WASHINGTON — Domestic abuse is a problem in civilian society, and it is also a major challenge in the military.
The Department of Defense recorded over 40,000 domestic abuse incidents involving military service members, spouses, or intimate partners from 2015 to 2019.
Of those, 74 percent were physical abuse, the rest were emotional and sexual abuse, and neglect.
In 2019 alone, the Army had 3,198 cases, the Air Force had 2,258 cases, the Navy had 1,695 cases and the Marine Corps had 904 cases.
"In DOD, domestic abuses are incompatible with military values and it reduces military readiness," said Brenda Farrell, a Director in the Government Accountability Office's Defense Capabilities and Management team.
The DOD and the services have taken steps to prevent and respond to domestic abuse.
However, the GAO has identified gaps in key areas, including data collection and reporting, implementation and oversight of response activities, and training for key personnel.
"The bottom line of this report is, even though this issue of preventing and responding to domestic abuse has had close scrutiny in the past, much more work is needed," said Farrell.
The GAO is making 32 recommendations to the DOD and the military services.
Auditors interviewed 68 military-affiliated domestic abuse survivors for this report. Eight of them said they tried to report the abuse, but believed no action was taken.
Other survivors described feeling ignored or not taken seriously.