Mark Milley Reverses Course on Military's Sexual Assault Policy After Reported Cases Continue to Climb On 5/3/21 at 3:42 PM EDT The nation's top general, General Mark Milley, is reversing course on the military's sexual assault policy, as cases persist despite efforts to solve the problem. Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and senior military adviser to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, told the Associated Press and CNN on Sunday that he would drop his opposition to a proposal to take decisions on sexual assault prosecution out of the hands of commanders. "We've been at it for years, and we haven't effectively moved the needle," Milley said. "We have to. We must."