CNN —Five former and current members of the US Coast Guard testified before a subcommittee of the Senate Homeland Security Committee on Thursday about their experiences with sexual assault and harassment while serving and called for major changes to how the Coast Guard handles reports. It’s the first to be released out of a string of ongoing government inquiries triggered by CNN’s reporting on a secret Coast Guard probe into sexual abuse at its prestigious Coast Guard Academy. “It’s the exact same story, and the Coast Guard is just saying, ‘It’s OK.’ I’m tired of the words,” Ward said. Action actually has to be taken in order to do it.”In closing, Ward told the committee, “I loved the Coast Guard. But there is a certain part of the Coast Guard that is completely broken.”

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Persons: Meghan Lori Klement, Klement, “, ”, ” Klement, Julian Bell, Crystal Van Den Heuvel, Den Heuvel, Van Den Heuvel, Shawna Christine Ward, I’m, ” Ward, “ I’m, Ward Organizations: CNN, US Coast Guard, Senate Homeland Security, Coast Guard, Coast Guard Academy