Top Pentagon officials open to limited change in the military justice system to address sexual assault

The Defense Department's top leaders Thursday signaled an openness to remove prosecutorial decisions on sexual assault from the chain of command. But they voiced reservations about overhauling the military justice system for all serious crimes, as some senators are pushing in a recent bill. 

The Defense Department's top officer, General Mark Milley, said he is open minded to "significant and fundamental change" in the area of sexual assault and harassment but would want to see "some detailed study" before changes to the military justice system are applied to all serious crimes.  The remarks came in response to questions at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing from Senator Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, who has been pushing for years for changes to the military justice system to address the issue of sexual assault and harassment in the military.