Chuck Hagel at USMA | Department of Defense

"These crimes have no place in the greatest military on earth," said Hagel.

Reports of sexual assault in the U.S. military have been on the rise, according to the New York Times. In the past month, a sargeant at West Point in charge of cadets was accused of videotaping women. Charges were filed on May 14.

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As reported by the Christian Science Monitor, a recent study by the Defense Department estimated that reports of unwanted sexual contact in the military increased 37% in 2012.

Hagel's remarks come a day after similar statements by President Barack Obama to Navy and Marine Corps graduates at the US Naval Academy. The president also summoned Hagel to the White House last week to discuss the issue, calling it an issue of national security.

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"Those who commit sexual assault are not only committing a crime, they threaten the trust and discipline that make our military strong," President Obama said on Friday.

Hagel's speech on Saturday also touched on larger issues within the U.S. military, referring to this as a time of "historic transformation" and "emerging" from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

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