Thank you for “DOD report shows increase in sex assaults” (article, March 18).

As a Sexual Assault Prevention and Response victim advocate in the Navy, I am very familiar with the apprehension and pain involved with reporting a sexual assault. We must be careful not to simply write off this rise to increased reports. It is just as likely, if not more so, that total sexual assaults have increased as well when we factor in increased and lengthened deployments.

To characterize this increase as a “boost” is careless. It is too early to pat ourselves on the back.

Please do not lift the spotlight from this topic anytime soon.

Petty Officer 2nd Class Robert KelleherCamp Lemonnier, Djibouti