The United States Air Force has launched a new pilot program aimed at helping victims of sexual assaults come forward and get legal help. The move comes as the Pentagon estimates that thousands of military members may have been sexually assaulted last year, but only a fraction actually report the incidents.
As part of the program, the Air Force re-assigned 24 of its Judge Advocate Generals, or JAGs, to become special victims counsels. One of those is Peoria native and Air Force Captain Michael O’Brien. He handles cases at nearly 15 bases across the country. Captain O’Brien spoke with Peoria Public Radio’s Alex Rusciano about the program and its future from Offutt Air Force base in Nebraska: