to streamline processes and enables the VA to take a more dynamic approach to respond to the needs of today’s veterans. Even so, the best technology will not save a system if it is built upon outdated structures. The VA must connect its internal departments and work with DoD to streamline services.

IAVA's Approach

Fight Military Sexual Assault and Trauma

GET UP TO SPEED ON FIGHTING MILITARY SEXUAL ASSAULT

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WHAT IS IAVA’S PLAN?

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Fight Military Sexual Assault and Trauma

Military sexual assault (MSA) is a national security issue. The tragic death of Fort Hood Army soldier Vanessa Guillen is just one example of how MSA can destroy the lives of servicemembers. Unfortunately, Guillen was not a unique case. After her disappearance women veterans flooded social media with their own stories using #IAmVanessaGuillen and put a spotlight on the pervasive issue of MSA and harassment. While military sexual assault is often framed as a women’s issue, it impacts both men and women. Year over year, this problem has only intensified. According to the DoD, 7,825 male and female servicemembers reported being sexually assaulted in 2018. That is an increase of over 25% since 2016.

The VA reports that about 1 in 4 women veterans and 1 in 100 male veterans report experiencing military sexual trauma (MST). During the course of the investigation the VA Office of the Inspector General (OIG) found that nearly half of MST claims submitted to VA were not properly processed according to the Veterans Benefits Administration’s (VBA) claim processing policy.

Survivors may not choose to formally report a sexual assault for fear of retaliation, whether professional or social. Nine percent of respondents to IAVA’s most recent member survey are survivors of MSA. Less than one in three reported the crime. Of those, over two thirds experienced retaliation. More importantly, almost half of survivors said they would have been more likely to report the crime if a trained military prosecutor had the authority to move forward with their case, rather than the commander.

Continued efforts are needed to help survivors of sexual assault come forward and seek the care they need, bring the perpetrator to justice, and prevent future assaults by that perpetrator. This will require holding military leaders throughout the chain of command accountable for fostering an environment where retaliation against those reporting is unacceptable.

IAVA's Recommendations

  • Ensure claims processors across VBA are trained on MST-PTSD related issues and follow latest guidelines
  • Ensure that the Department of Defense Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office is fully funded and supported including training of all personnel and civilian staff
  • Pass the Military Justice Improvement Act to shift the decision to prosecute serious crimes from the chain of command to a trained, independent military prosecutor
  • Ensure that DoD’s domestic abuse policies are implemented and institutionalized at all levels of the military
  • Report annually on its progress and commission a report on DoD and VA mechanisms for identifying and supporting victims of domestic violence, particularly homeless women veterans

IAVA's Policy Priorities

Select a topic from the list below to learn about IAVA’s policy recommendations for the 117th Congress.