The Defense Department wants to hear from you on issues such as sexual assault, sexual harassment and gender discrimination.
The “Workplace and Gender Relations Survey of Active Duty Members” is mandated by Congress. The survey takes place every two years, and more than 700,000 e-mail invitations have been sent to active-duty troops for this year’s survey, according to an Army News Service article encouraging soldiers to participate.
The survey is the largest of its kind, said Elizabeth Van Winkle, the principal investigator, according to the Army article. In odd years, a similar biennial survey is conducted with reserve component troops. The Defense Manpower Data Center surveys service academy students on a biennial basis as well.
The survey closes Sept. 29. The results, which will be published next spring, will be broken down by service and gender. Van Winkle said the results will be used by DoD and each of the services to determine the effectiveness of their sexual assault prevention and response programs and identify areas that need additional work.
The results of the survey, which will be made public, also will be sent to Congress.
Previous surveys have gained a lot of attention from lawmakers and senior military leaders.
In the 2012 survey, about 26,000 active-duty troops reported having experienced unwanted sexual contact, an increase from the 19,000 reported during the 2010 survey.
The survey is a chance to troops to be heard, Van Winkle said, according to the Army article.
“Hearing from as many members as possible, regardless of their experiences, will help us assess the scope of the problem,” she said.
If you don’t see an e-mail invitation or if you might have accidentally deleted your invite, visit the Defense Manpower Data Center here and click on the “Am I in the DMDC Survey Sample?” button to see if you’re one of the 700,000 people chosen to participate. Enter the DoD identification number on the back of your Common Access Card when prompted.
In August, a paper form of the survey will be mailed to those who have not responded. The survey can be completed during duty hours, Van Winkle said.
