Press Release

Protect Our Defenders cautions that fear of reporting – not fewer assaults – may be driving the numbers, as the Army court-martials a doctor charged in a case involving 93 alleged victims

Women are winning promotions at every level the military controls – and losing them at the one level Secretary Hegseth controls

After a year of the Pentagon gutting survivor protections, the Military Sexual Trauma Accountability Act would finally let service members seek the justice every civilian already can

Survivors speak out as Army faces reckoning over years of alleged abuse at the hands of a military doctor

As Sec. Hegseth Moves to Shift Authority from Independent Military Lawyers to Political Appointees — Partnership Expands Attorneys for Survivors

Replacing career military lawyers with political appointees will make it easier for commanders to act without consequence and harder for survivors to get justice

A recent Government Accountability Office (GAO) report found that the U.S. Coast Guard repeatedly failed to comply with the law to submit complete and timely reports to Congress on sexual assault and sexual harassment.

Today, the U.S. Army Office of Special Trial Counsel preferred four charges and 61 specifications against Maj. Blaine McGraw, an obstetrician-gynecologist assigned to Fort Hood’s Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center.

POD urges anyone impacted to contact its Pro Bono Legal Network, which has supported survivors and helped secure convictions in recent Stockin and Batt cases

A statement by PODF’s Victims Advocate, legal services coordinator, and Survivor Jamie Boehlein: “I wish I could say I was...

Rolling back protections silences survivors, fuels corruption, and puts mission readiness at risk

Department of Veterans Affairs’ proposed rule would deny care in cases of rape or incest, rolling back hard-fought protections for veterans and military families

Protect Our Defenders filled critical gaps in advocacy and legal representation the military failed to provide civilian victims of Army serial predator

With the military failing to provide legal support to civilian victims, Protect Our Defenders is stepping in to fill the...

Ending Congressionally mandated programs and weakening protections will harm morale, deter reporting, and jeopardize mission readiness and unit cohesion.

Protect Our Defenders warns that discouraging reporting will deepen the armed forces’ recruitment and retention crisis

POD is calling for an immediate halt to the cancellation of Sexual Assault Prevention and Response programs across all military branches.

On January 15, Maj. Michael Stockin was sentenced to 164 months – the maximum sentence – after pleading guilty to sexually abusing 41 former patients (soldiers) at Madigan Army Hospital, Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

Hegseth has expressed that women should not serve especially in combat roles, raising serious concerns about eroding progress in attracting top talent to the armed forces

POD supports the victims who bravely stood up against the scourge of sexual harassment and testified during the court martial.

Ernst’s leadership and reform record make her the right choice for a military facing recruitment and retention crises

POD is working with survivors, including civilians, in the case against Maj. Batt and is offering pro-bono legal support to...

Protect Our Defenders (POD) congratulates Stars and Stripes reporter Rose Thayer on winning first place for enterprise reporting from Military Reporters and Editors, a distinguished nonprofit organization dedicated to journalists covering the military, national security, and defense.

If you would like to interview Ryan Guilds and Christine Dunn, legal representation for survivors involved in this hearing, or...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 11, 2024 ***STATEMENT*** Protect Our Defenders Calls for Congressional Hearing Amid Coast Guard’s Alleged Sexual Assault...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 16, 2024 ***STATEMENT*** Protect Our Defenders Applauds Historic Decline in Military Sexual Assaults The report found...