( CNN ) -- A rash of sexual assaults in the armed forces undermines Americans ' confidence in the military , President Barack Obama told newly commissioned officers at the U.S . Naval Academy Friday . `` Those who commit sexual assault are not only committing a crime , they threaten the trust and discipline that makes our military strong , '' Obama told the graduates , who were commissioned as Naval ensigns and Marine Corps second lieutenants . `` That 's why we have to be determined to stop these crimes . Because they have no place in the greatest military on Earth , '' Obama continued . The president 's remarks came amid mounting outrage over sexual abuse cases in the armed forces . Figures show the rate of assaults in the armed forced increasing , and some top officers are under fire for condoning such acts . At least two officers responsible for preventing sexual assault are under investigation for allegedly committing the types of act they were tasked with stopping . Those factors have led to calls for major changes in how the armed forces handle sexual assaults . Obama has demanded his top military brass `` leave no stone overturned '' in their quest to prevent abuse , and members of Congress have introduced legislation that would make it easier for victims to get justice . In his commencement address Friday , Obama characterized the U.S. military as one of the few institutions Americans still trust , but said incidents like sexual assaults , as well as other delinquency by servicemen in the field , could erode that faith . `` Even in our military , we 've seen how the misconduct of some can have effects that ripple far and wide . In our digital age , a single image from the battlefield of troops falling short of their standards can go viral and endanger our forces and undermine our efforts to achieve security and peace , '' Obama told the Naval Academy graduates , 206 of whom were women . Earlier this month , the Department of Defense released figures estimating 26,000 cases of unwanted sexual contact occurred in 2012 , a 35 % jump from 2010 . Those cases ranged from groping to rape . The vast majority of those incidents went unreported as crimes , the study showed . Meanwhile , officers at bases across the country are under investigation for allegedly committing sexual assaults . An Army sergeant first class assigned to the sexual assault prevention unit at Fort Hood , Texas , came under investigation in early May for alleged sexual assault , pandering , abusive sexual contact and maltreatment of subordinates . The military said he 's been relieved of duty while investigators look in to the allegations . Also in May , an Air Force officer who managed an assault prevention unit was charged with sexual battery and removed from duty . He is accused of grabbing a woman and groping her buttocks and breasts in an Arlington County parking lot not far from his Washington office . And this week , the Army said it had suspended Brig . Gen. Bryan Roberts , the top general at Fort Jackson in South Carolina , due to allegations of adultery and assault . Fort Jackson is where most new Army recruits go through basic training , which includes training about sexual assault prevention . The president traditionally delivers the commencement address at one of the military service academies every year . In 2012 he spoke at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs . The last time he delivered the commencement in Annapolis was 2009 . Vice President Joe Biden spoke last weekend at the Coast Guard Academy in Connecticut . Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel will speak Saturday at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point , and also will address sexual assaults , according to a U.S. official . Obama 's remarks came the day after a much-anticipated speech in which the president spelled out a new phase of America 's war on terror . He told the new officers Friday they are entering a military vastly changed from four years ago . `` Just as you have changed in the past four years , so too have the challenges facing our military , '' he said , noting the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan were still being engaged when Friday 's graduates entered the academy . `` Even as we move beyond deploying our large ground armies abroad , we need to conduct precise targeted strikes against terrorists before they kill our citizens , '' Obama said . `` Even as we stay vigilant in the face of terrorism , and stay true to our Constitution and values , we need to stay ready for the full range of threats . '' CNN 's Jim Acosta contributed to this report .
Obama says military assaults threaten what `` makes our military strong , '' Assaults have `` no place '' in the military , Obama says . Figures show the rate of assaults in the armed forces is increasing . Score: 6