FOUNDER OF PROTECT OUR DEFENDERS RECEIVES IVAN ALLEN JR. PRIZE FOR SOCIAL COURAGE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 18, 2016 ***PRESS RELEASE*** FOUNDER OF PROTECT OUR DEFENDERS RECEIVES IVAN ALLEN JR. PRIZE FOR SOCIAL...
2016 Protect Our Defenders Justice Award Photos
Photos from Protect Our Defenders’ First Annual Justice Awards! On January 28, 2016, Protect Our Defenders awarded the first two...
Guest Blog Post: Sexual Harassment in ROTC
This post was written by Teresa, a past POD intern. I joined the ROTC unit at my university one semester...
PRESS RELEASE: Protect Our Defenders Announces First Annual Justice Award Winners
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 20, 2016 ***PRESS RELEASE*** PROTECT OUR DEFENDERS ANNOUNCES FIRST ANNUAL JUSTICE AWARD WINNERS Two California attorneys...
Founder of Protect Our Defenders to Receive Ivan Allen Jr. Prize for Social Courage
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 14, 2016 ***PRESS RELEASE*** FOUNDER OF PROTECT OUR DEFENDERS TO RECEIVE IVAN ALLEN JR. PRIZE FOR...
Blog post: A holiday message for the survivor and family community
A holiday message from Protect Our Defenders Advisory Board member and survivor Terri Odom: As 2015 comes to an end,...
Washington Post: In the war against sexual assault, the Army keeps shooting itself in the foot
A front page Washington Post investigative report broke the story of a U.S. Army First Lieutenant who filed a report...
STATEMENT: Military Turns Blind Eye Towards Commander Accused of Sexual Assault and Harassment
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 19, 2015 ***STATEMENT*** MILITARY TURNS BLIND EYE TOWARDS COMMANDER ACCUSED OF SEXUAL ASSAULT AND HARASSMENT Accused...
Blog Post: How the SAVE Act can support victims of military sexual assault and improve VA services
Many veterans face difficulties when trying to access care from the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (VA). Veterans may be forced...
STATEMENT: Protect Our Defenders Continues to Push for Fundamental Reform
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 30, 2015 *** STATEMENT *** PROTECT OUR DEFENDERS CONTINUES TO PUSH FOR FUNDAMENTAL REFORM TO BROKEN...
STATEMENT: DOD IG Releases Damning Report Revealing Army Mistreatment of Sexual Assault Victim
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 18, 2015 ***STATEMENT*** DOD IG RELEASES DAMNING REPORT REVEALING ARMY CID MISTREATMENT OF SEXUAL ASSAULT VICTIM,...
VIDEO: POD Responds to GAO Report Highlighting Failure to Address Military Sexual Assault
Protect Our Defenders President Col. Don Christensen responds to a new report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO), the Department of...
Blog Post: Breaking the Silence, the Black Box of Shame, Guilt and Fear
Bill Minnix is an Air Force Veteran and survivor. In this powerful piece, Bill shares his struggles with PTSD and suicide...
Veterans Day Edition: News Roundup from Protect Our Defenders
Here is a recap of top stories about stopping military sexual violence against service members and civilians. Advisory Board Member’s...
Advisory Board Member Terri J. Odom Message to Fellow Veteran Survivors: Stand Tall and Proud
As I take a crisp autumn stroll through our neighborhood, I count the green lights. Green lights on a home...
STATEMENT: New GAO Report Highlights Pentagon Failure to Address Sexual Assault Epidemic in the Military
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 6, 2015 *** STATEMENT *** NEW GAO REPORT HIGHLIGHTS PENTAGON FAILURE TO ADDRESS SEXUAL ASSAULT EPIDEMIC...
An Open Letter to Sexual Assault Survivors in the Air Force
The Huffington Post published an open letter to survivors by POD Pro Bono Network attorney Ryan Guilds: A rape victim’s...
Stars and Stripes: Lengthy sexual assault case ends in acquittal
Stars and Stripes reports on a sexual assault case in the Air Force that lasted over three years and finally...
Air Force Times: Airman acquitted of sexual assault charge
Protect Our Defenders President Col. Don Christensen (ret.), and Former US Air Force Chief Prosecutor, is featured in this Air Force...
August & September News Roundup from Protect Our Defenders
Please find below your recap of top stories about stopping military sexual violence against service members and civilians. On September...
SHARP Summit attendees explore harsh realities of sexual misconduct
Last week, at the U.S. Army’s first SHARP summit, Protect Our Defenders Advisory Board Member Major General Robert Shadley (Ret.) explained how...
Stars and Stripes: Sexual assault case not dismissed despite ruling of unlawful command influence
Protect Our Defenders President Col Don Christensen (ret.), and Former US Air Force Chief Prosecutor is featured in this Stars and...
July News Roundup from Protect Our Defenders
Below is a recap of top stories about stopping military sexual violence against service members and civilians. POD Profiled by...
Judicial Proceedings Panel Remarks from Major General Robert D. Shadley, U.S. Army (Retired)
On Wednesday, July 22, Major General Robert D. Shadley, U.S. Army (Ret.) testified at a public meeting of the Judicial Proceedings Panel on Sexual...
Guest Blog: Annamarie’s Story
Annamarie was raped while serving in the US Air Force at the age of 19 and wrongfully discharged. Thirty-six years...
[AUDIO] Protect Our Defenders working to eliminate bias in military justice
Col Don Christensen (ret.), President, Protect Our Defenders and Former US Air Force Chief Prosecutor is interviewed on Michigan Radio’s “Stateside”...
Protect Our Defenders Monthly News – MJIA Edition
A message from Protect Our Defenders President Col Don Christensen (ret.): Here is a recap of top stories about stopping...
Terri Odom: On Serving Your Country In The Military and Being LGBT
A message from Protect Our Defenders Advisory Board Member Terri Odom: LGBTQ service members have been silenced throughout history. Many...
STATEMENT: Protect Our Defenders Calls on President Obama to Support Victims After MJIA Vote
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 16, 2015 *** STATEMENT *** PROTECT OUR DEFENDERS CALLS ON PRESIDENT OBAMA TO SUPPORT SEXUAL ASSAULT...
Col Don Christensen: Military Justice Improvement Act Ensures Justice
Military Justice Improvement Act Ensures Justice By Don Christensen, Former Air Force Chief Prosecutor and Protect Our Defenders President Col...
PRESS RELEASE: New Report Show Pentagon Misleads Public on Sexual Assault Crisis
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 9, 2015 *** PRESS RELEASE *** NEW REPORT SHOWS PENTAGON MISLEADS PUBLIC ON SEXUAL ASSAULT CRISIS...
[VIDEO] Senator Gillibrand Speaks In Support of The Military Justice Improvement Act
Watch Senator Kirsten Gillibrand speak on the floor of the Senate urging her colleagues to support the Military Justice Improvement Act...
May News Roundup: DC press conference, WaPo editorial, @potus Twitter campaign
Here’s the top news from the past month on our fight against sexual assault and harassment in the military. New...
News Coverage Roundup – New Report Highlights Retaliation Against Military Sexual Assault Survivors
On May 18, at a press conference in Washington, D.C., Human Rights Watch and Protect Our Defenders released a report...
Ask President Obama to #EndVictimBlaming Against Military Sexual Assault Survivors
A message from Protect Our Defenders President Don Christensen: President Obama told victims of military sexual assault that he has...
[VIDEO] CNN: Miranda Petersen on Military Sexual Assault and Retaliation Against Victims
Miranda Petersen, Protect Our Defenders’ Program and Policy Director speaks with Carol Costello on CNN Newsroom.
Stars and Stripes: Report: Most military sexual assault victims still face retaliation
Protect Our Defenders President Col. Don Christensen is featured in this Stars and Stripes article: But Christensen, who served in...
Reuters: Retaliation hurts military bid to curb sexual assault: report
Protect Our Defenders is mentioned in this Reuters article: “The U.S. military’s progress in getting people to report sexual assaults...
USA Today: Insults to injury: Military sexual-assault victims endure retaliation
Protect Our Defenders President Col. Don Christensen is featured in this USA Today article “Retaliation doesn’t encourage people to report,”...
STATEMENT: Protect Our Defenders’ Remarks from Human Rights Watch Press Conference
*** STATEMENT *** REMARKS FROM MIRANDA PETERSEN, PROTECT OUR DEFENDERS PROGRAM AND POLICY DIRECTOR AT HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH PRESS...
PRESS RELEASE: Protect Our Defenders and Human Rights Watch Release Report on Retaliation of Military Sexual Assault Survivors
***Download raw footage: http://multimedia.hrw.org/distribute/dsrcwzqlox FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 18, 2015 *** PRESS RELEASE *** PROTECT OUR DEFENDERS AND HUMAN RIGHTS...
The US Military’s Sexual-Assault Problem Is So Bad the UN Is Getting Involved
Mother Jones reports: Denmark’s representative to the UN Human Rights Council, Carsten Staur, recommended “removing from the chain of command...
US troops charged with crimes in Italy often elude punishment
Stars and Stripes reports: In an Italian court last month, Pvt. Darius McCullough was convicted of rape and sentenced to...
The US Military’s Sexual-Assault Problem Is So Bad the UN Is Getting Involved
Mother Jones reports: The US military has a problem with sexual violence. That’s the conclusion of the Universal Periodic Review...
Improve response to sex crimes in the military
From an op-ed in the Missoulian supporting Senator Kirsten Gillibrand’s (D-NY) Military Justice Improvement Act: It is our belief that...
New York Times Op-Ed: Stop Assaults on Military Campuses
From the opinion pages of the New York Times: There is a simple way for President Obama, in his capacity...
Twice as many sex assault victims opting out
Protect Our Defenders President Col. Don Christensen is featured in this Air Force Times article: But retired Col. Don Christensen,...
In light of new report, ROTC students ponder military’s sexual assault policies
USA Today reports: For students enrolled in Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) or those considering enlisting in the armed forces...
Editorial: Protecting our service members against sexual assault
The Washington Post editorial board writes in support of fundamental reform: A DEFENSE Department report this month found that fewer...
No witnesses or arguments at Air Force Academy sexual assault hearing
The Colorado Springs Gazette reports: The academy said the brief hearing came amid changes in military procedures for evidence hearings....