DoD's Task Force on Domestic Violence says the military must make it clear domestic violence often involves criminal behavior and challenge commanders to intensify efforts to prevent it. Strong families mean ready forces.
Troubled families mean trouble.
An unequivocal statement from you will send a powerful signal throughout the department. In a report sent to the secretary Feb. 28 and presented to staffers of the House and Senate armed services committees on March 9, the task force outlined its initial findings. The report also contains 59 recommendations to improve DoD's response to domestic violence, ranging from increasing military police training to enhancing victim safety. It asks the secretary to sign a proposed memorandum stating that domestic violence is a pervasive problem within society that transcends all ethnic, racial, gender and socioeconomic boundaries, and it will not be tolerated in the Department of Defense. Rumsfeld has 90 days to review, comment and forward the report to Congress.