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Military Hazing for FY 2015 NDAA

Floor Speech

By: Judy Chu
By: Judy Chu
Date: May 20, 2014
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Defense Military Personnel

Ms. CHU. Mr. Speaker, 3 years ago, my nephew, Lance Corporal Marine Harry Lew, was a victim of military hazing while stationed in Afghanistan. After 3 1/2 hours of a brutal beating and torment by fellow soldiers, he took his own life. Since then, I have dedicated myself to ensuring that the Department of Defense addresses hazing within its ranks.

Because of my bill, the Harry Lew Military Hazing Accountability Act, the 2013 National Defense Authorization Act, or NDAA, required each military branch to submit a report to Congress on what they are doing to address hazing.

The reports were inconsistent. We learned that most branches don't track allegations and incidents of hazing and that substandard tracking results in unreliable data.

That is why I urge support for my amendment to this year's NDAA. It requires the Government Accountability Office to provide Congress with a much more thorough and, most importantly, independent report.

We must protect the young people that we send off to war from abuse by their own soldiers.


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