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Ashton Carter

Pentagon names new general to fight sexual assault

Tom Vanden Brook
USA TODAY
Defense Secretary Ashton Carter

WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Ashton Carter on Friday named Army Maj. Gen. Camille Nichols to lead the Pentagon's battle against sexual assault in the ranks.

Nichols will replace Maj. Gen. Jeffrey Snow, who has been chosen to lead the Army's recruiting efforts. Nichols, a career contracting and acquisitions officer, has served in Afghanistan and Iraq and in the first Gulf War.

"Given her skills, professionalism, and devotion to the safety and well-being of our men and women in uniform, I'm confident she'll help drive real change as we continue to do whatever it takes to rid our ranks of sexual assault," Carter said in a statement.

Sexual assault remains a major problem for the military. Despite a 27% decline in the estimated number of sexual assaults from 2012 to 2014, about 20,000 troops were victims of sexual crimes ranging from groping to rape. A fraction of those assaulted chose to file reports for criminal prosecution, and nearly two-thirds of women who reported an assault said they endured social or professional retaliation.

"Sexual assault in our ranks is truly unacceptable," Nichols said in a statement. "It is an affront to our ethos, our values, and the commitment we make to protect and defend our nation, and take care of each other."

Snow oversaw a raft of reforms during his 17-month tenure, including better advocacy for victims and tightened restrictions on commanders' authority in handling the cases. Critics of the Pentagon's effort to deal with the issue, including Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., have advocated removing commanders' discretion in sexual assault cases and giving it to career prosecutors.

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