WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama is pledging to eliminate the “scourge” of sexual assault in the military while cautioning that it will take a long and sustained effort by all military members.

“There is no silver bullet to solving this problem,” Obama said Thursday after meeting with Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and the top brass from all the military services.

“We will not stop until we’ve seen this scourge, from what is the greatest military in the world, eliminated,” he told reporters.

Senior military officers are speaking about the problem with increasing bluntness and expressions of regret. Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, on Wednesday called it a “crisis” in the ranks, and on Thursday the Army chief of staff, Gen. Ray Odierno, publicly acknowledged his service’s efforts are “failing.”

“Not only is it a crime, not only is it shameful and disgraceful, but it also is going to make and has made the military less effective than it can be,” the president said.

Those summoned to the White House by Obama included not just Hagel, Dempsey and the chiefs of each military service but also the civilian heads of each service and senior enlisted advisers.

“I heard directly from all of them that they are ashamed by some of what’s happened,” Obama said.

The president added that because assault victims may be more likely now to come forward with complaints, the number of reported assaults may increase in the short run.

“I then want those trend lines to start going down because that indicates that we’re also starting to fix the problem and we’ve highlighted it, and people who are engaged in despicable behavior, they get fully punished for it,” Obama said.

The problem, which has plagued the military for decades, has been thrust to the fore by recent cases, including that of an Air Force officer who headed a sexual assault prevention office but was himself arrested for sexual battery.

On Thursday, Army officials said the manager of the sexual assault response program at Fort Campbell, Ky., had been relieved of his post after his arrest in a domestic dispute with his ex-wife. The program he managed was meant to prevent sexual harassment and assault and encourage equal opportunity.

Hagel has said resolving the problem of sexual assault in the military is one of his top priorities. Hagel is expected to make public in coming days a written directive that spells out steps the Pentagon will take to retrain, rescreen and recertify those who lead the military’s sexual assault prevention and response programs.

A Pentagon report last week estimated that as many as 26,000 military members may have been sexually assaulted last year, based on survey results, out of 1.4 million in the services.

That report, and a recent series of arrests and other sexual assault problems across the military, have triggered a rush of initiatives from the Pentagon and proposed legislation on Capitol Hill.

BIRTHDAY TRIBUTE

Dan Farren

May 17, 1980 -

July 20, 2007

Our much loved and

greatly missed son, brother, and friend.

Birthdays are a time of celebration, and we have much to celebrate. We shared twenty-seven years with you. Years of joy, pride, discovery, hope, dreams, plans, and pleasure. You delighted us in so many ways. It was a joy to see you grow and become such a caring, inquisitive, sensitive and exciting person.

Our pride in your accomplishments is renewed and expanded as we continue to see how your life still influences others in a positive way.

You were always discovering new and exciting adventures which in turn enhanced our lives just by listening and watching.

Our dreams for you were always growing as you continued to surpass our expectations. The hopes and dreams we had and the plans we wanted to see develop were cut short. But we can never look at your achievements without being in awe of all you accomplished.

You continue to be a source of joy, pride, discovery, hope, and pleasure and you will always be.

Happy Birthday!

Love and miss

you very much,

Dad, Mom,

Vance and Buddy