Military Hazing: DOD Should Address Data Reporting Deficiencies, Training Limitations, and Personnel Shortfalls
Fast Facts
The military services have a rich tradition of initiation ceremonies and rites of passage, but at times, they have included inappropriate or abusive behavior. According to DOD, hazing jeopardizes readiness and weakens trust within the ranks.
DOD reported 183 to 299 hazing complaints a year from FY 2017- 2020. However, a 2018 DOD survey suggests this understates the number of hazing incidents by tens of thousands. In addition, DOD's reports to Congress didn't include information on informal hazing complaints and other required material.
Our recommendations are for more complete reporting, better hazing prevention and response training, and more.
Highlights
What GAO Found
From fiscal year 2017 through fiscal year 2020, the Department of Defense (DOD) was required to report information on hazing incidents to Congress. However, its reports did not contain complete information. Specifically;
- DOD reported there were between 183 and 299 hazing complaints in a given year from fiscal years 2017- 2020. However, data from a 2018 DOD survey suggests this significantly understated the number of hazing incidents by potentially tens of thousands of incidents. Prevalence is important because decision makers can use it as a starting point to determine if efforts to prevent and respond to hazing are effective. In 2016, GAO recommended DOD evaluate the prevalence of hazing. DOD concurred, but has not yet implemented it and GAO still believes this recommendation is valid.
- DOD's reports to Congress did not include information on informal hazing complaints or required information on complaints from National Guard personnel operating under the command of the Governor, but funded by the federal government. Its reports also did not have data required by DOD policies, and the congressional requirement that it submit reports has lapsed.
Better data that accurately reports the number of hazing incidents, includes data on informal hazing complaints and complaints from National Guard personnel in Title 32 status, and complete data will better position DOD and Congress to make decisions on how to prevent and respond to hazing in the military.
The Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute (DEOMI) has not assessed servicemember harassment prevention and response training. DEOMI officials told GAO that they did not proactively review the services' training plans because DEOMI did not have the resources to execute this responsibility. As of October 2021, a DOD official said funding had been approved, but did not provide information on how or when DEOMI would review the training plans. Additionally, the services may not be reinforcing this training frequently enough and officials said they have not assessed the effectiveness of this training. Until DOD ensures that servicemember training is reviewed for sufficiency, reinforced at a minimum frequency, and assessed for effectiveness, it will be limited in its ability to ensure that training achieves its objectives.
DOD certifies Military Equal Opportunity (MEO) professionals by training them to respond to harassment complaints, among other things. As of 2021, approximately 76 percent (1,459 of 1,924) of MEO professional billets in DOD were filled with MEO professionals. However, as of July 2021 the Army National Guard had filled 226 of 408 billets (55 percent) and the Army Reserve had filled 120 of 266 billets (45 percent). Army and Army Reserve officials said that vacant billets are a result of commanders not providing soldiers, or submitting the documentation needed, to staff their MEO programs. Additionally, neither component has developed a plan for filling their vacant MEO billets. Until commanders in the Army National Guard and the Army Reserve provide soldiers for MEO professional positions, and the Army National Guard and Army Reserve plan to address shortfalls in MEO professionals, these organizations will be limited in their abilities to support commanders and respond to harassment complaints.
Why GAO Did This Study
According to DOD's Harassment Prevention Strategy, incidents of harassment—including hazing—jeopardize combat readiness and weaken trust within the ranks. DOD established a harassment prevention and response program that includes hazing to address these behaviors.
House Report 116-120 accompanying a bill for the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020 included a provision for GAO to review DOD's efforts to implement hazing prevention and response programs. This report addresses the extent to which DOD has: (1) visibility over hazing and reported complete hazing complaint data to Congress; (2) assessed servicemember harassment prevention and response training for compliance, sufficiency, and effectiveness and reinforced training; and (3) provided MEO professionals with required certification training. GAO evaluated the completeness of DOD's hazing reports to Congress, compared training data to billets, and conducted a generalizable survey of MEO professionals, among other things.
Recommendations
GAO is making a matter for congressional consideration to require DOD to continue to report hazing complaint data to Congress, including more complete data on all complaints, to Congress. GAO is also making 12 recommendations to DOD, including that it take steps to improve data quality in its reports, assess and reinforce servicemember training, and fill vacant MEO professional billets. DOD generally concurred with the recommendations.
Matter for Congressional Consideration
| Matter | Status | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Congress should consider requiring the Department of Defense to report hazing complaint data on an annual basis that would include information on formal and informal complaints, complaints from all military personnel to include National Guard personnel operating under Title 32 U.S. Code, and complete demographic information on complainants and alleged offenders. (Matter for Consideration 1) | Congress included a provision in Sec. 549L. of the Fiscal Year 2022 National Defense Authorization Act establishing a requirement for DOD to report data on hazing in the military services annually starting in 2023 through fiscal year 2028. |
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Department of Defense | The Secretary of Defense should ensure that the Chief, National Guard Bureau, in coordination with the Secretaries of the Army and Air Force and the Director, ODEI, establishes a policy that addresses procedures to receive, track, and report hazing complaints by National Guard servicemembers in a title 32 duty status. (Recommendation 1) |
DOD concurred with this recommendation. As of May 2024, DOD stated that the National Guard Bureau, Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (NGB-DEI) is exploring methods and processes that require the 54 states and territories and the District of Columbia to receive, track, investigate, and report hazing (and bullying) complaints by National Guard Service members in a Title 32 duty status. Additionally, NGB-DEI is looking at how commanders will be required to complete inquiries/investigations into all accepted complaints, and ensure resolutions are in writing and present it to the complainant. Further, NGB-DEI is looking at how complainants will further retain all their traditional due process rights, including the freedom to make Inspector General complaints, contact their congressional representative, or use the chain of command's open door policies. DOD estimates that these actions will be complete in October 2024.
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| Department of the Navy | The Secretary of the Navy should take actions to ensure that the Navy's MEO policy is updated to address hazing complaints using a standard process that details how hazing complaints should be received, processed, and tracked. (Recommendation 2) |
DOD concurred with this recommendation. Over the course of our engagement, beginning March 2020 and through September 2021, we discussed with the Navy challenges associated with the lack of a Navy policy that addresses hazing. In September 2021 we discussed our intent to recommend that the Navy update its policy to address hazing complaints and officials agreed that this was an action that the Navy needed to take. In November 2021, prior to the issuance of our final report in December 2021, the Navy issued updated guidance that addresses hazing complaints. This action should better position the Navy to track and report its formal hazing complaints.
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| Department of the Navy | The Secretary of the Navy should take actions to ensure that the Navy's MEO complaint intake form is updated to include a response option for hazing complaints. (Recommendation 3) |
DOD concurred with this recommendation. In January 2022 the Navy updated its MEO complaint intake form to include an option for hazing. This action should better position the Navy to track and report its formal hazing complaints.
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| Department of the Army | The Secretary of the Army should take actions to ensure commanders, the Army Criminal Investigation Division, and the Army Inspector General track the information specified in DOD Instruction 1020.03 and ODEI's data template. (Recommendation 4) |
DOD concurred with this recommendation. As of October 2024, DOD officials stated that the Army is building a reporting method that standardizes data collection and tracking and improves reporting accuracy. DOD officials said Information on incidents will be collected more effectively and efficiently due to this mechanism. At present, the Army tracks compliance of commanding officers in conducting organizational climate assessments for purposes of preventing and responding to alleged incidents on templates provided by the Equal Opportunity professionals. The Military Equal Opportunity (MEO) Data Management System is expected to be completed by September 2025.
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| Department of the Air Force | The Secretary of the Air Force should take actions to ensure MEO professionals who receive hazing complaints track the information specified in DOD Instruction 1020.03 and ODEI's data template. (Recommendation 5) |
DOD concurred with this recommendation. In April 2022 the Air Force issued guidance that requires the collection of hazing complaint information in accordance with DOD data reporting requirements. By taking this action the Air Force is better positioned to identify and track incidents of hazing within its force and provide this information to ODEI to better enable it to oversee implementation of DOD's programs.
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| Department of Defense | The Secretary of Defense should take actions to ensure that DEOMI executes its proactive review of harassment prevention and response training for compliance with the instruction and sufficiency of content. (Recommendation 6) |
DOD concurred with this recommendation. As of October 2023, DOD stated that DEOMI has completed a draft list of evaluation criteria for professional military education (PME) and Service component training evaluation and is working with the Prevention Collaboration Forum (PCF) to remain aligned with emerging requirements related to the IRC. The Department is exploring ways to conduct the proactive review of Military Components' harassment prevention and response training for compliance, to include evaluation for all PME and Service component training related to harassment, and the development of research based training, education and media products to support Services' harassment prevention programs. DOD estimates that these actions will be complete in December 2025.
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| Department of Defense | The Secretary of Defense should take actions to ensure that the Office for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and the Diversity Management Operations Center provide the military services with training measures that exhibit the characteristics specified in best practices that GAO identified for developing training programs and the attributes specified in the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's report on harassment in the workplace. (Recommendation 7) |
DOD concurred with this recommendation. As of October, 2023, DOD stated that the department's efforts to update the Prevention Plan of Action with the 2021 IRC recommendations is to establish the broader Department's integrated primary prevention strategy. Upon completion of the Prevention Plan of Action, the Office for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, will consider including training measures in the DoD Harassment Prevention Strategy (currently on hold), to include any additional training measures that exhibit the characteristics reflected in best practices GAO identified for developing training programs and the attributes specified in the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission report on harassment in the workplace. DOD estimates that these actions will be complete in December 2025.
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| Department of Defense | The Secretary of Defense should take actions to ensure that the Director of the Office for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and the Commandant of DEOMI determines the minimum frequency with which hazing prevention and response training should be reinforced and direct the military services to provide such training at least at this minimum frequency. (Recommendation 8) |
DOD concurred with this recommendation. As of October 2023, DOD stated that the Director, ODEI will not instruct the Commandant of DEOMI to determine the minimum frequency for which hazing prevention and response training should be enforced. Instead, the Director, ODEI will consider updating policy to include a minimum frequency with which hazing prevention and response training should be reinforced and direct the Military Services to provide such training at least at this minimum frequency. DOD estimates that this action will be complete in December 2025.
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| Department of the Army | The Secretary of Army, in consultation with the Chief, National Guard Bureau, should direct the Director, Army National Guard, to enforce Army Regulation 600-20's requirements that commanders provide soldiers for MEO professional billets and provide documentation to Headquarters, Army National Guard, demonstrating that these soldiers meet regulation requirements. (Recommendation 9) |
DOD concurred with this recommendation. As of May 2024, DOD stated that Army National Guard (ARNG) Commanders are required to nominate Soldiers for equal opportunity advisor (EOA) duties using an ARNG checklist that meets the requirements outlined in AR 600-20. EOA nomination packets are submitted to the ARNG equal opportunity Program Managers with the NGB-DEI office. Packets are to be reviewed and approved by the ARNG equal opportunity program managers prior to acceptance and enrollment at DEOMI. DOD further stated that NGB-DEI will provide information regarding EOA selection at scheduled National Guard Senior Leadership Conference (GSLC) and/or other National Guard Leadership venues and anticipates implementing the recommendation in October 2024.
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| Department of the Army | The Secretary of Army should direct the Chief, Army Reserve enforce Army Regulation 600-20's requirements that commanders provide soldiers for MEO professional billets and provide documentation to Headquarters, Army Reserve demonstrating these soldiers meet regulation requirements. (Recommendation 10) |
DOD concurred with this recommendation. As of October 2024, DOD stated that the U.S. Army Reserve Commanding General, in conjunction with Senior Commanders, are continuously recruiting to fill vacant Military Equal Opportunity (MEO) billets within the Army Reserve. Without a real-time automated assignment monitoring system, the U.S. Army Reserve Command (USARC) is limited in its ability to measure increase/decrease of position fills. USARC coordinates with Human Resources Command ensuring marketplace positions are advertised in accordance with staffing requirements specified for Active Guard Reserve equal opportunity professionals outlined in Army Regulation 600-20 Appx C. Officials estimate implementation in September 2025.
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| Department of the Army | The Secretary of the Army, in consultation with that the Chief, National Guard Bureau, should take actions to ensure that the Director, Army National Guard, provides the Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute with a plan for filling MEO professional billets that includes information on the timeframe within which the Army National Guard plans to fill all billets and the number of additional Army National Guard personnel that will need to be trained during that period of time. (Recommendation 11) |
DOD concurred with this recommendation. As of May 2024, DOD stated that NGB-DEI is working with the 54 states and territories to ensure an accurate list of vacancies and filled billets with expiration dates is provided. DOD anticipates an implementation of this recommendation in October 2024
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| Department of the Army | The Secretary of the Army should take actions to ensure that the Chief, Army Reserve, provides DEOMI with a plan for filling MEO professional billets that includes information on the timeframe within which the Army Reserve plans to fill all billets and the number of additional Army Reserve personnel that will need to be trained during that period of time. (Recommendation 12) |
DOD concurred with this recommendation. As of October 2024, DOD stated that starting in fiscal year 2025, the DEOMI is conducting two iterations of the EOA Reserve Component Course which helps address training billet shortages. However, the limited number of classes offered (and registration lead time) is unsuitable to meet the needs of the US Army Reserve MEO Program to fill vacancies with qualified personnel due to the unpredictable assignment process for Troop Program Unit personnel (ie: a Soldier could wait up to ten months to attend DEOMI due to lead times for school scheduling, civilian employment conflicts, etc). US Army Reserve anticipates graduating approx. 31 MEO professionals in fiscal year 2025.
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