The recent increase in reported cases of sexual assaults within our military academies has raised important questions that leaders are urgently trying to address.

Despite the Pentagon's implementation of strict measures and increased oversight to combat this issue, it is evident that more action is needed to eliminate the culture of hazing and abuse that persists in these prestigious institutions.

A recent evaluation conducted by Pentagon staff at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs has raised concerns about the prevalence of hazing among cadets. These evaluations have highlighted concerning aspects of the academies, fostering a prison-like environment for freshman cadets and subjecting them to mental and physical torment.

While stress is undoubtedly a crucial part of preparing cadets for the challenges of military life, the evaluation found that senior cadets assigned leadership roles were ill-prepared and not adequately equipped for their responsibilities. The existing peer leadership structure was also promoting unhealthy power dynamics that led to incidents of hazing.

Alarmingly, statistics reveal a significant increase in reported sexual assaults across all military academies. In the 2021-2022 school year alone, there were 206 incidents reported, compared to 129 in previous years. The Air Force Academy witnessed a particularly concerning upward trend, with 57 reported assaults compared to 23 in previous years, according to congressional testimony by an Air Force general.

To address this problem, the academy is doubling the prevention and response workforce from 12 to 24 employees. Additionally, the superintendent has requested a review of current prevention programs, such as the teal-rope program, which trains cadets to promote change regarding sexual violence and refer their peers to resources. The school also provides Cadet Healthy Personal Skills training to educate cadets about healthy consent and the link between sexual violence and alcohol, among other preventive measures.

In the evaluation, academy leadership scored poorly compared to other schools, receiving zeros on a scale of up to 5 for prioritizing a protective environment, integrated prevention, and stakeholder engagement. Regarding program implementation with quality and integration, the school received zeros in the protective environment and integrated prevention categories, and a 1 in stakeholder engagement.

The Department of Defense explicitly prohibits hazing, outlining various examples of its forms, such as berating, branding, duct-taping, greasing cadets, and pinning objects to their skin. It is disheartening to acknowledge that despite the ban on hazing since the late 1960s, this issue continues to persist. The line between acceptable activities and hazing has become blurred, exacerbated by intense training, causing trainees to seek hazing as a means to prove their loyalty.

While basic training contributes to building stress tolerance, the evaluation has revealed a disturbing phenomenon at the Air Force Academy. Cadets are becoming desensitized to unacceptable conditions, such as unprofessional leadership, hazing, and harassment, which would not be tolerated in any other environment.