Military: Changing Culture to Lower Sexual Assault?

After decades of a culture that has believed in work hard, play harder the military is making efforts to implement new training techniques and raise awareness to prevent sexual assault.

---

Due to a Pentagon report released in May, estimating as many as 26,000 members of the armed forces may have been the victim of a sexual assault, the military is taking steps to crack down on the use of alcohol and emphasize a strict zero tolerance policy.

Among these steps is a night patrol on some Naval Bases to cut down on heavy drinking. But will this really make a difference in a world where heavy drinking and overall rowdy behavior have become second nature and are not only widely accepted, but promoted? And is it fair to stereotype this behavior and focus on the members who drink?

I am glad to see that steps are finally being taken, but I am forced to wonder how much of this is public relations and how much of it is a sincere effort to end this behavior. One only has to wonder how long these steps will take to have any real effect on the military culture. After years of living in a manner that was deemed acceptable, hard drinking, womanizing, fighting, etc..., can we really expect for these young men to change their ways overnight? Or even in a relatively short period of time?

I firmly believe that these changes need to be made and I am in favor of the military's efforts to do something, but I sincerely hope that this is not just a dog and pony show for the public to take note of until the heat cools down. As leaders in our nations military, I hope these men and women are sincere in their efforts and accomplish the task before them as they have so many others.

Military works to change culture to combat rape - KFMB