Rep. Tulsi Gabbard said Sunday that she would sign the Military Justice Improvement Act, telling a questioner at CNN’s town hall that – as a veteran – she has “lived through experiences ourselves that our fellow brothers and sisters in uniform have gone through.”

Gabbard, an Army veteran, also lamented the fact that “there is a lack of recognition, of the serious change that needs to take place for there to be a true path for justice, for victims of sexual assault in the military.”

“I believe that we still today don’t know how rampant sexual assault in the military is, because there is still a fear of retaliation, there is a stigma and people who don’t want to be known as 'that one,'” Gabbard said.

“She or he is that one who went against the team, who turned their back.”

The question came from Joy Craig, a retired US Marine officer.

“This legislation is so important because it provides that path outside of the chain of command where you know that there is no one, whether it’s your team leader, platoon leader, first sergeant or commander, there is no one who will be able to stop your pursuit of justice and accountability if you’re a victim of assault in the this is such an important issue,” Gabbard said, adding that she served with people who felt like it was impossible to tell their own story of sexual assault.