The Pentagon commission on sexual assault in the military has recommended that the chain of command not apply when deciding if sexual assault cases should be prosecuted. Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call via Getty Images A Pentagon panel recommends that commanders should not decide if service members are prosecuted for sexual assault. The independent commission said sexual harassment claims should be handled outside the chain of command. These recommendation could drastically change the way the military handles sexual assault cases. See more stories on Insider's business page. Recommendations from a Pentagon commission may drastically change how the US military handles sexual assault cases, suggesting commanders stay out of decisions on whether service members should be prosecuted.