Military sexual assault: Time for Congress to intervene?

The military is defined by a hierarchical chain of command. Some inside and outside the ranks wonder if, on the issue of sexual assault, this has become a stumbling block to progress.

When Amy Marsh decided to report a sexual assault at the hands of one of her husband’s colleagues to Air Force officials, she was “very optimistic” that some good would come of it.

“We absolutely loved the Air Force,” says Ms. Marsh. At the time of the assault, her husband was a first lieutenant stationed at Travis Air...