Soldier in Afghanistan; photo by soldiersmediacenter
We’ve been hearing blips of news about female service members who fall prey to sexual harassment or assault since the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan has begun. According to the Associated Press, now that the number of women on the frontlines is staggering — 190,000 women deployed so far — the Pentagon is being forced to pay attention. While women have been working their way up through the ranks in the U.S. Military to fight alongside their male comrades, they aren’t close to getting the treatment they deserve while fighting the front lines. As they lead battalions and are deployed numerous times, these female troops also have to be watchful of abusive troop members and predatory outsiders alike.
At least 15 percent of women who have been screened at a Veterans Affairs facility have experienced sexual trauma (raped, harassed, assaulted, receiving unsolicited verbal or physical contact, while on active duty). This includes more than 400 cases in which the victim was a civilian and the alleged offender was a military personnel. And, according to The Miles Foundation, which studies sexual violence in the military, more than 1/3 of women who reported a rape or attempted rape, have been raped more than once.
As I mentioned earlier, one prime example of a soldier who was clearly assaulted (likely raped), is LaVena Johnson. Unfortunately the Pentagon has closed the case, and no one, including Congress members are really going in to help this woman’s father resolve her murder. The very public assault of Suzanne Swift has become what sheds light on this very serious problem. According to Alternet:
Swift, 22, was sexually harassed by one sergeant and coerced into a sexual relationship by another sergeant while on duty in Iraq. After she was arrested at her mother’s home last summer, Swift was stationed at Ft. Lewis in Washington, where she was sexually harassed by another commanding sergeant.
Swift was offered a “deal” but decided to complete her court-martial and served 30 days in prison and was stripped of all her rank. She was released Wednesday. According to Sara Rich, “The deal was that Suzanne stay in the military for her remaining 19 months, no reduction in rank, a summary court-martial, no assurance she would not be redeployed and here is the kicker, Suzanne would sign a statement saying she was not raped in Iraq.”
For those who were able to make it back to the states, the VA opened its 16th inpatient ward specifically for victims of military sexual trauma in N.J. back in January. Also, the VA provides free care of any vet who has experienced military sexual trauma, according to the AP. Crucial since last year 131 rapes and assaults were reported in Iraq and Afghanistan, though the number is likely higher simply because that’s generally what happens. Approximately 20 percent of female members of the military have reported unwanted sexual contact to an authority or organization. According to the Department of Defense:
Restricted reporting, which provides a victim with support services without initiating the criminal investigation process and preserves the victim’s anonymity, continues to be a crucial option for service members. Some research had found that victims may choose to forego services rather than participate in the investigative process. Of the 2,688 reports made, 705 were under the restricted program. In 102 of these cases, victims later decided to pursue legal charges and switched their report to unrestricted.
According to Women Veterans of America, any soldier who inflicts sexual harm onto another service member (male or female, btw) must be punished as a court martial, or even death. To my knowledge, I haven’t heard of anyone receiving a court martial by death in a very long time.
Female Soldiers Cite Sexual Assaults {AP via MSNBC}
For Female Soldiers, Sexual Assault Remains a Danger {Alternet}
