General Dempsey: Combat Ban Contributed To Sexual Assault

WASHINGTON (AP) — The nation’s top military officer says he believes the rise in sexual assaults in the military is linked to a longstanding ban on women serving in combat roles — a ban the Pentagon is now eliminating.

Gen. Martin Dempsey is chairman of the Joint Chiefs. He said Thursday the assault problem is due partly to the military’s separate classes of personnel — male ‘warriors’ versus the rest of the force, including women.