Secretary of U.S. Air Force weighs in on sexual assault trend

It’s a topic that’s brought a lot of controversy to the military and Thursday night, two powerful women were at the Air Force Academy to put an end to sexual assaults in the military.

Cadets heard Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James along with assault victim Katie Koestner, each of whom pushed for cadets to speak out if they think they see something wrong.

They hope to change, what they both admit, is a disturbing trend of abuse in the military.

The academy put up public service announcements saying assault affects every cadet. T-shirts with assault survivor stories were also displayed.

“We need to talk to those who are silent. One of the things that’s really helpful to me is I’m often the only one who has heard from the silent and they come up to me after the speech and they’ve told no one,” said Katie Koestner, an assault victim.

“One of the reasons I wanted to come is precisely because I do take it personally. And personal leadership and personal commitment is what all of us have to give,” said U.S. Air Force Secretary Deborah James.

This was part of the Academy’s role in Take Back The Night, which is a nationwide campaign to end sexual violence.

According to the Take Back The Night Foundation, one in three women and one in six men worldwide experience some form of sexual violence, but less than 50 percent of victims report these crimes.