 Hey Marines, I'm Colonel Scott Jensen, the new branch head for the Headquarters Marine Corps Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Program, also known as the SAPRA Program. Marines, I recently returned from Afghanistan, where I commanded the 2nd Marine aircraft wing forward. As a commander both CONUS and OCONUS, I've seen the outstanding accomplishments of the Marine Corps team. Unfortunately, I've also seen firsthand how sexual assault can devastate a Marine's life, and I witnessed how a sexual assault impacts not only the victim, but the victim's entire unit, which ultimately affects the mission readiness of the Marine Corps as a whole. As a result, I understand the importance of preventing sexual assault and providing compassionate victim care. And I'm committed as the new SAPRA branch head to continue the progress we've made in eradicating sexual assault from our Corps. Over the next several weeks, I'll be traveling to bases and stations across the Marine Corps to meet with commanders, their SJAs, SARCs, UVAs, and with you, Marines at the deck plate, to understand the ground truth. I want to know what initiatives and training you think is working, but more importantly, I need to know what needs improvement and what adjustments we can make to best take care of our Marines. Based on what I've seen so far, it seems we're moving in the right direction. Research shows that Marines are more aware of what constitutes sexual assault and the damage that it does, that they're more willing to step in to prevent the assault of a fellow Marine, and that they perceive fewer barriers to reporting. These developments are translating into real numbers. More Marines are reporting sexual assault now than ever before, which means more victims have access to supportive services. We've also seen an increase in unrestricted reports, which means that incidents can be fully investigated and our commanders can hold more offenders appropriately accountable. In looking through the data, I've noticed that a small but significant number of victims ultimately choose to opt out of the investigation and legal proceedings. It is emotionally challenging for victims to stay engaged in the process after an assault, and participating in the justice system is entirely the victim's choice. However, it's my job and the job of every single Marine to ensure that victims have the knowledge and the support they need to make informed decisions. We have been and will continue to be focused on providing this critical support to our victims, and I want to talk to all of you about what else we can do to best accomplish this. Marines, we've reached a point where we are seeing significant and encouraging progress in preventing sexual assault, but we still have much work to do before we completely stamp it out. Until then, remember that you are on the front line of this battle, and you have my full support. I look forward to meeting with many of you very soon. Semper Fi.