Google

Tuesday, July 21, 2015

Not in My Coast Guard. No Retaliation Against Whistle Blowers or Victims of Sexual Harassment Who report It

The Coast Guard refuses to admit that CDR Benjamin Strickland became collateral damage in a routine sexual harassment case while acting as Commanding Officer of the USCGC MUNRO.
Is there a War Against Sexual Harassment in the Coast Guard or is there a War Against Officers who do their job?
This is all very puzzling.  The Coast Guard All Hands Blog, the Official Blog Of The Coast Guard Workforce has refused to publish a comment that I submitted on the subject fourty-five (45) days ago. It has been over a month and the official response is that the comment is pending review.  

http://allhands.coastguard.dodlive.mil/2015/05/18/retaliation-not-in-my-coast-guard/

 It was a short straight forward comment. All it said was:
CDR Benjamin Strickland reported a case of sexual assault that was reported to him as Acting Commanding Officer of the USCGC MUNRO and his career was over. He became collateral damage for doing his job. read the Full Story. See http://www.amazon.com/Benjamin-Strickland-Unre…/…/B011B9YLIK

Sexual Assault is a CRIME, not a punch line.

The Blog Post was written by RADM Peter Gautier, Director of Governmental and Public Affairs.

The COMMANDANT apparently had no problem posting the comment. It was posted at  https://www.dvidshub.net/video/397005/not-my-coast-guard?fb_action_ids=897827610287073&fb_action_types=og.comments#.Va51SvlG6u8

Retaliation: Not in my Coast Guard

Written by Rear Adm. Peter Gautier
sapr

This morning, Human Rights Watch released a report titled “Embattled: Retaliation Against Sexual Assault Survivors in the US Military.” The report contains findings based on Human Rights Watch’s independent research into retaliation against sexual assault victims and includes a number of recommendations to Congress and the military on ways we can better protect reporting victims. Many of these recommendations are either in the process of being implemented or considered by Congress, the Secretary of Defense, and the Coast Guard. The rest will certainly be reviewed.
In June 2014, the Commandant of the Coast Guard issued ALCOAST281/14: MILITARY WHISTLEBLOWER PROTECTION, a lawful order that prohibits retaliation. In it, retaliation against a military member is defined as one of the following actions taken because that member, either formally or informally, reported a criminal offense:
1. Taking or threatening to take an unfavorable or adverse personnel action, or withholding or threatening to withhold a favorable personnel action,
2. Ostracism, which is the exclusion from social acceptance, privilege, or friendship with the intent to discourage that individual from reporting a criminal offense or otherwise discourage the due administration of justice, or
3. Maltreatment, which is treatment by peers or by other persons, that, when viewed objectively under all the circumstances, is abusive or otherwise unwarranted, unjustified, and unnecessary for any lawful purpose that is done with the intent to discourage reporting of a criminal offense or otherwise discourage the due administration of justice and that results in physical or mental harm or suffering, or reasonably could have caused physical or mental harm or suffering. Maltreatment does not require a senior-subordinate relationship as is required for maltreatment under Article 93, UCMJ.
Retaliation against reporting victims of sexual assault is a barrier to transforming our culture. It is also contrary to our duty to people – retaliation has very real impacts on the personal well-being of a victim and can damage an otherwise promising military career. If you are a victim of retaliation or witness to it, you should immediately report this behavior to the Coast Guard Investigative Service.
The Coast Guard applauds Human Rights Watch for bringing attention to the concerted effort the Coast Guard and the rest of the military services have made to drive sexual assault and the behaviors that enable it from our ranks. We also thank them for validating the importance of addressing retaliation against reporting victims of sexual assault. Retaliation negatively impacts individuals and the units they serve in. Furthermore, cultures inhospitable to sexual assault must also be inhospitable to retaliation.
It is always worth reinforcing that sexual assault is a crime that undermines the core values of our service. We have an enduring leadership commitment at every level to protect our people and to preserve the confidence of our members and the American people. The United States Coast Guard is committed to building and maintaining an environment inhospitable to sexual assault and the behaviors that enable it – like hazing and harassing which create an environment which devalues certain members of the service.
Rear Adm. Peter Gautier
U.S. Coast Guard
Director, Governmental and Public Affairs
- See more at: http://allhands.coastguard.dodlive.mil/2015/05/18/retaliation-not-in-my-coast-guard/#sthash.nSiIhXe3.xwF1Af5h.dpuf

Retaliation: Not in my Coast Guard

Written by Rear Adm. Peter Gautier
sapr

This morning, Human Rights Watch released a report titled “Embattled: Retaliation Against Sexual Assault Survivors in the US Military.” The report contains findings based on Human Rights Watch’s independent research into retaliation against sexual assault victims and includes a number of recommendations to Congress and the military on ways we can better protect reporting victims. Many of these recommendations are either in the process of being implemented or considered by Congress, the Secretary of Defense, and the Coast Guard. The rest will certainly be reviewed.
In June 2014, the Commandant of the Coast Guard issued ALCOAST281/14: MILITARY WHISTLEBLOWER PROTECTION, a lawful order that prohibits retaliation. In it, retaliation against a military member is defined as one of the following actions taken because that member, either formally or informally, reported a criminal offense:
1. Taking or threatening to take an unfavorable or adverse personnel action, or withholding or threatening to withhold a favorable personnel action,
2. Ostracism, which is the exclusion from social acceptance, privilege, or friendship with the intent to discourage that individual from reporting a criminal offense or otherwise discourage the due administration of justice, or
3. Maltreatment, which is treatment by peers or by other persons, that, when viewed objectively under all the circumstances, is abusive or otherwise unwarranted, unjustified, and unnecessary for any lawful purpose that is done with the intent to discourage reporting of a criminal offense or otherwise discourage the due administration of justice and that results in physical or mental harm or suffering, or reasonably could have caused physical or mental harm or suffering. Maltreatment does not require a senior-subordinate relationship as is required for maltreatment under Article 93, UCMJ.
Retaliation against reporting victims of sexual assault is a barrier to transforming our culture. It is also contrary to our duty to people – retaliation has very real impacts on the personal well-being of a victim and can damage an otherwise promising military career. If you are a victim of retaliation or witness to it, you should immediately report this behavior to the Coast Guard Investigative Service.
The Coast Guard applauds Human Rights Watch for bringing attention to the concerted effort the Coast Guard and the rest of the military services have made to drive sexual assault and the behaviors that enable it from our ranks. We also thank them for validating the importance of addressing retaliation against reporting victims of sexual assault. Retaliation negatively impacts individuals and the units they serve in. Furthermore, cultures inhospitable to sexual assault must also be inhospitable to retaliation.
It is always worth reinforcing that sexual assault is a crime that undermines the core values of our service. We have an enduring leadership commitment at every level to protect our people and to preserve the confidence of our members and the American people. The United States Coast Guard is committed to building and maintaining an environment inhospitable to sexual assault and the behaviors that enable it – like hazing and harassing which create an environment which devalues certain members of the service.
Rear Adm. Peter Gautier
U.S. Coast Guard
Director, Governmental and Public Affairs
- See more at: http://allhands.coastguard.dodlive.mil/2015/05/18/retaliation-not-in-my-coast-guard/#sthash.nSiIhXe3.xwF1Af5h.dpuf

Labels:

2 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

"Not in my Coast Guard" is code for "we don't want to hear about it". STRICKLAND became a walking target for the brass to shoot at the minute he picked up the phone and made his report...a report which had potential to jeopardize the nomination of the Area Commander to be the next Commandant as well as embarrass the Admirals in front of Congress.

Judge Steverson, it is honorable how you are trying to bring to light to this sad case of injustice, but those evil men who did this terrible act against one of their own subordinate officers knew when they started they would get away with it. They have probably been getting away with it for years.

2:43 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

They have the congressional reps and staffers bamboozled. They know they can get away with it. And "they" also include the legal staffs who advise them how to break the law while on payroll providing by Congress from taxpaying funds.

8:56 AM  

Post a Comment

<< Home