Federal Daily - September 3, 2008

GAO: DoD, Coast Guard Need to Improve Anti-Sexual Assault Effort

Efforts by DoD and the Coast Guard to implement a sexual assault prevention and treatment program are being hindered by a number of factors, including the ineffectiveness of some guidelines, a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report said. The report, released Aug. 29, also cited a shortage of post-assault mental health providers in its wide-ranging review of the prevention and treatment program mandated by Congress in 2004. And, more critically, DoD and the Coast Guard may have no idea of the true scope of the problem, the report said. GAO said that based on the most recently available DoD survey—and on responses to a GAO survey administered to 3,750 servicemembers stationed at military installations in the United States and overseas—the occurrences of sexual assault may exceed the rates being reported. At the 14 installations where GAO administered its survey, 103 servicemembers indicated that they had been sexually assaulted within the preceding 12 months. Of these, 52 servicemembers indicated that they did not report the sexual assault. Factors that discouraged servicemembers from reporting a sexual assault included the belief that nothing would be done; fear of ostracism, harassment, or ridicule; and concern that peers would gossip, the report said. “Our findings indicate that some servicemembers may choose not to report sexual assault incidents for a variety of reasons, including the belief that nothing would be done or that reporting an incident would negatively impact their careers,” the report said. To see more, go to: www.gao.gov/new.items/d08924.pdf.

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Hurricane Hotline Assists Feds, Annuitants

In preparation for Hurricane Gustav, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) over the weekend established a toll-free hotline number (1-800-307-8298) to assist current and retired federal employees and annuitants caught in the path of the storm. The toll-free number enables callers to leave their numbers for a return call within four hours. Federal employees with Internet access can get information on benefits, flexibilities and payroll at www.opm.gov/hurricane/index.asp. The site provides links to assist in contacting local federal executive boards, other resources and announcements, and is continually updated with news and information. OPM Acting Director Mike Hager also sent a memorandum to heads of executive departments and agencies regarding various workplace flexibilities—including employee and family support benefits, telework and emergency critical hiring. To see more, go to: www.opm.gov/news/opm-establishes-tollfree-hotline-number-to-assist-federal-employees-and-annuitants-impacted-by-hurricane-gustav,1428.aspx.

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Federal Agencies Respond to Gustav

In the wake of Hurricane Gustav’s Sept. 1 landfall near Cocodrie, La., thousands of federal workers and National Guard troops were deployed to assist in the post-storm cleanup. By all accounts, Gustav was no Hurricane Katrina, which stormed ashore Aug. 29, 2005, devastated the Gulf Coast and ravaged the federal government’s reputation for emergency response. This time, the federal government had in place plenty of resources, even if the storm was not as bad as predicted. In addition to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which had teams at pre-landfall locations just outside the impact zone, Customs and Border Protection had law enforcement personnel on hand to help protect search and rescue teams staffed by U.S. Coast Guard crews and local officials, FEMA said in a Sept. 1 statement. In addition, the Department of Transportation managed contra-flow traffic lanes between Louisiana and Mississippi; the Army Corps of Engineers prepared to assist with: debris removal; and the Environmental Protection Agency readied to conduct post-storm reconnaissance of facilities containing oil and hazardous materials. A range of other agencies also mobilized to address the storm’s aftermath. To see more, go to: www.fema.gov/news/newsrelease.fema?id=45601.

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