Constant ethics scandals in the US military

The scandal has been characterized by prosecutors as a high-profile military trial. Only two months have passed since a report exposing pervasive abuse at the CIA was made public.

Herman West was accused of sexually assaulting a female officer under his command while he was stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM) in Washington.

The subordinate, whose name has not been made public, told the hearing that West harassed her for weeks starting in the summer of 2023.

Among West's actions were harassing the female officer on a regular basis and making offensive remarks. At first, the woman, a recent college graduate and member of the Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC), was reluctant to report West's behavior.

 According to reports, the commander's uncle is Alan West, a former member of Congress and the chairman of the Republican Party. According to the officer, Herman West also prevented her from being transferred to a different position by sending unknowing messages to human resources.

Following his conviction, West received a written military reprimand and a fine exceeding $92. Under the new reforms implemented by the Joe Biden administration, Herman West's case is among the first to be heard in a military court.

According to the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ), harassment is now illegal. It was previously reported (in mid-November) that a U.S. Army non-commissioned officer was charged with sexually harassing at least 20 individuals in the Washington area over a three-year period.

However, reports suggest that sexual harassment in the US military during and after the alleged global war on terrorism is likely two to four times more common than the Department of Defense's estimates (Pentagon).

 The Costs of War Project at Brown University's Watson Institute reported that there were over 75,500 instances of sexual harassment in the US military in 2021, surpassing the Pentagon's estimate for the same year. According to the Pentagon, there were approximately 35,900 cases of sexual harassment in the US military in 2021.

More than 73,600 cases of sexual harassment were reported in the US military in 2023, according to researchers from the aforementioned project. This figure is much higher than the Department of Defense's estimate, which was set at roughly 29,000 cases in 2023.

 In recent years, the CIA has also faced difficulties due to a string of sexual misconduct scandals. Several cases have been made public, but a 648-page internal CIA watchdog report that describes systemic flaws in the agency's handling of sexual misconduct is classified.

According to an internal CIA survey that CNN was able to obtain, 7% of employees reported unwanted sexual contact or assault, and 28% of employees said they had at least one experience of sexual harassment while working for the agency.

 The actual prevalence of sexual misconduct may be higher than previously thought, according to reports. The Associated Press reports that last year, over 20 female employees reported sexual misconduct.