The right has put themselves on a moral pedestal throughout the past few weeks due to scandals within the executive branch of the government involving the IRS, Justice Department and State Department. They have stigmatized the government as a corrupt institution that seldom operates within the law.

While I acknowledge and half-heartedly sympathize with their cynicism and frustration, due to my questioning of their ulterior motives (their deep disdain for President Obama), yet another scandal worth our attention has surfaced. It pertains to the most highly-regarded and well-respected institutions in the world — the United States Military.  

The ongoing scandal of sexual assault within the military is most disturbing and has been plaguing our armed forces for far too long. Within past weeks, U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., introduced legislation that would diverge the power of discretion in prosecuting military personnel accused of sexual assault from military commanders to independent, experienced military prosecutors.

The chiefs of the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps strongly opposed this legislation despite their inability to cite cases of a commander being relieved of his or her duties for ignoring a report of sexual assault. The top brass’ lack of willingness to bring about any legitimate change to the chain of command concerning reports of sexual assault is a prime example of institutional failure and the perpetuation of rape culture. Giving sexual assault a slap on the wrist, especially in such a male-dominated institution, is a disgrace and a major debasement to the integrity of our top military generals.

According to Pentagon estimates, there were about 19,000 sexual assaults in 2011 in the U.S. military; that number aggravated to 26,000 in 2012. That is an increase — in the span of only a year — of more than 35 percent. Even more disturbing, according to the Department of Defense Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office, of the 26,000 estimated sexual assaults in 2012 in the military, only 3,374 were reported, and of those, only 238 were convicted. These are incredibly troubling numbers because they show that of the estimated number of sexual assaults less than one percent of perpetrators were convicted and only about 13 percent of cases were reported. It’s a flawed system that fails to fairly represent survivors and fails to justly prosecute the accused.

These numbers are also part of a bigger picture. Under the current chain of command, reporting a case of sexual abuse can hinder a commander’s chance of a promotion because a violent crime under his or her watch would not reflect positively. Therefore, it is common for the assailant to receive a nominal punishment or an honorable discharge due to a “personality disorder.” Furthermore, the system that is currently in place creates a fear of retaliation. There have been many reported cases where the tables were turned on the victim, and the victim was reprimanded, and in some cases, discharged — victim blaming.

I think most people would assume that any institution with such a high stature would do its best to protect its devoted members, but the reality is contrary to the assumption. It instead appears as if they are protecting their reputation. 

The Catholic Church has found itself treading in the same waters with their scandals of sexual abuse that are heavily linked to a similar rule where church leaders are not obligated to report any cases to independent investigators. There are strong parallels between both the church and the military, and they both revolve around an institutional failure regarding procedures dealing with cases of sexual assault.

While I am a strong supporter of our military and admit that they are a strong source of national pride, something needs to be done. The military’s top brass needs to swallow their pride and admit that their current system does not work. It fails to create an environment that matches the proud and honorable aura that surrounds the U.S. Armed Forces. There is more that can and should be done, such as legislation like Sen. Gillibrand’s that need to be introduced. Even further, steps need to be taken that will over time dissolve the rape culture present in the military such as the promotion of women into higher ranks as well as the availability of education, outreach and support to survivors of sexual crimes. In the meantime, commanders who dismiss such cases need to be relieved of their duties in the way Maj. Gen. Michael Harrison, commander of U.S. Army-Japan, was earlier this month.

Sen. Gillibrand’s legislation is a promising start to potential changes in addressing the issue of sexual abuse in the military. This issue is far too serious for it to be just another story in the media and must remain prevalent until something substantial is done.

Matt is a sophomore in LAS. He can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @matthewpasquini.