Military Sexual Trauma (MST) refers to experiences of sexual assault or repeated sexual harassment that occur while an individual is serving in any branch of the U.S. Armed Forces, including the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and Coast Guard. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (2020) defines MST as psychological trauma resulting from sexual assault, battery, or harassment during a service member's time on active duty, active duty for training, or inactive duty training (38 U.S. Code 1720D).
Historically, victims of MST faced significant barriers when reporting sexual assault, particularly in cases where their chain of command was involved. However, in December 2023, President Biden signed an executive order that removed the responsibility of prosecuting sexual assault from the military chain of command, ensuring that these cases are now handled independently by the Offices of Special Trial Counsel (OSTC). This change aims to create a more just and transparent process, akin to civilian criminal procedures, and affects only unrestricted reports of MST, which are related to the decision to prosecute.
The military offers two reporting options for sexual violence: Restricted Reports and Unrestricted Reports, each with different levels of privacy and investigative involvement:
Victims who choose a restricted report can keep their information confidential while still receiving support services, such as medical care, advocacy from a Sexual Assault Response Coordinator (SARC) or Sexual Harassment/Assault Response & Prevention Coordinator (SHARP), and legal counsel from a Special Victims Counsel (SVC) or Victims Legal Counsel (VLC). This option does not trigger an official investigation and can be converted to an Unrestricted Report later if the victim decides to pursue an investigation.
This option triggers an official investigation and allows victims to access the same services as a restricted report, but with the added involvement of law enforcement and the military chain of command (excluding the recent changes mentioned below). Unlike the restricted report, once a report is made unrestricted, it cannot be converted back to a restricted report.
For more details, please refer to the Department of Defense Sexual Assault Prevention and Response program at DOD Sexual Assault Prevention and Response and SAPR.
