Attention All Airmen: Air Force Holds Sexual Assault Offenders Accountable, Sexual Assault Convictions Are Now On-Line Published Oct. 23, 2013 By Col. Jeannie Leavitt 4th Fighter Wing Commander SEYMOUR JOHNSON AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. -- There is absolutely zero tolerance for sexual assault in the 4th Fighter Wing or our Air Force. Sexual assault is a vile crime against the victim and against society. It erodes trust, damages the unit, and weakens our military. The Uniform Code of Military Justice gives commanders the ability to prosecute the guilty and hold them accountable for their actions. The Air Force now publishes sexual assault convictions on-line. Anyone can go to this website and review more than 100 sexual assault convictions from across the Air Force, to include viewing them by base. Many cases are very similar - they involve: 1) the use of alcohol, 2) the absence of personal respect for the victim and 3) the absence of the victims' consent. Airmen, who are convicted of sexual assault, are held accountable by military judges and court-martial panels with punishments that often include jail time, rank reductions and punitive discharges. A number of these cases involve Airmen assaulting fellow Airmen. Many times these victims are co-workers and former friends - people who trusted their assailant. The offenders elected to violate that trust and were punished accordingly. As required by many state laws, convicted Airmen must also register in their jurisdiction's sexual assault registry. These sex offender lists include the names and addresses of convicted sex offenders, and are publicly available online. Effective two months ago, Airmen who commit a sexual assault will have administrative discharge proceedings initiated against them and may be retained only if they meet a cumulative multi-part test. For Airmen here, only the 9th Air Force Commander can waive this requirement and only after concluding that the Airman meets the same multi-part retention test. I encourage all Airmen to visit the website below and review the facts of the cases, which resulted in these Airmen being convicted of sexual offenses. Then educate and warn fellow Airmen about the consequences of committing these crimes. When you see a situation that isn't right, be a good wingman; intervene, and insist your fellow Airmen treat others with respect. You will regret being a passive bystander when a few words of intervention can forever positively change the lives of Airmen around you. Visit the website: http://www.afjag.af.mil/sexualassaultprosecution/index.asp.