Sexual Assault Sexual assault is a criminal offense that has no place in the Army. It degrades mission readiness by devastating the Army's ability to work effectively as a team. Sexual assault is incompatible with Army values and is punishable under the Uniform Code of Military Justice(UCMJ) and other Federal and state laws. Sexual assault is the intentional sexual contact characterized by use of force, physical threat and/or abuse of authority when the victim does not or cannot consent. Sexual assault can occur without regard to gender, spousal relationship or age of the victim. a. There are two reporting options for sexual assault, restricted and unrestricted: (1) Restricted reporting allows a Soldier who is a sexually assaulted, on a confidential basis, to disclose the details of their assault to specifically identified individuals and receive medical treatment and counseling, without triggering the official investigative process. Soldiers who are sexually assaulted and desire restricted reporting under this policy should report the assault to the SARC or VA. (2) Unrestricted reporting allows a Soldier who is sexually assaulted and desires medical treatment, counseling, and an official investigation of his/her allegation to use current reporting channels (for example, the chain of command or law enforcement), or he/she may report the incident to the SARC or the on-call VA. Upon notification of the reported sexual assault, the SARC will immediately notify a VA. Additionally, with the victim's consent, the healthcare provider will conduct a forensic examination, which may include the collection of evidence. Details regarding the incident will be limited to only those personnel who have a legitimate need to know. All unrestricted reports of sexual assault will be immediately referred to the criminal investigation command (CID) for investigation. Sexual Assault Responses Flow Chart